Mark Thornton seeks to foster community involvement on school board

Mark Thornton is one of seven candidates for the Fairfield Community School District Board of Directors who are seeking one of the four open seats up for election on Nov. 7, whose terms will last four years.

The Union sent a candidate questionnaire to Thornton, and here are his responses:

1. Why are you running for the Fairfield school board?

I am running for school board because I want to be a part of the solution, and I am excited for the potential opportunity to serve our community and help lead our district in creating a positive culture where our students and staff learn, grow and succeed. If elected, I would be eager to make a meaningful impact in three key areas: the selection of a new superintendent, the vision and development of physical building plans, and the enrichment and empowerment of our staff. I believe these three areas are instrumental in creating and maintaining a more positive and safe learning environment for students.

2. What qualifications do you have that would make you a good school board member?

The qualifications that make me a strong candidate are the range of experiences and skills, such as recruiting and supervising personnel, creating and optimizing processes, and strategically managing budgets to ensure fiscal responsibility.

I practice steadfast leadership. Leadership that is calm, dependable, reliable, constant and unwavering on things that are most important. I would apply the knowledge gained from experiences, as well as my steadfastness, to ask questions, listen and promote accountability to help improve our current school board and make informed decisions.

3. In 2021, Fairfield voters rejected a $34 million bond vote to build a new middle school and make other improvements to the district. Do you think the district should attempt another bond vote for a new middle school? If so, what should the district do differently this time around to ensure the ballot measure passes?

Our current infrastructure is not sustainable. A bond vote is needed to make improvements and changes with all of our buildings. The lack of communication, transparency, and planning in 2021 led to confusion and lack of trust among voters.

The new board will first need to build back trust with the community and then investigate all of the options and communicate those options in a clear and concise way to the community that shows a vision for how Fairfield schools will look now and in the future. Community involvement is critical in these decisions.

4. An online survey of 669 Fairfield residents conducted by FEH Design earlier this year indicated that 70 percent of respondents wanted the district to downsize from four school buildings as a way to save money. Do you think the district should reduce its number of buildings, and if so, what do you want to see as the new configuration?

Changes need to happen with our buildings, but this needs detailed analysis in order to make the right decision for the district. Input from multiple stakeholders including teachers, administration, and community members needs to be evaluated. The new board will be influential on getting this analysis started and building trust on a solid plan.

5. Fairfield's enrollment has declined by about 200 students in the last 14 years. Last school year, 114 students open enrolled into the district, while 197 open enrolled out, for a net loss of 83 students. What, if anything, can the school board do to reverse the decline in enrollment, and encourage more families to enroll their children in the Fairfield school district?

Families want the best for their children and I want to work toward FCSD being the best school in this area. This board will be tasked with finding the best leader for our district in hiring the superintendent and also creating the best vision for our district for years to come.

A unified vision across administration and staff and ensuring that our schools provide the best possible education and experience for our children will change the culture of FCSD and start attracting families and students back to the district. This will take a lot of work but I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of the solution.

6. What can the school board do to attract and retain quality teachers? And do you believe the district is doing a good job at retaining teachers, or does it need to improve on this front?

Competitive wages are important and I want to ensure FCSD is competitive but there is no dollar amount that can be placed on the value of teaching a child to read or problem solve or engage in the issues greater than themselves. Teachers need to feel valued. In recent years the trust between teachers and administration has been damaged and needs to be restored.

Teachers need an avenue to communicate and escalate concerns to ensure that those concerns are listened to and addressed. Sound leadership at the administration level will enable teachers to feel supported and encouraged so they can focus on carrying out their passion of teaching our students. FCSD has dedicated teachers and staff who truly love this district. They deserve a vision on where our district is going and to be a part of creating this vision.

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