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Candidates were asked to limit their responses to each of the following questions to 200 words or less.
Name: Jason M. Hartman
Age: 47
Profession: State Forester, Kansas Forest Service
Incumbent: I am currently the Board Member for USD 384 District 1, Position 1 and also Board President.
Do you have children or grandchildren who attend(ed) USD 384 Blue Valley schools? My oldest graduated from BVHS in May of 2023, and my wife and I currently have a son that is a Junior at BVHS, and a son in 8th grade at BVMS.
-Why are you running for school board? Five years ago, I was asked to fill a vacated Board of Education (BOE) position at the request of a current board member and a friend of mine. After an interview, I was appointed to the vacated position. Currently I am serving as the USD 384 BOE President and it’s an honor to serve the Blue Valley Community. There have been some significate challenges in the past five years, and I am confident that the district is turning the corner. I am seeking one more term on the Blue Valley School Board to continue working together with the new administration, teachers, parents, and community to make USD 384 even better yet.
-Parental engagement and community involvement are crucial for the success of any school district. What strategies would you implement to increase collaboration between parents, citizens, and educators?Engagement and listening are crucial components to achieving collaboration. Parents, citizens, educators, staff, administration, and students all have to be active participants in the sharing of information regarding what is happening and what needs to happen in the schools. Then, once information is shared through active engagement, the next step is active listening. Everyone involved, but especially the Board and the Administration need to listen to the input provided by an engaged public to guide the decision of the District. Once the public sees proof that we as a Board have actively listened to their input, that builds trust and will increase the level of engagement and therefore collaboration.-If you had one thing you could change about the USD 384 school district, what would it be? Being a small school district is one of the best things we have going for the good of our students. However, it adds a constant sense of financial uncertainty. If I could change one thing it would be to maintain the caring family atmosphere of our small district but not have the financial uncertainty that goes along with it.
-What is your opinion of the USD 384 administration? Do you think you could work with the current administration moving forward? I am very excited for the Administrative team that we have this year. Two of the three of them are new to our district, that being the Superintendent/Middle School Principal and the Elementary Principal. The third, our High School Principal has been a teacher and administrator in the district for several years. Combined they bring a good mix of energy and new ideas to go along with a respect for the values that Blue Valley has always been about.I feel that myself and the other current Board members have established a working trust that helps us work together quite well. If I were to be re-elected I feel that I will continue to be able to work with the Administration very well.
-What is your opinion of the current school board? Do you think you could compromise with the incumbents who will remain on the board? I have worked with some of the Board members for five years, others for just a couple years. In all cases I feel that all the Board members I have served with focus on what is best for our students and keep in mind that it is taxpayer funding that we are trusted to manage. We don't always 100% agree on every issue, but I have never had a time where we were not all able to hear each other's opinions and find solutions that we all could settle on. If I have the privilege to continue as a Board member and President all Board members will continue to respect the views of each other and work to find solutions that are in the best interest of our students and taxpayers.
-What do you think the board’s role should be in the day-to-day operations of the district? As a member of the Board of Education, I feel that it is my responsibility to help guide the administration in making decisions that align with the morals and values of my constituents. Listening to our parents and community members, I believe we are united with our priorities being our students and ensuring that they have every opportunity to succeed. This includes making sure we have the facilities, teachers, and staff to help make that a reality. As the board we must set these parameters and then trust the administration to execute them in the day-to-day decisions. While trusting most of the day-to-day to the administration and staff we also are still responsible for accountability and need to make sure our priorities are carried out in a fiscally responsible manner. None of this can be achieved without the board, administration, and staff being willing to communicate with parents and patrons in a timely and consistent manner.
-Have you received money or in-kind donations from individuals, businesses, groups or PACs outside of the school district? No, I have not.