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                          April 27, 2001

Meet the candidates

Elections to be held for West Point School Board vacancies May 9

Submitted by Eileen Ellingsen
West Point Schools

The following individuals are running for the four vacancies that exist on the West Point School Board. All parents of students enrolled at the schools are eligible to come out and vote May 9, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. under the overhang of building 705-A.

PAUL BARTONE

As grown-ups, our most important responsibility in this world is to assure the healthy growth and development of our children. With our very busy lives and demanding jobs, we sometimes forget that fact. At West Point, we are fortunate to have an excellent school system with highly dedicated educators and good facilities. As adult members of the community, and especially as parents with children attending these schools, it is our responsibility to be informed about the educational and developmental programs provided to our children and to work with the school staff and faculty to constantly improve these programs. Our children spend many hours at school … what happens during these hours can form the direction of their young lives. As a West Point Schools Board member, I will bring the concerns of West Point parents to educators. I’ll also give my time and energy to working with the staff and faculty toward making sure the educational and developmental experiences provided to our children are the best that we are capable of.

GAIL M. DWYER

As the mother of four children, ages 9 through 15, I have volunteered for the past nine years in four different schools, both in the civilian community and on post. Moving our children is in itself a challenge, but when any school fails to meet educational standards, the challenges are multiplied dramatically. I firmly believe that parental involvement is critical to ensuring that our children receive the education that is essential to their success. I can think of no better way to utilize my own schooling, which includes a masters’ degree in education, than to work toward programs and policies to ensure our school meets the needs of our children.

ROBERT P. MORRIS Jr.

Simply put, I want to be a part of my children’s education and serving on the school board will permit me to do this. My primary goal is to assist the superintendent to make the West Point School system the best possible experience for all students within the resources given. Thank you for your vote and support.

JAY K. RAMASWAMY

By seeking a position on the WP School Board, I desire to become involved with the educational process that my children will be exposed to. I feel that as a parent, I should be aware of the issues that will arise while my children attend school here at West Point. I believe in an active participation of the parent in the development of our children. We should seek to be responsible stewards holding ourselves accountable for the upbringing and education of the lives entrusted to our care. This will be my endeavor.

LOUIS YUENGERT

My interest in a position on the school board is directly related to my children’s experience in this district. While I believe that the West Point School is a good school, I also believe that it is not as good as it was 8 years ago when we left from our first tour. It is distressing to hear parents who are assigned at West Point who are either considering sending their children to private schools or who are already doing it because they are dissatisfied with what they are finding here. While I don’t share their opinion, my focus as a member of the school board will be addressing their concerns so that this school can live up to its excellent reputation.