This is the final part in a four-week Q&A series featuring the candidates running for the Fountain Hills Unified School District Governing Board.

The school board election will be a part of the Nov. 6 General Election, with early ballots being mailed out on Oct. 10.

Candidates are responsible for the content and accuracy of their responses in this series.

For their final response, candidates Wendy Barnard, Nadya Jenkins, Judith Rutkowski and write-in Bob Shelstrom answered the following question:

Outside of enrollment, the budget and personnel (which have already been discussed in this Q&A), what do you consider the greatest challenge facing FHUSD and how can the local district address it?

Wendy Barnard

While we have discussed challenges facing FHUSD, another important issue to consider is community perception. From social media posts to public discussions from stakeholders, FHUSD has not been immune to mischaracterizations.

It is said that perception is reality, and FHUSD needs to alter negative perceptions. One of the ways that the district can accomplish this is with communication. FHUSD has made progress by engaging with community groups, distributing district-wide newsletters and providing updates on social media.

For those attending school events, they can see first-hand the accomplishments of our district. FHUSD provides something for every student, whether it is in the arts, sports, STEM, or student government. The personalized approach to education is evident through the various academic programs in the schools.

As a district, it is imperative that we positively market our district to the community and provide facts regarding accomplishments. We offer small class sizes (funded by the override), we work with all students to achieve academic success and we do not settle for mediocre results.

To this end, FHUSD uses data to make decisions and create action plans to address challenges. For example, when achievement scores were discussed, board members actively engaged with administration to examine the discrepancy of scores and encouraged the district to examine what steps needed to be taken for remediation.

Nothing the district does occurs in a vacuum and FHUSD needs to do a better job conveying the facts and the good work occurring so that reality is not clouded by misguided perceptions.

Nadya Jenkins

The challenges already discussed in this Q&A series are not unique to FHUSD. They are challenges faced in public education across our country. Other challenges to public education in general include: school safety, teacher burnout, bullying, technology use and availability, family involvement/engagement, student attitudes and behaviors, student physical and mental health. FHUSD is not wholly immune to any of these.

All these factors impact student achievement, and that is the greatest challenge for any district.

With so many possible influences on an individual student’s success, there is no one silver bullet to fix it. What we can do as a school district and community is ensure we are focused on the correct priority – promoting and advancing quality education for our youth.

We do this by creating learning environments where everyone’s success matters. Establishing a culture of learning that supports today’s information economy and proficiency with 21st century skills (collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity). Fostering a safe, caring and welcoming environment for all students, where unique qualities and diversity are recognized and respected.

Our district is making strides in these areas, as shown by the adoption of Beyond Textbooks at the high school last year and its expansion to the middle school this year. The successful addition of AVID and AP Capstone programs at the high school and partnership with EVIT has FHUSD providing college- and career-focused education that is challenging and rewarding for students and meets diverse needs.

Judy Rutkowski

FHUSD is a relatively small district compared to our neighboring Mesa, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley school districts. The greatest challenge facing us is developing and maintaining a broad variety of classes and curricular options to offer to our students.

This issue is distinct from but also impacts enrollment, budget and personnel. For example, instruction in foreign languages is common in high school, with Spanish being the most prevalent choice. From the economic perspective, including other languages, such as French or German, requires a certain number of students to make it viable, and this is harder to achieve in smaller districts. The same applies to other, less common subjects.

We have begun to address this issue and will continue to do so. Our relatively recent but ongoing collaboration with EVIT has added some new options for our students, including classes in cybersecurity, video production, 3D-animation, and honors human anatomy and physiology.

In the high school, Advanced Placement Capstone Seminar and AP Capstone Research classes have been added. AVID (Advanced Via Individual Determination) classes focus on leadership, systems, instruction and culture to increase the number of students who enroll and succeed in higher education and their lives beyond high school.

In the STEM area, statistics and advance placement statistics are now curricular options. In the realm of fine arts, dance is a new and very popular addition for our middle school and high school students. STEM and robotics instruction now begins at McDowell Mountain and continues into higher grades through high school.

Bob Shelstrom

The greatest challenges facing FHUSD are the board’s approach to operations and culture of avoiding community participation in its oversight.

The board’s organizational policies are one such challenge.

The board has the superintendent, whose focus should necessarily be academic improvement, also perform the finance director’s duties. The transportation manager also has facilities and capital responsibilities. Each are full-time jobs. These aren’t cost saving measures.

We spend about $1,273 per pupil for administration, about 50 percent higher than the state average. The board has neither effectively studied nor documented evaluation of serious academic challenges.

I requested district reports establishing why 37 percent of our school-age residents enroll elsewhere and why about 10 percent of our students transfer out every year, as well as the root causes of our underachieving AzMERIT scores.

The Administration prepared no such reports, and the board didn’t request them.

I volunteered to participate on district improvement and facilities committees since I have both professional and volunteer experience in those areas. The board refuses to allow such standing committees, perhaps because they most effectively provide accountability.

The solutions start with selection of a new superintendent. She/he needs to have successful leadership experience in academic improvement at a demographically similar, higher performing district.

We need committees to provide board decision effectiveness and prudency oversight in a venue where the board and administration can be questioned and provide answers.

Cultural change is often the toughest to accomplish, but it’s necessary to attract quality staff and new, successful families to our community.