This Q&A is part of Tiger Times Online’s coverage of the 2025 school board election. The election will take place on April 1. For more information, click here.

For a short bio about Sara Bauer, click here.

The following Q&A has not been edited, and are the responses provided by Sara Bauer via email, as she was unavailable for an person interview.

• Why are you running for the District 7 school board, and what’s the most important skill or experience you bring to the role?

I am volunteering for this position because I understand how important it is for the students and teachers to have board members who support them and engage with them. I started attending school board meetings about a year and a half ago and started to feel a desire to serve on the board. I want to be a school board member because we have lost the human connection between the Board of Education and our current students and teachers, and I feel as if I can bring back the level of empathy that teachers and students need to see from their Board of Education. My goal will be to work on making sure the board, administration, teachers, students and parents are in sync. I am a current parent of two students in District 7 schools. I am experiencing the happenings in our district on a daily basis. Current parents understand the strengths and weaknesses of our current curriculums, they see the holes in our safety procedures, and their children share with them the highs and lows of their school day on a daily basis. I would have to say if you are a current parent, you bring a different level of understanding and experience as a school board member. My hope is that the upcoming elections will bring more parent voices to the Board of Education.

• Should you be elected, what specific policies would you like to see enacted or changed, and how would those changes specifically benefit students in our high school or in the other schools?

I don’t think I am concerned with specific policies being changed. I would like to see more oversight of the current policies, and I am concerned that many of our policies aren’t being properly enforced. The Board of Education consistently overseeing and enforcing policies will benefit our students by providing clear expectations and promoting stability in their school environment.

• Are you in favor of increasing or decreasing school funding? If so, where would you propose those funds come from and where would they be allocated, or where would you cut back?

The Board of Education has a responsibility to make sure the local, state, and federal, funds are allocated properly. This past school year, the BOE had to take 2.5 million dollars from the Education Fund to make this year’s budget work. We, as taxpayers, should be concerned when adjustments such as those are happening. We need to prioritize the Education Fund. Unfortunately, due to unchecked spending and now the possibility of losing funds at the federal level, difficult decisions may have to be made to maintain fund levels within the budget. I would encourage all parents to start attending the district finance meetings, and to research the 24/25 budget on the district’s website if they are concerned with the financial health of the district.

• Who do you believe is the school board’s primary constituent? Is it the students, the parents, the teachers, the staff, the community, or someone else?

ALL of these individuals are important constituents because they are all impacted by the decisions of the school board, maybe in different ways, but the decisions affect all of the parents, teachers, staff, community, and the CHILDREN.

• School boards, in general, have become more contentious and gained more attention in recent years with many larger political movements. Do you think any of the larger things we’ve seen in our country will affect our school board specifically?

This is a non-partisan position so I don’t think politics should play a part in this campaign; however, if federal funds are cut it will impact our budget.

• Are you satisfied with the current curriculum offerings in our high school? If not, what changes would you advocate for, and why? Are there specific subjects or skills you feel are lacking?

My children have grown so much as students at the high school level, and I have been very impressed with the rigor. I would like to see additional electives offered to our freshmen and sophomores on the main campus. Currently, students don’t have the opportunity to explore CTE courses until later in their high school career. I would also recommend that board members sit on curriculum committees. We can gather feedback from teachers directly regarding curriculum if we are part of the discussion.

• What specific resources and support systems should our district provide to address student mental health and well-being?

Our district recently added grade level counselors at the middle school level, which has been an outstanding addition to our middle schools. I think it’s important to not only have frequent check ins between students and counselors, but we should also be checking in with our staff and offering them support as well. The past few years have been extremely stressful on teachers in this district. Teachers need our encouragement and support now more than ever.

• How would you ensure the school board is transparent and accountable to the community?

We need a system of checks and balances, which begins by allowing school board members access to all of our school buildings. Board members cannot just rely on data and reports. They should be doing their own research and overseeing the superintendent to ensure transparency and accountability. Our taxpayers, parents, staff, and students deserve it.

• How do you plan to help all students become ready for college, careers, or other forms of post-secondary success?

We have excellent educators and administrators in this district who are working hard every day to make sure our students are ready. I will be learning from our principals and counselors as well as to how the district is putting the right plan in place for our student to have a successful future.

• What are your views on the recent push to change EHS to a 7-period day and changes to the start at end times?

I think more research is needed in order for the best outcome to occur. Additional surveying of students needs to occur. The community hasn’t been surveyed specifically about the 7 period day, to date. I would also suggest that board members ask EEA to gather feedback and opinions from all of their HS members.

• What are your views on similar efforts to replace the current bathrooms near the cafeteria with a single gender-neutral bathroom?

The student population should be consulted and surveyed when decisions like this are being considered in my opinion. For many, the concerns regarding the bathrooms stemmed from costs and safety. The construction of 2 million dollar bathrooms at EHS was not part of the original bond proposal so many were unhappy when that decision was made public in January of 2024 (nearly 8 months after the bond passed). Also, there were and continue to be safety concerns with floor to ceiling bathrooms. The district hasn’t shared any additional safety procedures that will be put into place once the construction is completed. Are they hiring additional monitors? Can and will they install cameras? Will supervision be guaranteed throughout the school day? There are still a lot of unanswered questions and concerns, and I think it is important for board members to be getting the answers sooner rather than later.

• Give me your final pitch for why people should vote for you.

I am an independent thinker, but I have an open mind and am always open to hearing the opinions of others. I want to serve on the board to be a voice for the children and teachers. I want teachers to view me as approachable, supportive, and trustworthy. I want parents to feel I am approachable and can sit and discuss things on their heart and share with me their concerns their kiddos and provide recommendations without feeling judged. Most importantly, I will take the oath seriously. Our community needs board members to act with integrity and honesty. They want us to oversee the superintendent through a system of checks and balances. Board members also have a continued responsibility to maintain the financial health of the district.