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I'm a Senior Principal Data Engineer in the finance organization of a Fortune 5 company; one of three engineers who build and run a multi-million-dollar platform the business depends on to get its numbers right. That is fiscal oversight as a day job. I sit on the district's Policy Advisory and Curriculum Committees, served on the Lino Lakes Elementary principal selection committee, and have two kids in our schools. This district is good because of the people in it; the board's job is to protect that, and for two years it hasn't. I bring a systems thinker's discipline, a parent's stake, and a habit of listening before deciding. The details, and the data behind them, are at andiforflas.com and flasteam.com.
1. A board that does its job: decisions announced early, stay on the agenda, get decided, with district counsel and the full board before any vote. Everything else depends on this.
2. Measure what we fund: program budgeting tied to outcomes, built in a stable year, with vacancy, turnover, and time-to-fill reported on a cadence.
3. Community input before the vote, not after the walkout: families hear what is changing before it changes, and if you took the time to tell us, you hear back.
Start with what a cut costs a student. Personnel is 82% of the budget, so the margin is narrow. First, transportation: $1,508 per student across 220 square miles is a routing and contract data problem, my kind of problem. Second, programs that can't show impact or make an honest case for why the data isn't there yet. Third, administrative load technology can absorb. Last to touch: classroom staff and special education, which runs $3,192 per student with $236 federal. Plan it early, not at 2 a.m.
Measure them first, by building and by student group, reported to the board on a cadence; you can't fix what nobody reports. Then act where the data points: protect the supports that reach students first (special education, EL, student-led clubs that drive attendance and belonging) and expand pathways that show up on a resume, with trade and business partners, so opportunity doesn't depend on income or address. Our welcome culture is real; the board's job is to make sure it reaches every family.
Deliberately, not by personality. Building visits across all sites, scheduled through the superintendent; 220 square miles means the far edges get forgotten unless you plan against it. Office hours that fit real shift schedules. Earlier notice on anything touching a student or family, and a closed loop: if you told us, you hear back. When teachers react to a proposal, that is a signal to pause, not push. I route what I hear through the superintendent; informed is the goal, interfering is not.
Our students, staff, and community need school board members who have real knowledge about our schools. I'm a district graduate, mom of three district graduates, began my Special Education teaching career here, have volunteered in our schools, and serve on the district’s Finance Committee. I have also served on the Wyoming City Council for nearly 12 years with a voting record that reflects non-partisan collaboration and common sense. As an involved community member, I know the urgency of electing school board members who are informed about our schools, understand the statutes and policies that we are required to follow, the foundation for academic achievement, and who will prioritize safe and welcoming schools for every Ranger student.
Our school board needs to return to focusing on students first, so my top three priorities are academic achievement (including robust course options in addition to high expectations and safe schools), increasing the family engagement that ensures accurate information about our schools, curriculum, and test scores, and rebuilding community trust with better transparency, respect, and a commitment to following policies appropriately, as I’ve done for nearly 3 terms of the Wyoming city council.
Our district has a tight budget impacted by transportation costs, Special Education costs, and unfunded mandates from the federal and state level. Our schools are an investment, and I spend time each year at the Capitol with legislators and testifying about funding and what our students need. When cutting the budget, we should prioritize staff retention and lower class sizes that promote revenue, and instead look for more cost effective staff development opportunities and curriculum choices.
We have an obligation to ensure that our policies and practices are providing every student what they need as unique learners, and that starts with acknowledging and valuing the uniqueness of every student. Students need opportunities and communities in our schools that will motivate them to come to school and fully engage in learning. We also need to ensure that we are using curricular materials in which all students are represented, providing targeted support, and seeking equitable funding.
In the last year and a half, trust in the school board has been eroded due to disregard for stakeholder input. Engaging both families and teachers prior to board decisions is a key part of rebuilding trust in our school board. This starts with board members having real experience our schools and understanding the legal parameters that must guide district decisions, and then supporting broader engagement opportunities for both families and teachers to provide feedback about important decisions.
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