Schools

Candidate Q&A: Thom Dumond for Hartland Consolidated School Board

Thom Dumond is one of the candidates for two full-term positions on the Hartland Consolidated School Board.

Family 

I recently celebrated my 23rd wedding anniversary to my wife Judy.  We have two boys. Colin is a junior at the high school, and a member of the varsity football team. And Ben is an eight grader at Ore Creek. He just finished up his seven year career in the young football program.

Education

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I am a graduate of Michigan State with a degree in Landscape Architect.

Employment

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I have been employeed by Boss Engineering in Howell for over 16 years as a project manager and landscape architect.

What groups/organizations are you involved with in the community? 

I have been involved in the PACs and PTOs in the schools my kids have been in including past vice president for the Lakes Elementary. 

Why are you running for office and what relevant qualities/skills would you bring to the position? 

I enjoy working with kids, and I have found it a great way to help out in our community.  I believe it is very important to be involve in our children's lives and the community. I have been a member of the school board for over five years. My running for the school board will allow me to continue working and advocating for the education of all children in our community.  Regarding qualities/skills I would bring to the position.  I think the most important quality I bring to the position is my heavy involvement in the schools.  I spend a lot of time in the schools, attending a lot of the events that take place.  I believe it is very important for board members to know what is happening in our buildings, and be visible and accessible to the stakeholders.  

What are the top three priority issues the School Board should address and what actions would you, as an elected official, take to address them?

My primary effort as a board member would center around serving all of the children in our district. One child is no more important than another. I believe it is our responsible to education every children to their fullest potential. 

The second issue, which is the biggest issue facing districts today, is funding of our schools.  I would continue working with my fellow board members, our administration, staff and our community to secure the needed dollars to fund our public education system. 

My third key issue would be helping to create a long-term vision for our district.  The board is responsible for establishing and maintaining  structure that supports the educational opportunities for students, empower the staff, and provides leadership.  We need to continue looking forward. For our district to continue to be successful we need to be proactive in our childrens lives, and not reactive.


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