CLAUDIA FIASCHETTI

What is your background?

I am a mother of three and have volunteered extensively in the school system. I have been chairperson of the Blaine County School Education Foundation for the past year and on the board for three years. I chaired the blood drive for the Moritz auxiliary for two years. My career as registered nurse included supervisor of a 40-bed medical unit and several years in the operating room.

What kind of drug-testing policy would you like to see implemented in the district?

We currently have in effect Idaho Code 33-210, which allows drug-testing to be done if there is reasonable suspicion. The Drug Task Force has been further studying this issue to see if additional testing is wanted and needed in this school system. It is a very complex issue, and I would like to see the recommendations of the Task Force, the administration and the school’s attorney.

What is your philosophy regarding discipline for students who are caught using or dealing drugs and alcohol? What are some strategies that might help keep these students educated and on the path to graduation?

We need to enforce current policy regarding students caught with drugs. Intervention and counseling are a must. Also, dealing is a separate issue from using. The boundaries must be clear and the consequences consistent. This is the community’s problem and parents need to be involved. Project Respect does a tremendous job helping troubled students develop strong personal values. The mentoring program currently in development will also be of benefit especially to kids who don’t have positive family support.

What efforts have you made to acquaint yourself with the entire district? If elected, how will you continue to stay in touch with the district’s students, staff and teachers?

As chairman of the Education Foundation, I have been interacting with the administrations of the schools. I’ve had the opportunity to learn about programs other than the ones my children are involved in. In visiting the other schools I have been able to better understand their needs. If elected, I would continue to do so.

Several major staff changes—including a new superintendent and a new middle school principal—in the district will bring change to the district. What ideas do you have that might help make this a positive time for the district?

As a parent, I can state that this is a very positive time for the schools. Dr. Lewis’s vision for the district is very exciting. I would like to see a mentoring program connect kids to caring adults, the standards of education raised, dual college-credit classes in the system, and the needs of the high school physical plant be addressed.

What do you think about including a student on the school board, as several other school boards in the nation have?

A student on the school board is an excellent idea. We have many bright students and representatives from the high school and the middle school. It would certainly send a message that the community values input from its youth.

How would you apply what you have learned from the Columbine tragedy to your leadership role in the district? What strategies do you have in mind for dealing with youth violence?