Fred Dresser

On the Record

What experiences do you have that make you a good candidate for office?

•Budget forecasting and monitoring of National Service Department and Regional office budgets for an international automotive manufacturer. •Reduced operating expenditures without compromising performance. •Involved with UAW grievance and contract issues. •Participated in arbitration hearings. •Resolved consumer issues that were fair to the parties involved. •Planned and conducted regional and National meetings. •Liaison with corporate and outside legal counsel on matters relevant to corporate policies. •Negotiated vendor contracts

What are your top three priorities if elected?

•Maintain or improve the current level of educational performance without burdening the taxpayer. •Review budget requirements to determine where changes can be implemented, without sacrificing educational integrity. •Maintain open lines of communication with the taxpayer, district personnel (administration, teachers, support staff, etc.) so that all parties are kept informed of the tasks facing the district.

Would you support freezing your taxing district’s levy until housing prices rebound? Why or why not?

Given the current state of the economy and the number of taxpayers either out of work or living on a fixed income, it would not be prudent to increase taxes. Everything comes down to the “B” word…”BUDGET”. Just as private industry has had to make difficult decisions during the downturn in the economy, the district will also need to review areas that may require adjustments to be made.

What one decision by the school board do you most disagree with and why?

I feel that the decisions made by the current board were in the best interest of the entire district at the time the decisions were made. With that being said, you need to recall the saying: “You can’t please all the people all the time”.

What was the biggest accomplishment of the board in the past year?

The board recognized that long overdue capital improvement projects needed to be addressed and that monies would have to be expended in order to bring these improvements to fruition. Not having done so would not only have cost the district thousands more in the future, but would also impact the learning environment for the students.

Why should voters elect you to office?

Having worked in the automotive industry for forty plus years and being transferred around the country, you gain a keen insight on what it takes to work with individuals from all walks of life. You realize that one individual cannot become successful on their own. It takes cooperation and agreement from many individuals to build a team that focuses on common goals. A school district is no different. You have administrators, teachers, support staff and a board. Four different groups all striving to provide a quality education to those that they serve. Having been involved with school districts in Michigan, Texas, California and Illinois, I found that regardless of the school district that our children attended, the focus was always the same, how do we provide a positive educational environment for the children.