Jim Churchman: What We Know
Jim Churchman has written the following letter to voters:
Dear Parents and Members of the Community,
Tuesday, April 7th is Election Day. As this important day approaches, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for being afforded the opportunity to represent you and your family as a member of the Olathe Board of Education. Together, we have accomplished much. Together, much more remains to be done.
I committed to a campaign focused on being honest, facts-based and respectful of the community at all times. At the end of the day, character matters.
A group of Olathe parents asked if they could provide the title to my last campaign mailer. They selected “What We Know.” Please take a moment to review this attachment.
Thank you for your support and consideration on April 7th.
Respectfully,
Jim Churchman
Olathe Daily News: Churchman the right choice for school board
Below is an editorial that ran in the Olathe Daily News on Monday, March 30:
Jim Churchman should continue to serve on the Olathe school board.
Churchman is running against Amy Martin for one of the two position 5 seats on the board. This is his first time to run for re-election, and if his second term is anything like his first term, Churchman will serve Olathe students, their parents and the taxpayers well.
Churchman is dedicated to the school district, the board, but most importantly the people who elected him. Churchman and a group of his supporters walked door-to-door Feb. 28 during this campaign season. If people remember, it snowed that day with temperatures in the 20s. He went to more than 400 households, which shows us he cares about the people he serves, and his dedication to Olathe public schools.
Read the complete editorial endorsing Jim here.
Jim Churchman Discusses Courage in Candidate Forum, Letter to Voters
Jim Churchman believes that the voters bestowed a trust upon him four years ago when he was first elected. In a recent candidate forum before the Olathe Chamber of Commerce, Jim discussed the need for true leadership, regardless of the circumstances. Jim further addresses this critical need for courageous leadership in a letter to the voters.
View the video of the candidate forum by clicking here.
View Jim's new letter to the voters by clicking here.
Welcome to my Website!
Dear Parents and Members of the Community,
Welcome to my re-election campaign website. As I reflect back over the past four years I am reminded of the tremendous privilege I have had in serving you. Much has been accomplished, yet much more remains to be done.
As you walk through this website you will read about me and my family. You will hear from those in the community who have endorsed my re-election campaign. You will have an opportunity to renew your understanding of the passion and unwavering commitment I have in providing for the education of my child and yours, for serving our wonderful teachers and for protecting you, the taxpayer in the community. You will have an opportunity to see that the results of the past four years are more than just words, they are substantive in achievement.
As I began this journey four years ago, I made a series of commitments to the community:
- I committed to serve parents with open and transparent communication, serving as a steward for strengthening Olathe families by letting the voices of parents be heard with regard to their child’s education. My mission has been that no parent inquiry would go without response. No issue or need would be so unimportant or too small to require anything less than my full attention.
- I committed to appreciably increase teachers’ salaries from a level that significantly lagged other Johnson County school districts to a level that is now amongst the best in Kansas. Olathe teachers’ compensation is no longer inferior to their counterparts in Johnson County. We are no longer losing our best and our brightest to neighboring districts.
- I committed to increase classroom funding, resulting in a record level of investment in new and existing schools, such as updating aged infrastructures, accelerating digital learning technology, wireless capabilities and expanded computer learning centers. Olathe exceeds the state and national average in performance from a wide spectrum of measurements.
- I promised to reduce the tax burden on the community by being responsible with tax payer dollars and reverse the excessive stockpiling of cash reserves. Simply stated, I have consistently championed lowering taxes while on the board. As a result of being fiscally responsible, our District’s bond rating remains amongst the strongest in the nation.
In short, I have done what I said I would do for the community that elected me four years ago. I have listened to parents concerned about everything from boundaries to buses, school size to school fees, classrooms to curriculum. It has been important to me that I provided you with an open ear, straight-forward and unbiased communication that has represented both sides of every issue, that I challenged the status quo and that I asked the necessary questions to best serve the interests of the community. To me, it has been important that I represented you.
Now, it is time to look forward and focus on my leadership commitment for the next four years. While the challenges are many, I once again commit my proven leadership in serving the parents and members of this great community. I ask for your continued support during this important walk.
Tough times and unprecedented financial challenges stand before us, on a local, state and national level. Navigating this difficult financial environment will require steady and courageous leadership substantiated by proven experience and results. I have consistently demonstrated this proven leadership by thoroughly understanding the complex school finance formula in Kansas and applying this knowledge to providing focused leadership for our schools while protecting the taxpayers in the Olathe community. It is easy to talk about being fiscally responsible. It is something else to actually deliver. To be able to actually reduce property taxes to the community over the past four years, to be able to actually significantly increase the salaries of Olathe teachers and to champion record levels of investment in our schools, our classrooms and our programs is more than just words – it is proven leadership. This has come through focus, hard work and a credible relationship forged with the Olathe and Overland Park legislative delegates in Topeka.
Serving the parents and members of the Olathe community has been a tremendous privilege. As I move forward with my re-election campaign, please join with me as I continue supporting the voice of parents, strengthening Olathe families and sustaining the financial well-being of the community.
Respectfully in Service,
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