Published: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 1:06 AM CDT

Yankton School District (YSD) school board candidates debated several hot-button issues, including the budget, facing the district during an Interchange forum on Monday.

There are two openings on the board, with four members running for the positions. Candidates include incumbent Jim Fitzgerald and newcomers Butch Becker, Sarah Carda and Wayne Wurth.

One of the first topics of discussion was why each candidate decided to run for the a position on the board.

Fitzgerald said he decided to run for school board three years ago to be involved with something in which his family entire was involved.

“We need to continue to offer a quality education,” he said. “There also needs to be opportunities for kids in different areas, including the arts.

Carda said she decided to run after previously serving on the board at Sacred Heart School.

“It’s important for me because I have kids in the district,” she said. “I’m pro-education and want people to have choices. It’s only fair that people who are able to give back do so.”

Wurth’s motivation to run for school board is based on informing the public that the school belongs to the people.

“People get silenced if they don’t agree with school district officials,” he said.

Becker said that, if elected, he would keep a careful eye on the financial situation for the district, if elected to the board.

The candidates were asked what the district has done well and what they’ve done poorly over the past several years.

Carda cited the strong academic reputation of the district as one of the things they’ve excelled in for years.

“YSD has had an exemplary graduation rate, which is good to have,” she said. “However, I think they’ve done poorly for explaining budget implications and what it means for students.”

Becker agreed with Carda, saying he thought the district has done a fantastic job educating students. However, he said the budget needs more work.

“We need to determine what we can take on and what we can’t take on,” he said. “How many things can we take from the community while still providing a good education for students?”

Wurth said the district has done a poor job by forcing issues on the public and trying to have opt-outs passed.

Fitzgerald said he feels as if the district has done a good job educating its students, but added board members should communicate with the public better on issues, including the budget.

One Interchange member asked board candidates what the role of education is with regards to fostering student achievement.

Wurth said one of the first things he would do, if elected, would be to demand individualism from students.

“Students should be judged on their own merit,” he said. “They’re not just a number, they’re individuals.”

Becker said he would concentrate on the academic portion, and said that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) attempted to foster student achievement, but failed to do so.

Fitzgerald talked about the importance of education not just being a role for schools.

“A lot of education happens at home for kids,” he said. “This brings up the values of community members.”

He also cited NCLB making educators teach to the test, and not to students.

Carda said she would be open-minded about the issues of education at YSD.

“I would try to get the best information I can, and I’d be honest about the things that must be done,” she said. “I’ll also be thoughtful about what we’re trying to do to best educate students.”

The candidates were also asked about the top three things they would focus on if elected.

Becker said he would focus heavily on the budget, analyzing and reviewing programs and looking at the Common Core standards.

Likewise, Fitzgerald cited finances as a main concern. He also said he would like to focus on maintaining high academic standards at YSD and keeping up with the changes in education.

Carda talked about addressing the academics offered for students, providing leadership for budget issues and said the purpose of the district, first and foremost, is to educate students.

On the other hand, Wurth said he would be focused on who works for whom.

“School Board members have an allegiance to the public, because they’re the ones who put you there,” he said. “I’ll also focus on who we hire, and getting education back into the teachers’ hands.”

Another question dealt with the candidates’ experiences managing a budget.

“I’ve dealt with doing a budget for my business, as well as while serving on the Hillcrest Golf Course board,” Fitzgerald said. “The school budget is a very tight rope we have to walk on.”

Carda said she offers unique experience, having served on non-profit boards and serving on Mount Marty’s executive team.

“I’ve worked on the budgets there, and it’s the same concept, even though Mount Marty’s budget is tuition-based,” she said. “There are complicating funding issues with the YSD budget as well.”

One of the things Wurth said he’s most concerned about is the government throwing money at education. He said money does not make kids smart.

Becker said if he is elected, he would continue to watch the healthcare program, as that is a significant cost for the district.

Along with the budget issue, a question was raised on ideas candidates have to balance the budget, while maintaining a low average class size.

Carda said she’s concerned with the class size now, and said it puts the district at risk.

“We have been increasing the class sizes in order to meet the budget,” she said. “We need to focus priorities with the budget on what’s most important.”

Wurth said he would discuss the budget properly, openly and honestly if he is elected.

“Officials need to make hard decisions on the budget,” he said. “You need to have confidence in who you have making those decisions.”

Becker and Fitzgerald both cited increasing healthcare costs as something they would monitor in upcoming years.

The school board election will be held April 9, with absentee voting available beginning on Monday in the YSD Administration Building and city finance office.

Another school board forum will be held tonight (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. at the Technical Education Center.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal