Stoughton School Board candidates focus on budget
11:39 PM 3/23/04
Sandy Cullen For the State Journal

Braced for a financial crunch over the next several years, School Board candidates in the Stoughton School District are focused on addressing budget shortfalls. <

Incumbents David Handt, Marc Soderbloom and Ruth Fortney are vying with Eric Hohol and John Pundt for three, three-year terms in the April 6 election. Candidates said the community must be involved in dealing with funding gaps expected to begin with a deficit of about $350,000 in 2004-05, when the general fund will be used to balance the budget. <

Hohol, who ran for a seat on the board last year, said if underfunded retirement benefits and maintenance needs are included, projected shortfalls range from $1.2 million in 2004-05 to $2.6 million in 2007-08. <

With the district lacking growth in enrollment, Hohol advocates working more closely with the City Council on urban planning and development. <

"I'm a proponent of development," Hohol said. "We need to have enrollment growth in our schools." <

Soderbloom, who said a referendum will be necessary next year to deal with deficits projected for the next four years, stressed the need for the district to continue its strategic planning process. School nutrition is also important to Soderbloom, who wants to ensure school lunches provide the most nutritious options possible. <

Fortney also lists school nutrition and building trust and cooperation within the community as priorities. With "all the fat" cut from the district budget, Fortney said the next steps in addressing shortfalls must be done "compassionately and thoughtfully with a lot of input from the community." <

"Everybody needs to understand as clearly as they can what the options are," Fortney said. <

Handt said he wants the community to have a greater sense of ownership of its schools. <

"We've got to do things as a district to gain and retain the confidence of the community," he said. Handt also wants parental support for all students to ensure their academic success. <

Pundt said he wants the board to have a supportive, respectful, and even-handed approach to problem solving while building a forward-focused school district that meets the needs of all members of the community. <

"You can't move forward until each person has been heard," Pundt said. Stoughton School Board Ruth FortneyAge: 65 Address: 501 W. South St., Stoughton. Job: Retired teacher. Political experience: Three months on Stoughton School Board. Other public service: Food coordinator at Stoughton Food Pantry, advocate for refugee families, former tutor. Education: Bachelor's degree in elementary education from UW-Madison. Top priorities: Continue building trust and cooperation between community and district, involve community in budget issues, continue strategic planning, preserve quality education.