BURRTON USD 369 Board of Education candidates

Editor’s note: The Kansan posed questions to USD 369 candidates. The other candidates in this race did not return their forms by the deadline.

• Name: Karl Matlack

• Education: Graduate of Burrton High School and attended Hutchinson Community College and Kansas State.

• Job: I am the service, parts and engineering manager for Stinger Inc. in Haven, which my family started in 1992. We offer the Stinger Stacker, which has become one of the most well-known and best self-propelled hay stackers in the industry.

• Family: I have a wife Lesley, who works in the preschool at Burrton as an aide. We have three daughters: Addison, 7; Malloree, 3; and Taylyn, 1; and a son, Kyler, 5.

• Community and public service: I have been on several mission trips to the four corners area and also to Costa Rica. I am the trustee for Valley Township and recently became a representative on the Burrton Fire Board for the township. I also have served on church administrative board for Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church and also their building committee. During my four previous years on the school board, I served as a representative for the school district on the Special Education COOP board.

• What experience do you have that prompted you to run for this position? Having grown up on a farm five miles from Burrton and having spent all my elementary and high school years in Burrton schools, I have a personal connection and interest in the district. During a good part of the past four years, I have served as a representative for the school district on the Special Education COOP board and also helped in the search for a new superintendent and a new principal. These experiences have helped me learn things I did not know about the district or the job of being a school board member.

• What prompted you to run for office this term? Today I have two children in school and in the next couple of years , will have two more starting in the district. I am interested in making the school a positive environment for my children, as well as each of the other students we are serving. I am running for re-election for the chance to continue to work with and support the great staff we have. We need to continue to make improvements for the students and the community that we are serving.

• What challenges does the school district face in the next four years? What would you do to address those challenges? I believe the next one to three years will be very important for schools. With the economy and current budget issues, it is extremely important for all school boards to focus in on making the school as efficient and educational at the lowest cost we can. We need to do this without affecting many aspects of the learning process that go into each child’s education. For many students, it is not just the hours in the classroom that help them to grow and expand their knowledge.

• What differentiates you from your opponent? The experience I have has been a benefit not only for me but the entire district. I have learned things that must be looked at, studied and re-considered to make the district and the community the best learning environment possible for the students. Having lived here all my life and attended school here, I have had many friends and family go through the school district. Because of my firsthand experience with the district, I can offer a different perspective than many others can.

• What would you do to improve student achievement? If I am re-elected, I will continue to work well with the staff and administration to carry on the work we have been doing as far as improvements and growth of the school. I would like to see the school, the city and the entire community work together to grow the community, improve district pride and make the whole district more positive. I will work to make sure we continue to improve and not just be happy with where we are. I think we need to continually re-evaluate things to improve. We need to stay conservative but at the same time, take calculated and educated risks to improve the district and community in ways that are in the best interest of the staff and, most importantly, the students.