School Board Profiles: Kate Cargill

Editor's note: Due to the large number of candidates in this year's school board election, we'll run a pair of candidate profiles each day for through Sunday. Each candidate was asked to provide a biography and answer a set of questions.

On Monday, we'll provide a final wrap-up of the school budget and provide links to all candidate profiles.

Kate Cargill has lived in West Deptford for 10 years with her husband and their three daughters, who are students in WDHS, WDMS and second grade. Kate received her associate's degree in general studies from Community College of Philadelphia (‘88), her BBA in management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business (evening, ‘92) and her MBA in accounting from Kennesaw State University (‘01).

Her work experience includes an administrative position at the University of Pennsylvania, where she worked directly with faculty and students. She has had temporary accounting positions performing financial analysis and pension benefit calculations, accounts payable, payroll and internal audits.

Most recently Kate worked at Christ Church in Woodbury as the Communications Coordinator–publishing the monthly newsletter, maintaining the website and disseminating information. Currently, she performs the accounting and communication functions of her husband’s consulting business. Kate is also the president of the WDHS Band Parents’ Association, is an active member of the WDMS PTO and participates in her daughters’ Girl Scout Troops.

A position on the Board of Education is an important one. As stewards entrusted by the community with school funds, the Board must strike a balance between those funds and our school district’s educational goals. Board members must strive to ensure that every dollar spent supports students in realizing their potential.

We want kids to dream big, and so we’ve got to make tough–but sound and well-informed–choices that motivate and provide lifelong tools and skills that help them to achieve those dreams. Education is an exceptional endeavor, in that, as a community, we really are all in this together. We all have a stake in its outcome–our future.

1: What's your main reason for running this year? & 2: If elected, what, if any, changes would you look to make?

I am running for the BOE because I believe that explanation and openness are keys to navigating the uncertain times that we are facing, and I feel that one of the roles of the Board is to be the liaison between the public and the administration.

I desire to be a voice of information. I believe that there is a feeling of animosity by the public toward the school system, and that this situation is primarily the result of a lack of information. Last April, during the budget crisis, I attended the special BOE budget meeting, along with many concerned residents. There was a lot of anger at that meeting, and a decided “us versus them” mentality. This was increased by the explanations that were given (or not given) for why the board made the decisions they made.

Over the next year I observed the process; attending all but one regular and one special BOE meeting and engaging in conversation everywhere I went, and with many people who were willing to talk about their concerns, including teachers, senior citizens, and parents.

Even after a year of observation and conversation, I don’t feel that I have all of the information. And I think that there are many out there like me who are frustrated about how the decision process works. I think that there is a huge disconnect between what the public wants the board to be able to do and what the board can do.

And so, if elected, one of my top priorities is to be approachable and to keep the dialogue open on the reasons behind the decisions that I would make as a board member.

3: What do you think you bring to the board, in terms of experience and viewpoint?

The following example illustrates the kind of information that I would convey to the public and the critical thinking that I would contribute as a member of the BOE.

On Sept. 13, 2010, the board unanimously approved $18,847 for an outside contractor to provide payroll services for the remainder of the budget year. At the Dec. 13, 2010, meeting, after the public portion of the BOE meeting was closed to questions, a last-minute item appeared on the financial portion of the agenda, to the obvious surprise of most of the board members and the audience.

It was a motion to purchase a payroll software module at a cost of $17,450 and to begin performing payroll services in-house. One member of the board expressed concern about the rushed timing of this motion (it was explained that the software had to be purchased and in place by Jan. 1 to simplify payroll tax reporting.) She also was concerned about the cost of future modules. After three attempts at an explanation, the vote was taken and the motion passed 8-0.

It was not clear to the pubic when the decision was made to perform payroll in-house. Even so, there are a number of questions that remained unanswered after the meeting: Was a cost/benefit analysis performed and communicated to the board? Did the district recoup the cost of the remaining external contract? Did the administration convey to the board that they had evaluated the additional costs that would be incurred by having an employee do the in-house payroll, the costs of tech support for the new system, and those for additional modules? Did this purchase go out for bid? Should the board have tabled this motion for more explanation? Should we have called a special meeting if time was such an issue?

I anticipate that these questions and similar ones were asked as a matter of course in committee, but the issue is that this process was not effectively communicated to the public. However, if these questions are not considered, I will be asking them.

4: What do you think is the most important issue facing the West Deptford school district?

Our district is already under tight financial constraints. With all that is going on in Trenton regarding funding, I know people are worried that next year, when our township must meet its large debt obligation, that local taxes will go up again, and that the schools will be asked to cut their budget even more. We will have to continue to plan for worst-case scenarios.

I believe that the current board members, administrators, and teachers have the best intentions for the success of our schools, and I respect them for their efforts and commitment. I know that there will be times when we will have to agree to disagree on the course of action we take, but if we effectively communicate our position and reasoning, keep our minds open and maintain respect for all the members of our community, the process will be effective and reasonable.

5: Why should voters choose you?

I truly believe that our school district–that education–is an exceptional endeavor, in that, as a community, we really are all in this together. What I mean is this.  We are running a school district at the local level–just over 26,500 residents are the purpose for the existence of this district.

With federal and state laws that we must follow, that makes our job that much more challenging. But it’s not just the taxpayers who are a part of this system. It is the administration, the teachers, the parents, and, most importantly, the children who are all woven together into the fabric that makes our school district. The children are our future! We have pledged our best for their sake.

There are parents and taxpayers who are teachers, senior citizens who are taxpayers and perhaps former teachers. We even have administrators who were teachers and are now parents and taxpayers. And really, so many of us are just friends and neighbors.

We are a community, and we have to work together with patience and understanding to get through these difficult financial times.