Katy Billings
Age: 45
Occupation and employer: Nemaha County Wellness Center, co-manager and group fitness instructor
Years living in the Auburn Public Schools district: 45
Education: Auburn High School Class of 2000, Peru State College Class of 2007 Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice
Previous elected or appointed public service, including boards, commissions and committees: Auburn City Council, Auburn Community Redevelopment Authority, Grow Auburn, Auburn Sports Boosters, Auburn Country Club Board, Friends of the Library, NADAA
Introduce yourself to voters who may not know you. What is your connection to Auburn Public Schools, and what led you to run for the school board?
My name is Katy Billings, and I'm a lifelong resident of Auburn, Nebraska. My husband, John, and I have been married for almost 24 years, and we have three adult daughters who are 4th generation graduates of Auburn Public Schools. In my spare time I like to exercise and read. My connection to Auburn Public Schools started a long time ago. The educational and extracurricular activities myself, my husband, and my daughters enjoyed during our time at APS has strengthened my connection to the District. Public service runs in my blood, so deciding to run for District 29 School Board is simply a matter of me loving to serve the community I live in. I enjoyed my 14 years on the Auburn City Council, and I'd be honored to serve the patrons of District 29 as a member of the School Board.
What does a school board member actually do? Where does the board's authority end and the superintendent's begin, and how would you handle a disagreement with the administration?
From my perspective a school board member is the vital link between three groups of people: 1 - the teachers, staff and administration, 2 - parents and students, and 3 - the taxpayers. School board members are responsible for creating and implementing policy that recognizes and values the input from all 3 groups. The school board and superintendent should utilize a "checks and balances" relationship. Of course the school board holds a certain amount of authority over the superintendent, but as far as the "day to day" operations of the schools? That should always be left to the superintendent, administrators and teachers. Disagreements with the superintendent and/or administration should first be addressed personally, and if the disagreement continues then I believe it should be addressed as an entire board.
The board sets the tax levy and approves the district budget. What would you look at first, and how do you weigh property tax pressure and state aid on residents against what the district needs, especially considering a documented enrollment growth of 15% over the last six years?
As a new member of the school board I would look over the last 10 years of the school's annual budget. How does the growth in the budget compare to the growth in enrollment? How does the growth in the budget compare to the growth and/or reduction in state aid? It is imperative that school board members remain cognizant of the overall tax picture affecting its taxpayers. Simplistically the school's budget is not that different from a home budget. If my costs go up, I have to tighten my belt, and I may have to sacrifice "wants" for "needs." A school has many obligations, but its first priority is to educate. Classroom space and educational spaces that are safe are a priority when educating.
Voters will decide a school bond issue on the same ballot. The district is targeting a levy of about 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, roughly $150 a year for the owner of a $150,000 home, to add classrooms and make heating, cooling and window upgrades at Calvert Elementary, add a secure entry at the middle school, convert the current gymnasium into a multipurpose space and build a new gymnasium. Do you support it? Please state your position plainly and explain your reasoning.
Will I support the school bond with my vote? Yes. Do I think the bond could have been presented differently to taxpayers? Also yes. As I stated in my answer to the last question, a school's first obligation is to educate. Adding classroom space to Calvert and making heating, cooling and window upgrades are imperative. Adding a secure entry at the middle school is imperative. From an overall current financial standpoint (property taxes mainly) in the state of Nebraska I believe the extracurricular parts of the bond could have waited (multi-purpose space and new gym) until a time when some sort of property tax relief had been recognized by taxpayers. I believe we should capitalize on current and potential community partnerships when it comes to. multi-purpose, arts, music, theater and sport space. I also believe bonds should be specifically targeted and not watered down versions just to "get something in there for everyone."
Name one thing Auburn Public Schools is doing well that you would protect, and one thing you would change.
Auburn Public Schools does a great job building community support and rapport. Events are well attended. Students are getting a lot of opportunities to participate in the things they like. Auburn Public Schools also has a fantastic group of teachers, para-professionals, administration, and staff. That group of folks is key when it comes to community support because they are the face of the school everyday. I do not feel that I have enough knowledge to comment on things that need to be changed. I am not running for this position to "change" certain things. I am running to collaborate with other board members, teachers, staff, administration, taxpayers and parents in order to ascertain if changes need to be made and how we go about those changes.
When a parent, teacher or resident brings a concern directly to you, what would you do with it? How should the board hear from the community between elections?
When a parent or teacher brings a concern directly to a board member the proper chain of command should be followed. Parents and teachers should first reach out to the respective administrators in the buildings where the concerns may be. If a resident brings a concern to the board member those concerns should be voiced to the administrative team at each school as well. The administrators in each building should always be the first in line to address concerns. When those concerns need to move beyond administration then they should move to the board and/or board committees.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know?
