Robert Wofford, LCPS School Board Dist. 3 candidate

What do you see as the top infrastructure needs for the district? 

We use capital outlay to keep up with the major maintenance of our buildings.  We have just opened Columbia Elementary which will help with the school size for our east mesa Hwy 70 corridor. With the growth of the city on the east mesa, we will need to plan for schools there.  Our GO Bond for November will pay for roofs, security updates, and the big ticket item on the bond is the renovation of Mayfield High School.

What would you do to help make sure each campus is safe for kids to go to school? 

We have upgraded school entrances and installed cameras so that access is limited into our schools.  Likewise, we run checks to make sure that doors are not propped open so that schools are not easily accessible.  We have also installed the Evolv weapon detection system to enhance security.  

What policies or programs would you support to address bullying and cyberbullying in the district? 

We updated our bullying and cyberbullying policy in the last year to make our goals clear.  Much bullying takes place through social media, and we have joined a large group of school districts in a lawsuit seeking a remedy from the algorithms which large media companies use to hook kids into their devices and feed content to them based solely for the purpose of keeping them looking at their phones.  We are also implementing a cell-phone policy which limits kids access during school hours to their devices.  

What are some new classes or changes to curriculum that you would like to see? 

We have been laser focused on making our tier one teaching the focus of instruction.  That is, the instruction which all students receive in their classes across the board, so that our students are engaged in critical thinking and collaborative learning and our teachers are clear on the strategies which make for the best learning environment.  That focus will allow the best growth in our students.  Similarly, students are engaged in schools because of the opportunities to explore their personal interests, whether in athletics, extracurriculars, career possibilities or clubs.  It is only when we have a comprehensive approach to making school a place where students can explore their interests that the best engagement can take place,  

What are some of your top priorities when it comes to creating a budget? 

Transparency.  Participation.  

Since I have been on the board, we have implemented a budget process designed to allow greater participation from all stakeholders in our community.  It is a year round process of gathering data and creating a budget which reflects the priorities of our community.  For instance, safety has been a clear priority in parents' minds, so we have enhanced our school security to reflect that priority.  Likewise in our capital outlay priorities.  The renovation of Mayfield High School is an example of listening to our community and setting priorities.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Las Cruces Public Schools? 

We face many challenges.  The recent Legislative Finance Committee report showed a very strong correlation between students who are impoverished and their performance academically at school.  This is a systemic problem in our society, and our schools are responding by providing nutrition for children so that they are able to focus on their lessons, and not their hunger.  The chronic absenteeism springs from this as well, and we have responded with a program which focuses on the root causes of why kids are not at schools, of reaching out to students and families through counseling and home visits to get kids into school.  I was a teacher for 34 years at LCHS, and it was clear to me years ago that it is next to impossible to teach a student who is not in my class.  

What do you hope to do to address these issues? 

Our board has set strategic goals to keep our attention focused on what is most critical in our district:  academic performance in literacy and numeracy, providing a safe and secure environment in which to learn, and promoting engagement so that students have a sense that the educators in our school value them as individuals and want to work with them to provide them with the tools which will help them succeed as adults.  These goals govern our thinking in our decision making.