Michael Riley grew up in and around Lawrence and is a product of Lawrence High. He entered the Air Force and came into contact with an organization for which he now works.

“I met the Salvation Army when I was in the service,” Riley said. He is now SA’s children’s ministry director in Lawrence.

“My wife and I were married here at this church almost 30 years ago, so we’ve been working for the Salvation Army or volunteering for many years.”

After a friend told him the deadline to become a school board candidate was fast approaching, he decided to run. Riley says it startled family and friends.

“There hadn’t been any conversation about it, any thought, any preparation prior to that,” Riley said. “It was just very surprising.”

Riley’s three grown children all went through Lawrence public schools and he says right now he doesn’t have an agenda. He says he does know some issues are on the minds of parents and Lawrence residents.

“Sex education and science standards have come up repeatedly,” Riley said. “These are issues that they’re concerned about and they’re concerned to know what school board members feel about these things.”

Riley has taught Sunday school for about 30 years and he says that gives him an insight into what students are learning in school.

“You can’t understand the Bible without knowledge in other areas,” Riley said. Those include history, science, math and English. “We know how well children are reading, what their comprehension is.”

Budget cuts

Riley says that it would be naive or presumptuous to give a list of items that he would want to see cut because of budget constraints in coming years. He wants to know what those inside district operations think about money saving costs.

“I don’t think people that are outside of the operation should make suggestions,” Riley said. “I think it has to come from within the administration and the faculty and the staff.”

Riley then thinks the school board should take the recommendations and decide what stays and what could potentially go.

“You have to evaluate how is this going to impact our educational goals, how many students is this going to impact and how deeply it’s going to impact them,” Riley said.

A conservative voice

Riley has labeled himself a conservative, something he thinks is important.

“I feel a conservative is a person who supports traditional views and values,” Riley said. “A conservative is a person who supports limited government and decentralized government.”

Those beliefs lead him to maintain that parents should have a primary say in the public school system before the teachers, district, state and federal government.

“I think when I say decentralized, I feel that our primary responsibility is to the parents and then up from there,” Riley said.

He also thinks that it doesn’t matter what a candidate’s job or professional background is. Anyone can hold a place on the school board.

“I hate to see that our political system, our leadership in various areas, is devoted primarily to professionals,” Riley said. “I think an ordinary, average citizen can make a contribution and an important one.”