Tonight it the biggest board meeting of my life! (okay, it is the first)
I have spent nearly 100 hours preparing for tonight's board meeting. Decisions we make tonight will influence the lives of many families. I have listened to each story and have made some of the decisions a matter of prayer.

Good leaders make decisions based on governing principles rather than emotion. They listen to ALL patrons, especially the ones who will not be happy with your recommendations. We know that we can not make all people happy, but we can help all people Understand.

I have given a great deal of thought on the governing principles that I will need to use tonight when making school boundary changes. I even tried to rank these priorities but found that that is impossible. Let me see if I can list some.

SAFETY: In all decisions, the safety of our children must be considered. It is nearly impossible to ensure that there is no risk to our kids in attending school, but safety must be a factor. I think this principle is interwoven with all others.

FISCAL: I have an absolute responsibility to balance district resources. For example, I can not leave one school empty and a neighboring school overcrowded. This is where the needs of all of our children, trump the needs of the local community.

FUTURE: Decisions need to include long-term considerations. You do not want to make a decision only to undo it within a short period of time. We can never predict the future, but we can look at indicators such as growth projections in making these decisions. Many of us have lived in areas where we have been shifted only to be shifted back.

PROXIMITY: This can be a confusing principle. Distance does not equal proximity. Your distance does not trump someone else's proximity. 
An example of this is Blackridge Elementary. Students who live across the street from Blackridge do not attend that school. Why? It is impossible for us to build an Elementary School in the foothills by the reservoir. Property in not flat, or reasonably priced. The Proximity Principle would require students in the foothills to be sent to their nearest school. (I believe this is one of the reasons Blackridge was built so large)

HARMONY: Can we all not get along!!!! For me Harmony is not having peace, it is making logical common sense decisions. I believe this is the primary reason we send these issues to the public for their input. 
I believe when possible, neighborhoods should not be split from each other. A line through the backyard of a neighborhood is always better than one down the middle of the street. However, a line down a major street is often reasonable since neighbors are less likely to have bonded. There are times when short-term harmony does not equal long-term harmony.

COST: Every decision has a cost, and is the cost worth the sacrifice. For example, adding or losing a bus might impact your decision. Year Round School has a higher cost and can result in students choosing Charter Schools. Is it worth the cost that we will incur or save?

Decisions are never easy, and will not make everyone happy, especially since we do not all share the same perspective. 
I invite all of us to review and use the "LEADER in ME" principles that we teach our children tonight as we make these important decisions. I do not take these decisions lightly and pledge to hear YOUR VOICE so I can effectively be YOUR VOICE on the Jordan School Board.

(I might have missed a principle, so share what I missed)