Gregg Geerdes ICCSD Board Candidate Guest Opinion

My wife, Mary Murphy, and I live in the Lincoln district. We have children at City High, Northwest Junior High, and Regina Elementary Schools. Therefore, I have no allegiance to any one school or area and I will focus on what is best for the children of the entire district. For more than 25 years I have practiced law here.

I am running for school board because I have for too long witnessed a board that functions in an ineffectual manner, we need to proceed on our district’s core needs and begin the long process of restoring the trust of the public, and because I can help us reach these goals.

First, we need to prioritize the construction needs of the district because the district is significantly short of funds to build what the current board has approved. Taxpayers, through the local sales tax, the authorization to issue revenue purpose bonds and other sources, have generously provided approximately $150 million in funds to pay for our construction needs. Unfortunately, the current board has approved a laundry list of construction projects that will cost $260 million and has embarked on a plan to close neighborhood schools even though we have a shortage of facilities to house our students. As a result of its lack of confidence in the board, the public is not receptive to approving a bond issue to provide the additional $100 million that would be necessary to build everything the board wants.

I have no desire to ask for a bond issue, as it is important to show the public that we are capable of prudently spending the funds currently available before we ask for even more tax money. Instead, I prefer to focus on a core group of priority projects that can be completed within our available funds. My priority items will the construction of a new high school, additions/renovations to Mann, Longfellow, and Penn elementary schools, additions/renovations to North Central and Southeast junior highs, and one or two new east side elementary schools. This will satisfy our capacity needs and can be accomplished without a general obligation bond. It makes little sense to close neighborhood elementary schools because by keeping these schools open we avoid the need for still more new schools.

I will work to immediately begin the design and construction of a third high school and the other highest-priority projects. If we do not, the limited funds available will be diverted to other projects and we will not be able to meet our most important needs.

The second reason I am running is to assist in the redistricting process. Because of construction, there will be redistricting throughout the district and most families will to some extent be affected. It is essential that this redistricting process be honest, consistent, transparent, logical, and carefully thought out. I am able to provide a necessary voice of reason to see that this process is handled as best it can.

My third desire is to restore the public’s confidence in the board. In talking with people about the election, the universal themes I have heard are disappointment and distrust. The first step in restoring this lost confidence is to demonstrate to the public that we are able to effectively manage the construction and redistricting process in a fair, fiscally responsible, and transparent manner.

There are difficult times before us, but there is also an opportunity to move forward. Let’s take advantage. I request your vote so that together we can make our school district better. 

For more information about me, please see 

http://gregggeerdes.wordpress.com/.