Elk Rapids school board candidate Jeff Bergman (left) answers a question at an April 24 candidate forum while fellow candidate Dave Lein looks on. Photo by Megan Taylor

With the May 6 election looming, candidates Jeff Bergman and Dave Lein answered questions offered by members of the audience and submitted by community members through the Elk Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce before the April 24 forum. The third candidate, current board member Doug Coates, was unavailable due to a prior engagement in Lansing.

As a Kalkaska resident before moving into the district, Bergman said he witnessed firsthand the school funding problems that district faced in 1993.

"I have concerns that we're witnessing the same thing again," he said of the Elk Rapids district.

ÊÊ Bergman said he has concerns that the influx of school of choice students could lead to a brick and mortar bond proposal in the future and that the district needs to do a better job of explaining the need for additional funds.

"We need to be honest with the people," he said about the school's current bond proposal that will also appear on the May 6 ballot. "If we have this dire need we need to put it out there."

School funding by the state is a key issue for Lein.

"School funding needs to be equalized and needs to be consistent," he said. "All else is built on that."

Additionally, Lein also supported expanding communication between the board and the public and proposed quarterly community forums to gather public input about school operations.

"You have to be that check and that link between the schools and the community," Lein said of being a school board member.

Communication can also help control costs and make the best use of the school district's resources, Lein said. Scrutinizing the costs versus effectiveness of school services can be one way of monitoring and updating those school services, he said. Enhancing the relationships with alumni and local service organizations could be a way to enhance school funding.

"We should be five steps ahead," in planning for the future and controlling costs, Lein said.

In addition to communicating with the public, Lein also said he believes the district should be communicating with experts and other agencies in order to deal with problems among students.

The district should shy away from "fear tactics" such as locking down the school and bringing in drug-sniffing dogs, he said.

"They (the students) need to hear someone who has faced addiction," he said. ÊHe added that "problem" was not a good word to use when dealing with drug and alcohol use by students.

Any time there is the presence of drugs there is a problem," Lein said. "It needs to be monitored, you can't look away."

Bergman said he favored an aggressive top to bottom voluntary drug testing program.

"If we're committed to excellence, let's address this issue from the top down," he said.

Drugs are a problem nationwide, Bergman said. Meth in particular is prevalent in rural areas, he said. He also discussed his experience with a 1984 policy requiring all Department of Transportation workers to be tested for drugs. Although it wasn't popular, it helped, Bergman said.

"Tough love is the best, these things are permanently scarring our kids," he said. "I don't think you can go too overboard."

He also talked about the ongoing "Finish the Dream" project, saying that the money could go to more effectively combat the drug problem.

"The real dream is the idea of a drug free school," he said.

Brian Keilen can be reached for question or comment at bkeilen@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-264-9711.