I read with great interest the Council candidates’ responses regarding our school district. It was especially valuable to also separately read Dr. Sweeney’s ideas to compare. For the most part, I think the Vision priorities are spot on; in order to dramatically impact enrollment growth, Fountain Hills must attract more young families. In other words, it’s a demographic, not a quality issue.

Mayoral candidate Ginny Dickey has great insight having served on both the School Board and Council. It’s time for these entities to come together; sharing facts and ideas. Clearly Council must improve their understanding of the district and vice versa.

My frustration with certain candidate responses is that our district is not “vibrant,” that it “needs to be the best” in the Valley/AZ.

Tolis shared results from a recent US News report ranking high schools (not ‘districts’). A closer look at our No. 19 ranking (top 4 percent of all high schools in AZ!) has us competing with 12 charter schools and that is unfair (no room to enumerate). The top nine are charters. Enrollment at four large DI or DII high schools is between 2,300 and 3,650. Ours is 650.

So can Fountain Hills be described as the best small, traditional public high school in the Valley? Absolutely, even with our massive legislative funding cuts.

Furthermore, this community understands the importance of the district for families and that is why – despite Linda Kavanagh’s confession “I have never voted for a tax increase” – it continues to support critical overrides and bond initiatives.

Finally, I’m surprised that Tolis continues to conflate selling district vacant land with the Board’s willingness to then prioritize building and maintaining a community pool. Some politicians covet spending other people’s money.

We need the experience of Ginny Dickey for mayor and Mike Archambault for council.