|
|
|
Mike Denzer
Address: 3538 E. Westbrook Road, Chillicothe
Age: 47
Family: Married to Carol; three sons: Eric, 26, Greg, 21 and Jonathan, 19
Job: Edward Jones as a Financial Advisor since 1992
Education: Graduated from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn. Bachelor’s degree
Elective/appointive offices held or leadership roles: I have served on the IVC school board since 1999 serving as President for three years. I have been a member of the Chillicothe Fire Department since 1994 and currently serve as the Assistant Fire Chief. I’m also a past president of the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce and the Chillicothe Rotary club.
School board member’s role: The role of a school board member is to balance the interests of all of our constituents. We strive to provide the best educational opportunities for all of our students by providing a strong curriculum, employing the best faculty and staff available and enhancing our students’ experience through innovative uses of technology. We also represent the taxpayers in our district. A strong board member understands that we’re spending other people’s money and we must be effective stewards of those resources. The decisions we make reach beyond the classrooms and can impact everyone in our district. Before making any decisions as a board member, I believe it’s my duty to weigh how those decisions effect all citizens of our district.
Top priorities: I have three top priorities for our district going forward. First, we need to continue to strengthen and expand our curriculum so our students are prepared for the next stage in their lives. I recognize that our students do not all have the same goals after they graduate. Our students should be prepared for the path they choose. It is the school board’s responsibility to make sure the educational opportunities are there for all of our students. Second, we need to build on our strong financial position. Our district has made wise financial decisions over the past 10-15 years and this has allowed us to weather a very turbulent economic situation and maintain a first-class faculty and staff and provide our students the tools they need to be successful. Third, we should continue to improve our facilities. After upgrading and renovating the high school, CEC and South, I think we need to turn our attention to Mossville School. We need to improve the “curb appeal” and make sure that building is helping us deliver a quality experience for our students, faculty and staff.
Mike Denzer
Address: 3538 E. Westbrook Road, Chillicothe
Age: 47
Family: Married to Carol; three sons: Eric, 26, Greg, 21 and Jonathan, 19
Job: Edward Jones as a Financial Advisor since 1992
Education: Graduated from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn. Bachelor’s degree
Elective/appointive offices held or leadership roles: I have served on the IVC school board since 1999 serving as President for three years. I have been a member of the Chillicothe Fire Department since 1994 and currently serve as the Assistant Fire Chief. I’m also a past president of the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce and the Chillicothe Rotary club.
School board member’s role: The role of a school board member is to balance the interests of all of our constituents. We strive to provide the best educational opportunities for all of our students by providing a strong curriculum, employing the best faculty and staff available and enhancing our students’ experience through innovative uses of technology. We also represent the taxpayers in our district. A strong board member understands that we’re spending other people’s money and we must be effective stewards of those resources. The decisions we make reach beyond the classrooms and can impact everyone in our district. Before making any decisions as a board member, I believe it’s my duty to weigh how those decisions effect all citizens of our district.
Top priorities: I have three top priorities for our district going forward. First, we need to continue to strengthen and expand our curriculum so our students are prepared for the next stage in their lives. I recognize that our students do not all have the same goals after they graduate. Our students should be prepared for the path they choose. It is the school board’s responsibility to make sure the educational opportunities are there for all of our students. Second, we need to build on our strong financial position. Our district has made wise financial decisions over the past 10-15 years and this has allowed us to weather a very turbulent economic situation and maintain a first-class faculty and staff and provide our students the tools they need to be successful. Third, we should continue to improve our facilities. After upgrading and renovating the high school, CEC and South, I think we need to turn our attention to Mossville School. We need to improve the “curb appeal” and make sure that building is helping us deliver a quality experience for our students, faculty and staff.
District 321’s greatest challenge: Our district’s greatest challenge is to balance the educational needs of our students with the financial constraints we face. Our students face an ever changing and increasingly challenging world once they leave IVC. In order to compete academically and in the workforce, our students should have exposure to a diverse curriculum including fine arts and a robust Advanced Placement program. A well-rounded student is exposed to a variety of disciplines and can choose the educational path that best prepares them for their next step. These academic goals can, unfortunately, conflict with our need to be thoughtful stewards of the resources we have. In reality, like many families in our district, we can’t do everything we want. Our resources are limited so we need to carefully listen to the citizens in our district, analyze our needs, and make the decisions that balance these competing priorities.
Why residents should vote for you: I have served on the IVC school board since 1999 so I have the experience necessary to make the decisions needed to continue to move the district forward. All three of my kids have graduated from IVC so I understand the strengths of our district as well as the areas we have for improvement. My knowledge of finance in general and school finance specifically will allow me to help the district maintain our strong fiscal position. I have chaired the personnel committee for the past several years and I understand that our “people” decisions are often the most important ones we make. We have a strong faculty and staff and I’m committed to making sure we hire the best people available and provide robust professional development opportunities. Finally, my commitment to our district is unwavering. From my role on the school board to my position on the fire department, I’m committed to serving the citizens of our school district. Thank you.
