League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton, Clermont County, OH November 6, 2007 Election
	Rachel Ann (Baker) Newman Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Forest Hills Local School District

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What are your qualifications for office? (50 word limit)

• Educator in Ohio public schools for nineteen years
• Former board member of Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation
• Former V.P. for Loveland High School PTSA
• Former banker
• Graduate of Babson College (MBA)
• Graduate of Denison University (Bachelor of Arts)
• Volunteer for JLC and various arts organizations

2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit)

Forest Hills Local School District should be proud of the ODE "Excellent" rating, but the district cannot rest on its laurels. I will work to ensure that the district offers competitive wages to attract highly effective teachers who have the requisite skills to educate our youth. Board members must be accountable to the citizens who have entrusted them with overseeing the district's finances. I will be a good steward of public funds, and make sure that district personnel aren't wasteful. I will also work to pass necessary operating tax levies and bond issues to maintain and improve our district's facilities.

3. What is your position on amending the Ohio Constitution with regard to the funding of public schools? (150 word limit)?

It has been more than a decade since the Ohio Supreme Court declared Ohio's school funding system unconstitutional. Forest Hills Local School District has been very fortunate because local voters have been willing to provide the necessary tax monies to fund the schools. Neighboring districts have not been so lucky with passing school tax levies. It concerns me that sometime in the future, our district will face the same dilemma if an appeal to increase property taxes to fund our children's education fails. For that reason, I support an amendment to the Ohio Constitution that will alleviate our total reliance on property taxes to fund our schools.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 4, 2007 17:44
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