The Journal-World sent a seven-question survey to each school board candidate running for the lone two-year term. Four people filed for that seat. The March 3 primary election will whittle the field of candidates down to two for the April 7 general election.

Candidate profile: Mary Loveland

• 66-year-old homemaker who served on the board from 1987 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2011. She has worked as an organizer for youth sports leagues and served on boards for the Kansas University Alumni Association and the Kansas Memorial Union. She has been a resident of Lawrence for 38 years.

What makes you the right candidate for the school board?

My most obvious asset is experience. I served five terms (20 years) on the board, which represents a familiarity with a significant portion of the history of USD 497. I attempt to be thorough in studying an issue or problem. I am a member of a generation (Baby Boomers) who might need to be convinced to recognize that a high quality public education is very important to empty nesters as well as to parents of students enrolled in our schools now.

What issues should the school board focus on in the coming years?

The most urgent issue is school finance. We have a governor who did not accurately describe the issue during his campaign for re-election last fall. This same governor promoted tax cuts that have resulted in huge state budget problems. And since funding public education is a big chunk of the state budget, school funding is vulnerable. The school board must also make sure that our curriculum is of a high quality and that teachers are provided with the resources to teach that curriculum.

How should the board address the budget issues it faces because of state cuts?

I presume that the administration has been directed to review the current USD 497 budget to see if there are any expenditures that can be cancelled or delayed. Any contingency funds in the budget need to be studied. As personnel resignations or retirements are announced those employees’ job responsibilities must be analyzed to see if positions can be left vacant until the budget figures improve and tasks assigned to other employees. Our goal is to provide an educational program of the highest quality and we must be careful that budget cuts do not diminish that quality.

Are Lawrence students shortchanged in any aspect of their education?

I talked to a couple parents of current students. The mother of a high school student is very impressed with the breadth of opportunity available and that her teenager gets supports in academic areas when he needs it. A parent of grade school students expressed some concern about how many times teachers are pulled from the classroom for training sessions — could that be organized or delivered differently?

Do you support Common Core standards? Why or why not?

Common Core Standards were developed in an honest effort to produce academic goals for education that would produce graduates ready for college, other post-secondary education and/or employment. Conservative state legislators have “villainized” them as federal encroachment on state rights. But rather than engage in the onerous task of developing a Kansas set of standards which could end up looking a lot like what was developed, we could analyze the portions of Common Core Standards that are objectionable and “customize” our own. I support high standards for education so that we can evaluate if our Lawrence program is successful.

Should teachers have tenure rights? Is it “too hard” to fire teachers with tenure?

Yes, teachers should have tenure rights. It should be possible to remove tenured teachers through good record keeping and evidence of non-fulfillment of the goals of a plan for improvement.

Do you support moving school board elections to November in even numbered years and/or making the elections partisan?

No and no. Local elections deserve the attention they get in spring elections. And party affiliation is not relevant to school board members’ responsibilities and functions.

More 2015 Lawrence school board election coverage

• Candidate profiles and questionnaires