Darin Preis

School board race TAX LEVY ISSUE The business of education Total district operating revenues District spending and enrollment History of tax levy increases About the new tax levy Paying those employees Measuring student achievement How Columbia compares	Darin Preis [IN-DEPTH PROFILE] Columbia School Board Vice President Darin Preis has focused his career on early education and battling poverty. “Everything I do professionally and in my volunteer time with the school board, I am thinking about how to avoid poverty or how to get people out of poverty,” Preis said. “I am firmly committed to the idea that poverty is affecting our entire community.” His focus on these issues is built on his work as executive director of Central Missouri Community Action and as adviser to First Chance for Children. Since he was elected in 2005, Preis has tried to push for the five things on his to-do list: increase early childhood education; advocate innovations in Columbia schools; improve the health and nutrition of Columbia children; support teachers and staff; and build a budget that will allow the district to focus on improving the schools and increasing salaries. He supports the proposed increase in the property tax levy, saying that as school boards work to keep up with rising costs, citizens are occasionally asked for more money. CCTA survey response In a survey conducted by teachers and parents groups, here is part of Preis' response to this question: What budget issues and solutions do you see for the Columbia Public Schools in the next five years? “Budgeting strategies we implement to reduce expenses should continue regardless of the levy so that we can build on our progress with teacher salaries and initiatives that enhance the quality of programming we have enjoyed. I am particularly fond of the recommendation to use any year-end budget surpluses to enhance employee contracts in the following year.” JANE KELLOGG \| news@columbiamissourian.com

School board race

TAX LEVY ISSUE

The business of education

Columbia School Board Vice President Darin Preis has focused his career on early education and battling poverty.

“Everything I do professionally and in my volunteer time with the school board, I am thinking about how to avoid poverty or how to get people out of poverty,” Preis said. “I am firmly committed to the idea that poverty is affecting our entire community.”

His focus on these issues is built on his work as executive director of Central Missouri Community Action and as adviser to First Chance for Children.

Since he was elected in 2005, Preis has tried to push for the five things on his to-do list: increase early childhood education; advocate innovations in Columbia schools; improve the health and nutrition of Columbia children; support teachers and staff; and build a budget that will allow the district to focus on improving the schools and increasing salaries.

He supports the proposed increase in the property tax levy, saying that as school boards work to keep up with rising costs, citizens are occasionally asked for more money.

CCTA survey response
In a survey conducted by teachers and parents groups, here is part of Preis' response to this question: What budget issues and solutions do you see for the Columbia Public Schools in the next five years?

“Budgeting strategies we implement to reduce expenses should continue regardless of the levy so that we can build on our progress with teacher salaries and initiatives that enhance the quality of programming we have enjoyed. I am particularly fond of the recommendation to use any year-end budget surpluses to enhance employee contracts in the following year.”

JANE KELLOGG | news@columbiamissourian.com