Five candidates are competing to fill three seats in the Fulton-58 School District Board of Education during the April 4 municipal elections. Two candidates, Ruth Burt and Todd Gray, are incumbents.
This is part one of a two-part series of profiles for each candidate, and includes Ruth Burt, Alethea Dzurick and Matt Gowin. Check Sunday's edition of the Fulton Sun for Gray and Emily Omohundro's profiles.
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Ruth Burt
Ruth Burt has completed one three-year term on the Board of Education. She is a Fulton Public Schools alumna, as are her two kids and two grandchildren, who are at McIntire Elementary. She is a 22-year veteran of the Fulton Public School system, having retired in 2012.
Q. What do you think is the biggest issue you'll need to solve, and how do you plan to solve it?
A. The budget is always an issue - we'll have to wait and see what Gov. Eric Greitens does with that. Also, social media needs some looking into: the way kids use it, the way adults use it and the way teachers use it. There may have to be restrictions placed on using social media during school hours.
School safety is, of course, very important to me, as is parent involvement.
Q. What qualifies you for the position?
A. Having been a 22-year veteran of the district, I can understand what teachers and administrators face on a daily basis. I also have spent three years on the Board of Education. I feel like the first term is a learning experience.
Q. What is your greatest fear and your greatest hope for the community?
A. My greatest hope is that we can provide a good education for all the students in the district so they can be successful in the future. Currently, the school district does hire a lot of past graduates as teachers, and I think that's a real asset.
My fear, I think, is that parents are not always involved in their child's education process. Parents need to come to school, visit the administrators and stay in contact with teachers. They should be examples for the students.
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Alethea "Lea" Dzurick
Lea Dzurick graduated from William Woods University in 1996. At OATS Transportation, Dzurick coordinates transportation for senior citizens and others in need. She volunteers with the YMCA and Parks and Recreation. She and her husband of 20 years, Darren, have two children. Her son, Landon, is a freshman at Fulton High School.
Q. What do you think is the biggest issue you'll need to solve, and how do you plan to solve it?
A. I don't think there are any huge issues right now. I think that we just need some new people on the school board, with new ideas. There's some concerns with some of the bus routes and with transportation. Parents have mentioned discipline issues in the district. I don't think there are any big things, but there are a lot of small things.
I just want to be part of being able to help our parents and community in the district.
Q. What qualifies you for the position?
A. I've been part of the Fulton community since 1992. I currently work with the general public. I've worked with OATS for 17 years. I've worked with everyone from people with mobility challenges to individuals with special needs. I've also worked with Parks and Recreation for a long time.
I don't know if I'm the most qualified individual, but I think I'm in tune with the community and its needs and can be more one-on-one with the community then some of the current board members.
Q. What is your greatest fear and your greatest hope for the community?
A. My greatest fear is that parents will quit caring. When the district doesn't seem to care about our parents and our children, the community will quit caring. We have a great community and to keep the great community we have to keep contact.
As for my greatest hope, I think it kind of goes hand in hand: that our community and districts work together.
In the last four years - I'll use sports as an example because my son is very involved in sports - the attendance has gone down at a lot of our sporting events, and a lot of volunteering among parents has gone down.
People need to support our kids, and the more support they have, the better they'll do.
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Matt Gowin
Matt Gowin attended the Fulton district, as have his four kids. He has an extensive financial background and is involved in the community. He's served on the Fulton Public School Advisory Committee. Gowin believes he can offer insight, creative ideas, an open mind and support in providing quality education.
Q. What do you think is the biggest issue you'll need to solve, and how do you plan to solve it?
A. I'm interested in the placement of our graduating seniors post-high school. They're either entering the workforce, going to technical or vocational school or going to secondary education. It's not one-size-fits-all. Not everyone needs a college education.
Some need to enter the workforce for a family or personal reason and some are more suited to a technical school. We have to rely on teachers, guidance counsellors and parents to provide guidance. I'm already talking to my daughters about it. It needs to be an early discussion and it needs to be a fruitful discussion.
To identify students as a success five years down the road, you have to understand that the definition of success is different for each student. For some, success is graduating with a bachelor's degree or technical certification. For others, it's getting a job.
Q. What qualifies you for the position?
A. I've been involved in civic associations for years and have served on advisory boards for SERVE, the YMCA and other organizations.
My sense of civic duty, coupled with my financial background, gives me a unique perspective and problem-solving ability.
I can look at problems from all angles and foster conversation. I'm also knowledgeable in problem-solving and addressing key issues. The role of a school board is to be an advisory board - you're more of a resource than a boss.
Q. What is your greatest fear and your greatest hope for the community?
A. My greatest fear is missing out on an opportunity to provide students with success at life, no matter how we define success. We do miss some students, like dropouts and people who don't do anything with their diploma.
My hope is that we'll allow and assist students in becoming the best people they possibly can be. We can help them realize they can be a successful person and the school district can help.