Finances a focus for School Committee candidates

Tue, May 13 2008

—

Residents will head to the polls Tuesday, March 25, 2008, to elect one of two newcomers to the School Committee. The candidates are Dennis Forgue and Gregory Rigby. Here are their answers to several questions posed by the Townsman this week:

GREGORY RIGBY

Address: 131 Rattlesnake Hill Road

Family: Wife, Janet Arnold

Job: Independent Financial Advisor

Civic Involvement:

President Board of Trustees for The Young Opera Company of New England (2006-07)

Director for Massachusetts Boating & Yacht Club Association

Member and past director of The Rotary Club of Andover

Past Member of Greater Lawrence Kiwanis Club

Past Master of St. Matthew's Lodge in Andover

What is the likelihood that you will support an override during the next three years?

0 to 25 percent

Should Andover begin building a new school in the next three years?

Yes.

Do you believe a student-teacher ratio that falls on the higher side of the current School Committee class size policy is acceptable?

Yes.

You have up to 100 words to further explain one or more of your choices above. (Any response over the word limit will be edited down.)

Override: only after implementing a structural change to the budget process. Limit COLA inflation rate and make Step Increases merit-based.

New school: Bancroft School is structurally unsound and must be replaced. The superintendent says we are fast tracked with the state. The new structure must be efficient and as green as feasible financially. We should employee a third-party project manager, compensated on meeting deadlines and budgets.

Regarding class size: acceptable yes, desirable no. This can be avoided if we can keep cost escalation in contracts and payroll to the core CPI. COLA should be equal to last 12 months' inflation.

THREE OTHER QUESTIONS

1. If elected, what SPECIFIC things MUST be accomplished during the next three years for you to deserve re-election in 2011? (150 words. Any response over the word limit will be edited down.)

First, we must replace Bancroft School. Second, we need to implement structural change in the budget process including a three-year plan and a resulting transparent budgeting and reporting process with full transparency and an annual financial audit. Third we need to re-establish the credibility of the School Committee with all of the taxpayers, not just the parents. The schools are a town asset and we all benefit from a strong school system. A lack of credibility will have a long-term detrimental effect on our schools. Fourth, we need to lay the ground-work with the teachers for a change in future contracts that must include, COLA based on inflation, replacing Step Increases with a merit system, and increasing the high school teachers classes by one additional block per year from a 3 and 2 to a 3 and 3 schedule.

2. Superintendent Claudia Bach has a one-year contract. If she retired during your time on the committee, what would be your priorities for a new superintendent? (100 words.)

A superintendent places students first on the list of priorities, has strong management skills, the ability to make decisions and a proven record of working with principals and teachers to solve problems proactively before they affect the education process, such as "The Wheels of Justice." The superintendent should command the respect of school faculties, staff, student body, parents, and taxpayers alike. Needs to have a clear understanding of education mandates, but be proactive with surrounding communities to get changes through the legislature when necessary to meet community needs. The superintendent is the CEO and the principals the vice presidents.

3. Personality question: You are in the middle of nowhere, with no other cars around and stuck at a red light for five minutes. How much longer do you wait before going ahead, assuming you go ahead at all? (25 words.)

Once certain the light is defective, make a legal right turn and turn around when legal, return to the intersection, and turn right legally.

DENNIS FORGUE

Address: 18 Reservation Road

Family: Wife, Eileen; two children, ages 6 and 8 at Shawsheen School

Job: Owner of Andover Networking LLC. I conduct executive searches.

Civic involvement (no more than 5 organizations or positions): Co-President Shawsheen PTO, Member of Andover's School Facilities Task Force, active with Andover Coalition for Education (ACE), Past Rotary Club President and founding member and executive director of a not-for-profit organization supporting mentally ill

QUICK ANSWER QUESTIONS (choose one of the responses provided):

1. What is the likelihood you will support an override during the next three years?

Undecided

2. Should Andover begin building a new school in the next three years?

Yes

3. Do you believe a student-teacher ratio that falls on the higher side of the current School Committee class size policy is acceptable?

Yes.

You have up to 100 words to further explain one or more of your choices above. (Any response over the word limit will be edited down.)

Andover has difficult choices to make about education, but those choices must be made based on objective facts. I do not support a Proposition 2/ override because we do not have those facts. We need to develop a 3- to 5-year strategic plan for our schools. I support building a new school to replace the structurally failing Bancroft Elementary School. Although I do believe the higher class size is acceptable in difficult financial times, I believe class size at the mid-point of the School Committee policy or below is preferred and best for our students.

THREE OTHER QUESTIONS

1. If elected, what SPECIFIC things MUST be accomplished during the next three years for you to deserve re-election in 2011? (150 words. Any response over the word limit will be edited down.)

There must be a philosophical change in the School Committee; although we want our educators to ask for the world for our students, we expect our School Committee to balance the needs of the schools with the financial resources of the community. To accomplish this, we must develop a transparent approach to budgeting, by creating a single finance organization for the school and town budgets under the management of a chief financial officer who serves the entire town. Only then can we have a high level of confidence in the work of the School Committee and the options it presents to the town. I will deserve to be re-elected in 2011 if Andover students continue to achieve a high standard of excellence in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities, and Andover residents are in a position to make decisions about the town's educational priorities based on objective facts.

2. Superintendent Claudia Bach has a one-year contract. If she retired during your time on the committee, what would be your priorities for a new superintendent? (100 words.)

r Previous experience as a successful school superintendent.

r A visionary when it comes to educational curriculum and innovative programs.

r Must understand and embrace the concept of doing more with less, utilizing non traditional sources of funds such as grants and creative public/private initiatives.

r A motivator with strong leadership and communication skills.

r Must understand the need to balance the curriculum within the economic resources of the community.

r Understand the need to forge positive relationships with the Selectmen, Finance Committee, other administrators, employees, and most importantly, the community at large.

3. Personality question: You are in the middle of nowhere, with no other cars around and stuck at a red light for five minutes. How much longer do you wait before going ahead, assuming you go ahead at all? (25 words.)

First, I would ask myself why I sat there for five minutes. Then, carefully look for oncoming cars and proceed cautiously through the intersection.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.