Doug Henry: Southwest School Board Questionnaire

1. Why do you want to win this position?

To continue serving my community, the students, and the staff of the Southwest School District.

2. If elected, what is your No. 1 goal on the school board?

Furthering the education of the students and keep providing them with a quality learning environment.

3. What areas of the school district do you think need improvement?

Well with every institution there is always room for improvement so I don’t know that you can nail down one certain area. I feel right now as a whole that the district is running well but I am glad for feedback we’ve received. You can always look at certain things as criticism or you can look at it as a tool to keep you focused.

4. What do you feel is most important for raising the quality of education provided by Southwest schools?

There is a list of ingredients for this so just to keep it short, having the best curriculum we can for the students to grow and putting it in the hands of the teacher. Also creating avenues for teachers to grow as well. Always be broadening the mind of the students and the teacher over them.

Availability to all involved with what they need to get the job done and to move forward in a positive learning environment.

5. Taking into account current bond issue construction projects, what other capital projects do you think the school should pursue?

Right now, just finishing the job at hand is enough to focus on. Making sure we keep our promise to the voters as best we can with the current economic and work force situation we are dealing with to get these projects done in a timely manner.

I’ll look to the next project, whatever that maybe when this on is close to being complete.

6. Is the district’s communication with parents satisfactory or does it need work? What makes it work, or how would you improve it?

I believe that it is always improving. We have implemented some surveys that are available to the parents on top of parent teacher conferences to get the district parents a door to communicate their thoughts.

I know our principles and superintendents doors are always strive to be available to resolve issues or discuss situation in a timely manner.

7. What classes or programs would you like to see added?

Right now I think our district is at it’s capacity but I would be open to other things if in the future it didn’t run the school to thin on resources. Some schools can find they’ve over did it in adding more programs and find that they’ve stretched themselves to thin on staff or students to be able to complete the program successfully. Take sport for instance, it’s getting harder and harder to fill a starting squad and students to fill the bench. So if we add another sports program you have to find a coach and enough students to fill it. I think Southwest has a good balance and needs to keep focus on what we have. I’d love to see all kinds of programs for students but we have to count cost and the reality of where we are, not living outside of our means to be a successes living

in stress.

8. How do you hope to help students succeed after graduation?

Make sure that have been given every equal opportunity to succeed. I want this graduating class to do what America is failing at right now, go to work. Whether you pursue a college degree, a vocational job, dive right into the workforce right out of the gate, or eventually take on the toughest job out there, which is a stay at home mom. Covid taught a lot of us that the stay at home mom no walk in the park. Do something to make you, the student proud of yourself and to be fulfilled. Right now there are so many fields of work out there needing good quality people in so many environments that I hope our graduates will be filling in those gaps. Fill the hole where others have failed.

Keep pressing forward and look to God for guidance in all they do.