Theresa Tuvera brings strong faith, integrity to school board candidacy

Theresa Tuvera 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 Tuvera, and here are her responses:

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

I believe that there is a great need for members of this community to be involved in the community on the behalf of others. I have a passion for children, and for education. The success of our community depends a large part on the success of our children. Each child deserves the best education that is available. Complaining about our community, its policies or faults is not enough. We have to be willing to step forward and to get involved.

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

I am a mother and a grandmother, though my children and grandchildren do not live in this community. I have been a nurse for over 27 years and most of those have been in er. I currently work in the ER at JCHC. I am a woman of strong faith, integrity, accountability, teamwork, and a critical thinker. I am a hard worker, punctual and honest.

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?

I have been attending several board meetings and a workday in which the proposal was discussed about seeking to make some changes in the existing four school buildings. There are several options available that would allow for updating some aging areas and also allow for expansion that seems to be needed. One area that is proposed to be added is the addition of a preschool that is apparently needed in this community.

I have heard many requests for a good preschool in this community and with some adjustments to the present buildings it is possible to add a preschool in 1 of the grade schools. This would be a great asset to the existing members of the community but also to attract new families to want to come to this community.

The children that would be in the preschool would then move up into the elementary school in the same building. The proposals offered several options to be chosen from and even several financial options to make these possible. This workday was open to the public, with open dialogue and opportunities to ask questions. I think if the public would attend one of these meetings and be involved with the planning options it would be very beneficial.

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?

My answer to #3 carries over to this question. Instead of closing the middle school it is suggested to add a preschool and do some adjustments in all four to accommodate this. There are several options for financing these plans that will need to be considered.

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?

I have not lived in this community for these 14 years and have not had children or grandchildren in this district so I can not speak specifically to the reasons for the lower numbers. My understanding is that parents may have removed their children from this district and chose to drive them to a neighboring district, home school them or register them in private schools.

My first response to this concern is why did they remove their children from this school district? It is a big step to switch your children's schooling like this, that makes for huge changes in the family and finances. So, what drove these parents to make these changes? Where new policies put in place that drove these parents to make these decisions?

This school system must address what drove these parents to change their school choices and correct those things. It does not just affect a few students and to see no corrections on the part of the school system will likely lead to a greater decline in like minded parents.

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?

I am not well versed in the practices of the school district in seeking new teachers for the schools. I know that salary is always a huge factor and with the budget of this district there may not be a lot of give in this area. But are there other options that may help this? Are there other benefits that could be added to the employment package? What are the practices of recruiting in the colleges? Some options that could include sharing with a nearby district for certain classes? Are the teachers in this school district happy with their work environment and compensation enough to assist in recruiting?

Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts.

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