Nathan Colmer
LBI School Board
Nathan Colmer
609.290.4293
My name is Nathan Colmer and I am running for the LBI School Board. My stance is simple...I feel we have an obligation to focus the efforts of the LBI school system on the improvement of education. We should develop programs such as language, after school programs and sports rather than the development of real estate that is far in excess of what the current district requires. In doing so we can keep our taxes lower and our education system better.
I have lived on Long Beach Island my entire life and am happy to call LBI my home. My wife, Kelli, and I are the proud parents of one year old twin girls. My children are the 5th generation in my family to live full time on Long Beach Island and it is my wish that they can one day attend a well developed education system in the Long Beach Island School District.
I hope you will vote for me and help me work towards the implementation of critical programs that should be added to the current curriculum and the responsible management of the school's resources and funds.
I feel we need to expand our programs to keep up with the changing times. For example there is almost no language program to speak of nor are there many after school programs available to students. Both of these issues should be corrected. Rather than spending time and money on building new buildings I would rather see our efforts dedicated to the expansion of programs that benefit our students.
Taxes are an issue that comes up in almost every election. In fairness there are many taxpayers who have no children in the district and therefore question why they should be asked to fund school projects. School taxes are a way of life in this country but I feel we have a duty to the taxpayers to spend the money wisely and efficiently. Again I go back to the waste of money spent on architects, engineers, etc developing plans that had no real need or purpose. The schools need maintenance-but not additions. We can fix and maintain what we have for far less money than it takes to build a new building. This money, and future taxpayer dollars, should be spent on things that will benefit the school district's purpose...the education of the student body.
I would be in favor of 1 time tax increases to fund special projects rather than spreading the burden out over time. In this way we can meet our financial needs on time and not incur additional expenses.
Maintaining a healthy class size is essential to the continuation of the LBI school system and the experience of the student body. To this end I support programs that allow the school system to grow in a sustainable and fiscally responsible manner.
While it is unfortunate that this needs to be on my list of priorities, I think we have to review the current safety practices for our students to ensure the best policies are in place. In an age of school shootings and drug overdoses, in many different age groups, we owe it to ourselves and to our students to ensure we are offering the best and safest environment possible.
As a public institution that spends taxpayers dollars we owe it to the public to ensure that what we are doing is for the best interest of the student body and the community. I am in favor of open communication and transparency on school board issues and school board spending.
My campaign slogan is simple and summarizes my view of the school board's role in the community. We must focus the efforts of the school board on the creation and implementation of new programs that will benefit the students and faculty alike. Rather than wasting time and money on expanding buildings I would dedicate our resources to developing programs that better prepare our students for middle school, high school and beyond.