I appreciate you considering a vote for me for District 29 School Board. I encourage you to reach out to me if you have questions, comments or concerns about any of my answers. I firmly believe in positive forward moving in-person conversation to solve problems, create solutions and avoid conflict. Go Bulldogs!
Ryan Jones (incumbent)
Age: 48
Occupation & Employer: Vice President, First National Bank of Johnson
Years Living in Auburn Public Schools district: 15 years
BS in Business Marketing from Missouri Western State College
Previous elected or appointed public Service, including boards, commissions and committees:
District #29 Board of Education 3 Terms, serving in all board of education positions and committees.
District #29 committees/appointments: Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) board of education representative; NASB board of education delegate
Auburn Volunteer Fire Department 15 years of service, past trustee and current treasurer
Auburn Chamber of Commerce Board member and served as President 3 years
Schools of Banking Compliance and Operations School Advisory Board, 6 year term and President 1 year
Introduce yourself to voters who may not know you. What is your connection to Auburn Public Schools, and what led you to run for the school board?
We have had the privilege to call Auburn home for the past 15 years. During that time, I have had the opportunity to become involved in numerous aspects of the area communities we serve, from coaching various youth teams to serving on the Auburn Volunteer Fire Department. As a parent I am honored to be able to say that all three of my children have attended Auburn Public Schools. Twelve years ago I was driven to make an impact for the future of all children, regardless of their needs and abilities, and that passion still drives me today.
What does a school board member actually do? Where does the board's authority end and the superintendents begin, and how would you handle a disagreement with the administration?
As a school board member your main responsibility is oversight of the superintendent and creation and maintaining of policies which guide the overall function of the district, many of which are required from the state level. We have worked diligently for the past six years to streamline this process and have created district specific policies that are indicated by a dash 29 in our policies. Through these policies the board of education expects the superintendent to manage the district accordingly. Any disagreements that may arise that reach the board level are handled collaboratively amongst board members in a proper setting.
The board sets the tax levy and approves the district budget. What would you look at first, and how do you weigh property tax pressure and state aid on residents against what the district needs, especially considering a documented enrollment growth of 15% over the last six years?
The current model for funding schools is not equitable across all districts in the state. District #29 has the 2nd lowest assessed value per student in southeast Nebraska, putting more pressure on our local effort rate, which is the levy we approve. The larger the increase in assessed values, which we don’t have control over, the larger the loss in state aid, creating more pressure at the local level. Special education funding continues to be cut, creating more costs for the district. 80 percent of our budget is people who have a direct impact on the students they serve.
Voters will decide a school bond issue on the same ballot. The district is targeting a levy of about 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, roughly $150 a year for the owner of a $150,000 home, to add classrooms and make heating, cooling and window upgrades at Calvert Elementary, add a secure entry at the middle school, convert the current gymnasium into a multipurpose space and build a new gymnasium. Do you support it? Please state your position plainly and explain your reasoning.
I fully support this bond issue. Over the past couple of years, we have sought public input in open meetings, conducted 3rd party phone surveys of registered voters in our district, and looked at various options and data trends that are currently impacting our district. Growth trends, community input and data collection from the survey guided our decision making and how to move forward. No bond election is taken lightly, but we made every attempt to scale the bond to meet our current and future students and staff needs in addition to listening to our patrons in the communities we serve.
Name one thing Auburn Public Schools is doing well that you would protect, and one thing you would change.
Our genuine belief in doing what is best for all kids. It has been a priority for the last six years to create a learning environment that meets the needs of every student we are privileged to serve. We have added opportunities for college bound students and those students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation. The implementation of JAG, USA Jobs, and programs that allow for our students to have a trade certification at graduation has been a great addition to our district. While not a change, continued advocacy to state leaders must be a priority.
When a parent, teacher or resident brings a concern directly to you, what would you do with it? How should the board hear from the community between elections?
First and foremost, you listen to learn, address the situation if possible and don’t dictate the conversation. Some situations warrant a reminder of our policy that directs parents of the proper protocols for concerns at the building level all the way up to the superintendent. As a board member we become the final say should a situation come to a hearing, so we are not informed of prior personnel discussions. Living in a small community we get the opportunity to interact with our peers daily in addition to open board meetings and our contact information is provided.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know?
Having the privilege of serving the past twelve years on District #29’s board of education, I have learned that change is constant, adaptability is required, and the learning curve is substantial, taking several of the first years to gain an understanding of the position. The past six years we have made great strides in the district from our financial position, adding educational opportunities and activities for all students, and tuition reimbursement for our staff to name a few. Given the opportunity to serve another term I will continue to make decisions on facts that support the entire district, especially our kids.
