Patch sent all local candidates for office identical questionnaires in order to compile candidate profiles prior to the April election. Each candidate who returned the survey will be featured on the site.
Find out who else is running for Lindbergh School District Board of Education.
Adam McBride, 33, 10119 Fite Circle
Occupation: Legislative and Governmental Affairs Professional
Education: B.A. History and Political Science from Webster University, St. Louis, MO
Family: Wife, Mindy McBride, K/1 Loop Teacher - Maplewood Richmond Heights (MRH); son, Matthew McBride, Second Grade Student at Sappington Elementary School; daughter, Gabrielle, Kindergarten student at MRH ECC.
Years in the Lindbergh School District: 2
Background Highlighting Community:
- Coach Lindbergh Athletic Association (LAA) Baseball
- Coach Lindbergh Flag Football (fall and spring)
- Coach Affton AA Summer Baseball
- Asst Coach LAA Basketball
- Member: St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Parish
- Member: Knights of Columbus
Reasons for Running: I want to be part of maintaining the districts excellent educational experience for our students, putting the professional relationships I have developed and my understanding of policy to work for the district. One thing coaching here has taught me is that Lindbergh is a special place, which is why so many young families are moving here. I believe a good school board should be representative of the community. That's a void I would like to fill as a family that moved here because of the schools, understanding some of the challenges our new families face.
What do you see as the biggest issue facing the Lindbergh School District?
#1 Maintain our top educational experience while thoughtfully incorporating the growth of our schools. (The district is projecting well over 100 new students per year for the next four years) This means renovating the Dressel school property as a sixth elementary school as soon as possible to relieve swelling elementary school class sizes, which studies show can have a direct impact on individual student achievement. A typical elementary school in enrollment is 500 students, and the conservatively projected growth exceeds that number.
#2 Lindbergh needs to offer free full day kindergarten. It's the year 2013 and we are having the wrong conversation about giving our children the head start in leaning they deserve. Free full day kindergarten should already be here, the conversation we should be having is how we thoughtfully incorporate more early childhood services.
#3 Recognize that the districts continued success means as much to families without children attending as it does to the ones that do! The Lindbergh school system is the backbone of our communities, stabilizing home values as well as supporting our local businesses. I will work hard to make sure board policies help support that.
How would you address continuing uncertainty over state funding?
Lindbergh self funds it's schools to the tune of 91% local with the other 9% coming from the school foundation formula. We are considered a "hold harmless" school district because of our self funding. We do this as a school district because those at the state capitol do not invest enough money into the school foundation formula. I would like to use the relationships I have built in my professional career with area elected officials to help the Missouri School Board Association in their efforts to get the formula funded at a higher level. Particularly a larger modifier to adjust for cost of living differences between rural Missouri and the metropolitan areas rewarding schools like ours that have decided to put a local investment in their students education, because it's the right thing to do.
What improvements can be made? What are you satisfied with?
Lindbergh needs to improve on class sizes by reducing many of them to get to a more manageable number. It also needs to offer free full day kindergarten to give the kids the head start in life they deserve.
I have been satisfied with the way the district has operated, by refinancing bonds to help save taxpayers roughly $500 million in taxes they will no longer take in. Those are the types of policies I hope to continue as a board member while being forward thinking. I feel strongly that our newer families who are moving here to be part of this wonderful school system deserve a voice on the board, and that's what I hope to bring.
Assume you win the election. What single thing do you want to accomplish during your time on the board? Free full day Kindergarten! Kindergarten these days are not your grandmothers kindergarten, truthfully it's not even my kindergarten. There is a lot of first grade material being taught in the kindergarten classroom. Math, reading, writing, punctuation and so on, and with the new common core curriculum standards being adopted, more advanced material is being placed at earlier grade levels. It is absolutely amazing what these children are receiving from a kindergarten education. It needs to be offered full day, especially for those families that struggle financially from week to week. Those children that can't afford the $400 per month are being flat out denied the opportunity.
