Seven candidates outline priorities on maintenance, learning outcomes and safety at Academy District 20 forum

Matt Meister moderated a candidate forum at Liberty High School for Academy School District 20 on matters voters said mattered most: budgets and aging facilities, curriculum and assessments, school safety, board governance, sports policy and library materials. All seven candidates answered a standardized set of questions in one-minute introductions followed by 75-second responses.

Candidates repeatedly returned to facility needs and student outcomes. Renee Malloy Ludlam said the district faces “over half billion dollars of deferred maintenance cost,” and argued priorities should be set by where repairs and replacements benefit the most students. Several candidates noted District 20 ranks last (178 of 178) in per-pupil funding in the state, a constraint they said must shape choices.

On curriculum and assessment, candidates said no single metric suffices. They listed state tests (CMAS), PSAT, DIBELS and growth measures, and urged combining test scores with school site visits, teacher and principal input, and evidence-based curricula implemented with fidelity. Jennifer Stites and others emphasized early intervention and retaining teachers as the primary levers for improving outcomes.

School safety was framed as a layered responsibility. Susan Payne, who currently serves on the board, urged reporting safety concerns through Safe2Tell or 911 and noted the district "has armed security even in elementary schools." Candidates advocated immediate responses for imminent threats, routine maintenance to ensure doors and locks function, and both the "hard" side of security and the "soft" side—counselors and a welcoming climate.

Several candidates called for restored transparency and community access to board decision-making. Multiple candidates proposed returning to two public meetings a month and improving online access to meeting materials so that working residents can follow decisions without long, time-consuming research.

The forum also included contested topics that drew contrasting views: the district's decision to join a sports-fairness lawsuit and the scope of materials allowed in school libraries. Those exchanges centered on balancing legal protections, safety and fairness for girls in athletics against the cost and local prevalence of the problem; library discussion focused on parental controls, an existing complaint-review process, and judgments about age-appropriate material.

The forum closed with an invitation for attendees to speak with candidates at tables outside the auditorium; no formal votes or board actions occurred at the event.