By Hayleigh Gowans
Staff Writer
On May 17, voters in the Jamesville-DeWitt School District will have the opportunity to elect three members to the board of education. Current board members, Patrick Brown and Virginia Murphy will seek reelection, while Bruce Van Schaick and Jennifer Eckrich have entered the race to succeed retiring member Douglas Wilson.
J-D Board of Education seats have terms of three years. The election will be held from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Jamesville-DeWitt Main High School Gym, 6845 Edinger Drive, Dewitt.
The Eagle Bulletin has sent out a uniform questionnaire to all four candidates. Below are their responses in alphabetical order by last name.
Patrick J. Brown
Professional experience: School administrator, Skaneateles Central Schools.
Education: Masters of Science in Teaching at LeMoyne College, Certificate of Advance Study in School Administration at Syracuse University.
Organizations/groups involved with: Vice chair, Jamesville Positive Action Committee (JAM-PAC), member of Jamesville Hamlet Master Planning Group.
Why do you think you would make a good member on the J-D Board of Education?
I have served on the J-D Board of Education for three years. I am a graduate of Jamesville DeWitt. It has been my pleasure to work with the families and residents of J-D, the administration and board members to strive to give Jamesville-DeWitt students the best possible experiences and advantages.
Please list the top three problems you believe J-D faces and how would you address these as a board member?
- Staying within the New York state mandated tax cap: Districts are struggling staying within the tax cap due to near zero inflation. The Consumer Price Index of 0.12 percent has limited tax levy growth to an average statewide increase of only 1 percent. With unknowns about our share of state aid yearly, we must continue to think about efficiencies when bringing responsible budgets to our voters.
- Bringing the most innovative educational experiences to our students: Increasing costs and lower revenues continue to be a challenge. I will focus on student learning and work creatively to keep innovating when programming.
- Communicating effectively with the community: One of our goals has been to find new and better avenues for sharing information. We have made some great progress and I will continue to advocate for a positive direction.
What is your philosophy on education?
Students come first. Being an educator for many years helps me to continually maintain that focus. Students have diverse needs and no two are alike. It is our responsibility to maintain high expectations and standards for our students with a focus on their academic, social and emotional wellness.
Jennifer Eckrich
Professional experience: I currently work at Upstate Medical University as the business manager for the Department of Anesthesiology. Prior to Upstate, I was a Practice Manager for Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.
Education: Received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh, received a Masters in Health Administration from Ohio University.
Organizations/groups involved with: I am an active member in Women in Medicine and Science at Upstate Medical University. WIMS’ goal is to enhance the status, retain and develop all women at Upstate.
Why do you think you would make a good member on the J-D Board of Education?
I am committed to focusing on what is best for all students, and I understand the importance of keeping the community informed on the district’s progress and challenges. I will also ensure constant fiscal vigilance to make sure our tax dollars are maximized to their fullest extent.
Please list the top three problems you believe J-D faces and how would you address these as a board member?
One key opportunity for J-D is the lack of communication. Working at Upstate and engaging potential physicians, they often have questions about school districts and what the quality of education is like in the area. I can speak from experience that upon moving here, there is little communication and transparency about the school district, its curriculum, or how it performs nationally. Being an outsider, trying to integrate my family into this community, I can speak to how walled off everything appears and how the existing policies and structure work to maintain that atmosphere. I believe the community needs to be informed about all aspects of the district by more than people saying it through word of mouth.
What is your philosophy on education?
I think it is essential for a community to provide the most comprehensive and very best education to their children. We must maintain the highest moral standards and ensure children have a safe and encouraging atmosphere where they can attain their goals.
Virginia Murphy
Professional experience: I am fortunate to work with wonderful people at Westside Physical Therapy where I am a part time administrative assistant. Before spending 20 plus years volunteering at J-D, I was a buyer for Burberry of London in New York City.
Organizations/groups involved with: I have served on the J-D Board of Education for 12 years where I have acted as board president for three years, vice-president for five years and have chaired both the facilities and finance committees. I and am also on the board of directors for the FM-JD Area Meals on Wheels. I am an active member of my book club.
Why do you think you would make a good member on the J-D Board of Education?
I am passionate about the JD and quality education! I believe I possess the strong leadership skills, the open mindedness, the desire to listen and collaborate, and have an eye to the future as well as the ability to make difficult decisions when necessary that are essential being good school board member. Communication is of primary importance to me.
Please list the top three problems you believe J-D faces and how would you address these as a board member?
At J-D, like every other school in the state, we face some significant issues. The governor has given us every indication that state aid funding for education will continue to be a challenge. J-D can’t continue to subsidize our budgets with funds from our reserves when there is no avenue to replenish those reserves. I will continue to communicate with our legislators and fight for a change to the mandated 2 percent tax cap law. The law is dictated by CPI; which this year, allowed J-D an essentially zero cap. Two percent needs to mean 2 percent!
The safety and security of our students is essential in this more dangerous world. I will ensure that all decisions we make have their well being as a priority.
We are working hard but must work harder to close the achievement gap for our socioeconomically challenged students. This is a significant concern for our board. Our very diverse community demands a high quality of education for all students that includes specialized STEM classes, strong art and music programs and a variety of highly competitive athletic programs. Every student should feel successful.
What is your philosophy on education?
I believe that learning is organic and shouldn’t be legislated. Children are born with the desire to learn and as enter school. They need learning to be creative, inspiring and challenging. They will need to learn to think out of the box and to be creative and collaborative problem solvers to meet the demands of 21st century college and or career. They need to be skilled writers and understand higher math concepts to be competitive. Exposure to art, music and sports is also a critical part of the learning experience.
Bruce Van Schaick
Professional experience: New York state sales tax auditor (auditor, team leader and section head), certified public accountant, staff accountant.
Education: BS in accounting SUNY Plattsburgh, MBA SUNY Buffalo, CPA in New York State.
Organizations/groups involved with: Cub Scouts Pack 165 (assistant den leader and Popcorn Kernal).
Why do you think you would make a good member on the J-D Board of Education?
I have always been interested in education, have young children in the district, and have a solid financial background. I regularly attend J-D’s school board meetings and am familiar with the issues the school district is facing.
Please list the top three problems you believe J-D faces and how would you address these as a board member?
The three top issues that J-D faces involve maintaining high academic achievement, securing budget funding and monitoring Common Core concerns. J-D’s primary strength is its outstanding academic reputation, which comes because the district invests in its programs. The board faces a balancing act each year because of limited resources. In order to save our programs, we must work to get additional state aid, approach Onondaga County for additional revenue sharing, and maintain our tax base. ShoppingTown’s owners need to be encouraged to redevelop their property and maintain its tax base. As for the Common Core, a significant percentage of parents opt out of testing, and this indicates they have concerns about this curriculum. We need to see if we can address those concerns.
What is your philosophy on education?
Education is a major key to success in today’s world. Academics come first, but sports, music and other extracurricular activities are extremely important as well. J-D currently provides an excellent education and we must all work to maintain those high standards.
