District 196 School Board Candidate Rob Duchscher

Editor's note: The seven candidates running for four seats on the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district board of education responded to questions posed by Patch to help Patch readers learn a little about them.

To promote fairness, we asked each candidate to limit responses to 200 words for each question; we reserved the right to edit for clarity and length if necessary.

The general election is Nov. 8.

Tell readers a little about your background.

My wife and I moved into this district in 1982 after graduating from the University of North Dakota. We have two daughters who started their education at Shannon Park Elementary and graduated from Rosemount High School. My oldest daughter, Jessica, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and is employed as a special education teacher. She also received her master’s degree this past May in education.

My youngest, Gina, graduated this past May from the University of North Dakota with a degree in nursing. She started her career as a nurse in September of this year at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

My day job is that of Senior Vice President of Information Technology for Starkey Laboratories, Inc. I have been with Starkey for nearing 13 years.

Since being elected to the ISD 196 board of education 11+ years ago, I have served in the following capacities:

• Board chair for three years

• Vice chair for three years

• District treasurer for three years

• Current chair and member of the Policy Review committee

• Past chair and current member of the Audit and Finance committee

• Member of the Budget Advisory Council since its inception

• Minnesota Sports High School League representative

• Community education council advisor

My re-election website is www.duchscherforisd196.com

Why do you want to be on the District 196 school board?

I am seeking reelection for a number of reasons.

First, I enjoy being on the board and I consider it an honor. Being on the board allows me to use my business skills to help the district in the areas of financial and strategic planning. Fiscal stability allows us to provide a solid education to our students.

Secondly, we face more economic uncertainty. We have positioned ourselves to be fiscally solid through at least the next few years and hopefully well beyond that. This has come through diligence to data and solid fiscal planning. We haven’t relied on the politicians to get our job done. We have done it ourselves.

Lastly, my children have grown up in this district and I have been in and around our schools since kindergarten. I have been there next to them in each and every grade and in hundreds of activities. Much of my life and my family’s life has centered around this district. As simple as it sounds, I want this district to continue to be successful. I believe I can continue to help make this a true statement.

What would be your top three objectives as a school board member?

My first priority is the same it has been for many years, and that is to work towards continued financial stability. I spearheaded the creation of the Budget Advisory Council and I have been a member of this council since its creation. I also have been a supporter and a believer in five-year financial planning and in our current strategic planning process. It is solid planning and adherence to data-driven decision-making that will allow us to make the most out of the dollars we get from the state and our community.

My next priority is a continual emphasis on curriculum excellence. As indicated by our recent MCA scores, we provide one of the best educations for students in the state. This is done through excellence in teaching and providing solid rigorous curriculums. 

My third priority is to always work to improve our communication with our residents. We are constantly looking for ways to improve communications coming out of the District. I am a believer in the statement that we can never communicate enough. I, personally, have answered every email and voice mail I have received in 11+ years. It is what the job requires.

What opportunities do you see for any future cost savings or additional revenues in the district?

As for cost savings, we continually look for ways to save money. Whether it is through our energy savings program or one of many other efforts we have going on, we always look to save money. We have consistently been rated as one of the best in the state when it comes to our annual independent financial audit. We have low administration costs compared to other districts in the state. We spend the money on our kids.

When it comes to revenue, my first choice is to always looking for additional revenue options without a tax impact. We have investigated everything from in school advertisement on lockers to web advertising on our district’s website. We are leaving no rock unturned when it comes to finding ways to get revenue without increasing taxes. We also are always working with the state in an effort to get them to understand what it costs to educate our students.

Do you have any specific changes you would want to make to district policies, curriculum, staffing or programs?

In the last year, we made significant changes at the middle school level. We were proactive in making changes to the school day in an effort to provide a better education to our middle school students. It was a difficult long process but it ended in solid changes that will pay dividends for our middle school students.

I chair the Policy committee for the district and we annually review our policies. Recently we made policy changes to protect our schools from the increased use of synthetic drugs. The state hasn’t been able to pass laws quick enough to keep up with this unfortunate new trend but we have kept up with it in our district.

As for staffing changes, we review our staffing ratios yearly and adjust as needed. I’m an avid supporter of providing an emphasis on our core academics. From providing all-day kindergarten for every student that wants it to providing better access for an increasingly important need for secondary language training, we are always looking for ways to improve.

What is the purpose of public education?

The purpose of public education, in my opinion, is simple. It is to provide every student an education that allows them to reach their full potential, and to do this in the most fiscally prudent and cost-effective manner possible. Whether the student wants to go on to college, trade school or just enter into the job market, we need to assist all of our students to educate them to reach their goals.

Duchscher is an incumbent in this election.