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Davis Journal

School board candidates share their goals for the district

Oct 17, 2024 10:41AM ● By Becky Ginos

PTA members from Woods Cross, Bountiful and Viewmont high schools hosted a Meet the Candidates night last week to allow those running for Davis School Board of Education positions to speak to the public about what they hope to accomplish if elected. Alisa Mercer and Melanie Mortensen are running for a seat in District 1. Jennifer Brooks and Joani Stevens are candidates for District 2.

Candidates fielded questions about budget, finances, their vision for schools in the district and cultivating a relationship with the legislature.

“I have been managing finances for much of my life,” said Mortensen. “Even in my teenage years I was an entrepreneur, working to earn money for college. I managed income, expenses, inventory and marketing. I have also helped balance school budgets while on the community council and weighed budgets against desired curriculum on a curriculum committee.”

“The school district has a budget of almost a billion dollars,” said Mercer. “It is important that those who serve on the school board have experience managing budgets. I have served in high-trust positions overseeing nonprofit and governmental funds in various capacities. I prudently and transparently managed the emergency assistance fund for the Bountiful Food Pantry. I filed monthly compliance reports. I also helped with the food pantry’s fundraising efforts, which more than doubled in my time at the pantry.”

“I have run my own business for 26 years,” Brooks said. “I manage the budget for a private school. My husband and I run a business with a budget in the millions, which has grown. When I helped start a charter school, I regularly reviewed the budgetary process to buy property, build a building, write policy, hire everyone, adopt and purchase curriculum, train teachers and furnish an entire school which opened with 1,000 students in 2006.”

The more detailed and transparent a budget the better, she said. “A school board must have budget priorities to better control their controllables and improve their product.”

“I know how to balance a budget,” said Stevens. “I was raised in a family where a financial ledger was the norm and I drove my husband crazy when we were first married. I would hint what I wanted for Christmas but only if he could get it for a really great price. It’s always best to try and get the most bang for your buck.”

 Stevens said she has applied this mentality as she served as treasurer of the BYU MBA Spouse Association, as a president in church auxiliary positions, as a PTA president and as a junior high community council member where their main purpose is to oversee the use of Trust Lands Funds allocated to the school. “The allocation of taxpayer dollars should be done with intentional and objective oversight.”

In regard to the candidates' vision for the district, Mortensen said she wants to build strong schools. “I want schools that challenge and prepare every student to succeed by focusing on teaching the fundamentals – math, reading, science and history.”

In addition, Mortensen said if elected she would support teachers by prioritizing top-of-market compensation. “I also want to provide them with a high quality curriculum, eliminating bureaucratic red tape, promoting smaller class sizes and giving them the time they need to focus on their students.”

“I envision a district that values collaboration and responsiveness to the community,” said Mercer. “A district that provides opportunities and choices. A district  with innovative programs like Catalyst, with more flexibility to individualize education. This can only work if we are a district that honors the professionalism of educators.”

“This community has amazing families, they value all children and seek their success,” said Brooks. “They rely on schools to effectively educate their children. I bring a proven plan with over 30 years of research to unite parents and the community with their schools, where everyone has a defined role, and we can focus on improved academic outcomes.”

“As a board member, recruiting and retaining quality teachers will be a priority,” said Stevens. “No amount of technology or state of the art facilities can replace the person in the room. Our teachers are the linchpin to a quality education.”

Mail-in-ballots went out on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and Election Day is Nov. 5. λ