Candidate Q&A: Western Wayne School Board

The Western Wayne News asked candidates in contested school board races for the Nov. 5 general election the same 10 questions. Candidates were given a month’s time to respond with a firm deadline. We share their answers, unedited from their original form.

Western Wayne Schools Board of Trustees, At-Large candidates

• Todd Allen Patterson, Milton
• Jennifer (Jenni) Harris Risch, Milton

Question 1: List your education and employment history highlights (100 words or less).

Todd Allen Patterson:

• A.S. General Studies from Ball State University
• A.S. Construction Technology from Ivy Tech State College
• Have worked in the construction trades most of my career

Jennifer Harris Risch:

• Graduate of Lincoln High School and Ball State University
• Elementary Teacher at Western Wayne Schools for over 30 years
• Receptionist at the Golay Community Center for over 20 years
• Big Boyz Pizza and Snacks in Milton since retiring from teaching in 2021

Question 2: What are two specific reasons you decided to run for school board? (100 words or less).

Todd Allen Patterson: I have kids in the school system and graduated from Lincoln High School. After attending several meetings, I became interested in running for the board.

Jennifer Harris Risch: I was approached by several community members and encouraged to run. I also have a huge interest in education, our schools and this community.

Question 3: If elected/re-elected, what are your top three priorities for your time on the school board? (150 words or less).

Todd Allen Patterson: If elected my priorities are to continue the administration’s updating of the buildings. They have been neglected for many years and are very outdated. Our students deserve the best! Also, to come up with a plan to retain and recruit high-quality educators for our district. I know teachers are very hard to find these days, but we need a plan to retain and recruit the best educators for our students. This would also allow the school system to provide a larger curriculum.

Jennifer Harris Risch: My number one priority is to listen and learn — from both the community and the other school board members.

Another priority is to remain open-minded, ask questions and speak up.

Finally, I really would love to see the town, the people and the schools all become one community working together to be the absolute best we can be.

Question 4: What are two specific skills you would bring to the office to benefit constituents, if elected/re-elected? (100 words or less.)

Todd Allen Patterson: I am running to make things better for the students. I don’t have any other reason but to be there for our students and do what is best for them. I know the school system and its students, teachers, admins and history. I want to bring Western Wayne back to a school system families want to and are proud to attend.

Jennifer Harris Risch: One skill that I would bring to the board is my knowledge of the education system. I believe it is beneficial to have a former educator on the board.

Another skill is my knowledge of this community. I grew up here, taught here and raised our daughter here. I definitely have a vested interest and want the best for Western Wayne Schools.

Question 5: What’s one aspect of the school board that you think is working well and should continue? (100 words or less.)

Todd Allen Patterson: The obtaining of grants to help improve our district. The administration has done a great job with this over the last few years, and it has helped immensely.

Jennifer Harris Risch: The posting of the prior school board minutes, as well as the upcoming meeting agenda is extremely helpful. It allows for processing and forming questions. I also like that anyone can speak at the beginning of the meeting.

Question 6: What’s one aspect of the school board that you think needs to change, and what specific action(s) would you pursue to change it? (100 words or less.)

Todd Allen Patterson: To be more aware of what goes on in the district. I have three boys, so I attend many sporting events, school activities, etc. Just don’t go through the motions, be involved in the school system.

Jennifer Harris Risch: One aspect that could possibly be changed is to allow for a brief time at the end of the meeting for questions. Sometimes there are items that are mentioned during the meeting that cause a question to be formed, but then it can’t be addressed until the following month’s meeting. Another possible change would be to have the student presentations prior to the public comments so they don’t have to sit through/hear those comments.

Question 7: Will you accept the results of the election process even if you are not elected/re-elected? (50 words or less.)

Todd Allen Patterson: The results are the results. If not elected, I will still attend meetings and be involved in the school system.

Jennifer Harris Risch: Absolutely I will accept the results of the election progress! The people are the voters and the voices that need to be listened to.

Question 8: Beyond encouraging attendance at school board meetings, how do you plan to involve parents, students, teachers, staff and residents in the school board’s decision making processes? (100 words or less.)

Todd Allen Patterson: When attending school board meetings, I see very few families and/or students attending. I would like to see the board work hand in hand with the student government and other clubs. We need to get everyone involved in the school system, parents, teachers, students, community and businesses. Not sure how to do this — maybe survey parents to get input, and have more programs to bring families into the school. I believe that the LGEI program is doing a good job of this.

Jennifer Harris Risch: How to involve the community in the decision-making process is a tough question because there are so many things about the workings of the school board that I don’t know yet. So knowing what is legal/not legal would be a learning process. However, I will say that sometimes it seems that decisions are already made “behind closed doors” with no explanation given or offered. I understand that some decisions have to be made that way, but providing explanations and including the community whenever possible is a must in creating trust.

Question 9: If you received a $5 million grant to improve local education any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why? (150 words or less.)

Todd Allen Patterson: If a grant was received, I would continue to improve buildings and grounds. They have been neglected over the years. Students learn better in a clean, updated environment. Our buses are very outdated and need to be replaced. This is a major safety concern; our students need to be safe while being transported. Create a plan to retain and recruit educators. There have been several classes where students haven’t had a certified teacher.

Jennifer Harris Risch: Five million dollars would build an amazing performance venue for our schools. It makes me very sad to see our arts programs dwindling away. I am grateful for the band program, but the loss of our choirs and drama clubs is just heartbreaking. Not every kid is into sports and many of them used the arts as their creative outlet.

Question 10: Any other comments you’d like to share about your candidacy? (150 words or less.)

Todd Allen Patterson: (No response.)

Jennifer Harris Risch: I love our community, our schools and our kids. We can and should be doing everything we can to work together as a team to give our students the best we possibly can.