Norfolk’s May 2nd town election will feature a race between Kenneth Dow and Tariq Siddiqui for a seat on the King Philip Regional School Committee. Both candidates agreed to answer some questions for readers of Local Town Pages.
Kenneth Dow
Occupation: Retired high school administrator
Education: Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and a Masters degree in education, both from Suffolk University
Personal: Married to wife Beverly for 48 years with one grown son. Norfolk resident for 2 years, previously living in Walpole for over 20 years.
Why are you running for KP School Committee? As a former administrator, teacher, and athletic coach I have had 28 years of experience working with students and teachers. I would like to serve the community by sharing this expertise with the King Philip school district to work towards student and school improvement. My business experience will also be very valuable in reviewing budgets and working with financial challenges.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the KP school district and how do you think they should be addressed? The biggest challenge facing the King Philip school district is the school budget. The budget should be carefully reviewed in order to preserve programs that benefit students. The school committee has been working toward improving both the KP Middle and High School. By focusing on expanding communication among the parents, students, teachers, administrators and school committee, we can continue to be more effective in our plans for continuing improvement.
What can voters expect from you if you are elected? If I am elected, the community can expect a school committee member who is not afraid of hard work and is committed to the King Philip School District. I will work to make King Philip the best that it can be and one of the most outstanding school districts in the state.
Tariq Siddiqui
Occupation: Cloud architect
Education: Bachelor of Science degree in electrical/computer engineering from Oklahoma State University; Masters of Science degree in system and software engineering from Boston University; Executive Education from M.I.T. Sloan School of Management
Personal: Married to Jennifer and father of three children: Jamil, a sophomore at UMass Amherst; Ali, a junior at KPHS; and Amir, a freshman at KPHS. Norfolk resident for 17 years.
Why are you running for KP School Committee? I believe it is my time to serve and give back to Norfolk, and the King Philip School Committee is the right place for me to serve. In our rapidly transforming world, where the only constant is change, it is imperative to restructure our children’s education system to meet the needs of an emerging global economy. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 1.2 million job openings are anticipated in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related fields by 2018. Unfortunately, the U.S. won’t have enough qualified graduates to fill them. The question to ask is why can’t we have our children fill these jobs? The answer is we can’t unless we prioritize an increased emphasis on math, science, and engineering at the 7th-12th-grade levels. I have an engineering background, and I have been in the high-tech industry for nearly thirty years. I know this pertinent knowledge will provide valuable insight in ensuring our children thrive in a high-tech world.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the KP school district and how do you think they should be addressed? The budget shortfalls are usually the biggest challenge the KP school district faces every year. The problem is quite acute for next year’s budget. We have seven special need students entering our system and the expected cost to cover their education is around $1.3 million dollars. We are required to provide education to these students and it is really straining our budget. The superintendent has laid out three scenarios: first, a $3.2 million dollars budget (10.5% increase) to keep level services; second, a Tier-1 reduction budget (5.5% increase), which will result in programs being cut but no layoffs; and third, a Tier-2 reduction budget (3.5% increase), which will result in programs being cut and teachers laid off. Selectman Jim Lehan is offering 4.5% increase for the 2017-2018 KP budget, which is below a Tier-1 reduction but above a Tier-2 reduction, meaning we will cut some programs but could avert a layoff. Next year, we will have seven special education students leaving our schools, so there could be significant savings and some of these programs can be restored. In the meantime, we should all reach out to Senator Ross and Representative Dooley and ask them to support state legislation that increases school funding. This amount is too significant for any district to absorb.
How will you balance the financial needs of the school district with the financial realities of the towns in the district? Norfolk real estate taxes are already quite high. For 2017, the Norfolk tax rate is $18.8, and the Medfield rate is $16.89. There is not much appetite for a Proposition 2 ½ override either. I believe we must live within our means.
What do you think the KP school district does well? What can it improve? King Philip has made some significant academic progress. The students’ SAT scores are higher, and more and more students are college-bound. They also have excellent DECA, music and football programs. To improve KP, my goal is to ensure our children can be the benefactors of the new globalized economy, not the victims. I want to bring more attention to STEM-related courses in our schools. I will do everything possible to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering and math.
What can voters expect from you if you are elected? I will have open lines of communication with the residents of Norfolk. I want to know what is working and especially what is not working. I will be there to represent their concerns and issues.
Issue Date:
May, 2017
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