Two Valparaiso School Board candidates made their case to the city council Monday. They were asked to weigh in on the recent property tax referendum and the potential breakup of Porter County's special education cooperative, among other issues.
Jennifer Buck said special education teachers deserve to be paid more and felt that hiring them directly could put them on an equal footing with general classroom teachers. But she said she opposed the referendum, which raises funds to pay teachers and other staff.
"At this time, I simply could not agree to an additional burden to families. We are seeing record gas prices and food prices. Our most vulnerable need every cent," she told council members.
If appointed, Buck plans to use her experience in vendor management to negotiate better contracts and insurance plans.
The other candidate is former Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas, who's also a former member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. He downplayed concerns that Valparaiso Community Schools could miss out on state funding due to students leaving for private, charter or virtual schools, saying it's important to recognize choice.
"We have some wonderful parochial schools that have been here for decades and decades, and it's great to have them in our community. And so I think we need to realize that competition makes us better," Costas told the council.
He felt Valparaiso Community Schools are well-funded due to the referendum, which he supported.
A third candidate, Julie Smith, has since withdrawn from consideration.
Members of the public can submit their own questions for the candidates by email. They'll be answered during a second round of interviews on May 31, before council members make their appointment. Valparaiso Community Schools is one of the few local districts where school board members are not elected.
