A Lawrence accountant says his financial background is needed on the Lawrence school board.

Thom Hepford, of Mize, Houser and Co. in Lawrence, filed this week as one of eight candidates seeking three school board seats.

“I’ve seen expenditures in the past few years that I think I would have maybe handled differently,” he said. “Like any other citizen, I don’t know everything that goes into their decision-making, and the only way to know is to become part of the board and to make those decisions.”

Hepford said he would have concerns about funding new programs during tougher economic times when school districts would likely be making cuts.

He said some budget decisions need to be more forceful, including focusing on curriculum and helping students formulate ideas.

“I definitely see that the needs and the wants have to be separated, and there will be people who are going to be unhappy with wants that just are not going to be satisfied,” he said.

Hepford would have liked to see the plan to improve athletic fields at both high schools consolidated to save on cost, he said.

His wife, Krista Hepford, is an art teacher at the Lawrence Virtual School. They have a daughter in kindergarten at Pinckney School.

The election for three at-large seats is April 7, and eight candidates have filed.