Brown Deer School Board Voter's Guide

Leslie Galloway Sherard

Age: 53

Employer/occupation: Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare/Director Diversity and Inclusion Strategies

Education: Bachelor of Business Administration, UW-Oshkosh; Master of Human Resource and Labor Relations, UW-Milwaukee

Contact: (414) 362-9762; esherard@wi.rr.com

Why are you the right person for the job?

As a former board member, I have experience working collaboratively to develop and implement successful strategies to meet the district's vision and goals such as teacher learning communities, student personalized learning plans and parent and community listening sessions within a budget that is reviewed to ensure resources are allocated appropriately.

What would you work for if elected?

I would focus on student achievement from kindergarten through 12th grade to ensure students have the academic and personal foundation needed to successfully transition to college, the military or work. I would focus on strategies to ensure growth for all students, increasing their competency in reading, writing, math and science.

How should the district balance budgets in the coming years, given the restraints from Madison?

The district should continue the process of working collaboratively with the superintendent and the director of finance to determine the best budget that will enable the district to make progress on meeting the strategic plan while balancing the financial concerns of our community. We should continue using a deliberate and thoughtful approach to managing our budget by looking at areas where the district can operate smarter by finding less costly service providers, collaborating with other districts/agencies to share costs or seeking outside grant funding. Thinking differently and being creative will help us to improve our process for balancing the budget.

Barry Godshaw (i)

Age: 63

Employer/occupation: vice president of Yesterday Once More Estate Sales

Education: Pulaski High School, attended Milwaukee Area Technical College and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Contact: (414) 355-6046; bgodshaw@hotmail.com

Why are you the right person for the job?

I'm the board member who complains the most about what I consider wasteful spending. I believe someone needs to be on the board that doesn't always go along with what the school administration wants to do.

What would you work for if elected?

I would like to see a different pay scale put into place for new teachers that are hired, which now is the same one used prior to Act 10. I believe money that is spent for conferences and conventions that teachers and administrators attend needs to be capped.

How should the district balance budgets in the coming years, given the restraints from Madison?

Wages and benefits need to stay the same. Alternative sources of revenue need to be utilized, which would include advertising at sports facilities, rental of classroom to colleges at night, offering courses online for a fee, and possibly naming rights for the new field house.

William Weisgerber

Age: 41

Employer/occupation: Northwestern Mutual Practice Management Consultant

Education: B.A. in Finance, Iowa State University

Contact: (414) 355-2382; wweisgerber@gmail.com

Why are you the right person for the job?

My education, coupled with my work experience in budgeting, insurance and consulting, provides me a unique advantage to perform at a high level. As a strategic thinker, collaborating to improve processes and create efficiencies that ultimately benefit the community is why I am the right person for the job.

What would you work for if elected?

I would work for continued attention on fiscal responsibility, create opportunities for community involvement, and work to support the administration, teachers, support staff, students and Brown Deer residents' interests. Having children in Dean School allows me more opportunities to ask questions and gain insights to create potential opportunities.

How should the district balance budgets in the coming years, given the restraints from Madison?

Madison continues to change how it funds school systems to balance its own budgets. In the coming years we will be able to enjoy reduced maintenance expenses from our new and rehabilitated facilities to allow room in the budget to spend on other opportunities. Ideally, balanced budgets for our district will come from adjusting variable expenses, determining affordability to the community and exploring new opportunities for generating revenue through partnerships or grants. Successful balance of the budget will be determined when we have a school district that the entire community is proud to be a part of it.

Lisa Zielinski (i)

Age: 43

Employer/occupation: Manager of Business Analysis at Trisept Solutions

Education: B.S. in Accounting from Ottawa University

Contact: (414) 688-0361; lisa.m.zielinski@gmail.com

Why are you the right person for the job?

In addition to private sector experience managing people, projects and budgets, I now have three years of experience serving on the Brown Deer School Board. I have efficiently run the Finance and Facilities Committee while holding the position of treasurer, and I hope to continue serving in that capacity.

What would you work for if elected?

I will continue to provide oversight of the ongoing construction project on behalf of the taxpayers I represent. I will encourage and support programs and ideas which build on the student achievement gains we have realized in the past few years.

How should the district balance budgets in the coming years, given the restraints from Madison?

The district should continue to balance the budget by drawing and building on what we have learned over the past few budget cycles. Consolidating down to two school buildings should present opportunities to reduce costs. The tools provided by Madison allow us to conceive and pursue creative initiatives we would otherwise have been unable to. We must think outside the traditional budgetary "boxes" to find solutions.