I am running for a spot on the Island Trees School Board on May 19 and my reason is simple. Our children deserve the best we can give them.

A convicted rapist resides in our community and we need better public awareness of this fact. I believe the Island Trees School Board needs to form an all volunteer Safety Committee which can then contact every single man, woman and child in the district and alert them to the whereabouts of this offender. The goal is to generate public pressure to force this rapist to leave our community. The school board has not done enough in this area to protect our children. I will do more.

We also need to get more creative when it comes to raising revenues for our school kids. I endorse making better use of the Island Trees High School Auditorium by initiating an Entertainment Committee. A tasteful program of concerts, seminars, lecturers etc. can raise money for a lot of microscopes and soccer balls. This is just one idea for raising revenues without raising taxes.

I also believe we need an overhaul of the census system which ultimately determines the tiny piece of the budget pie Island Trees always seems to receive. Are we being fully represented here? Let's find out!

Finally, I would like to encourage everyone to get out and vote on May 19. School board elections may not be glamorous but, they are very important in determining our children's futures.

Richard Ahrens