Politics & Government

Novi School Board Candidate: Brad Leidal

Leidal is one of three candidates running for two seats in November.

On the Nov. 6 election ballot, voters in the Novi Community School District will vote for two candidates for a six-year term on the Novi Board of Education.

Brad Leidal is running against Tracey Cadwell and incumben Dennis O'Connor. Leidal submitted these answers to questions asked by Patch.

Age:

42

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Occupation:

Business owner. Co-owner of a Livonia based commercial masonry construction company


Current and past community involvement:

Baseball coach in the Novi Youth Baseball League, Novi Parks and Recreation and Northville Baseball/Softball Association.  Member of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, Walsh College Alumni Association, University of Michigan-Dearborn Alumni Society.

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Education:

Masters of Science in Management from Walsh College; Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan-Dearborn

Family:

Married for 13 years and have two children

Do you or did you have children in Novi schools?

I have two children in the Novi Community School District

How long have you been a Novi resident?

I have been a Novi resident and homeowner for seven years.

Why are you running for the Board of Education? 

Being the parent of two young children in the district, I'm passionate about ensuring the students of Novi receive the best possible education and meet or exceed the Board of Education's current goal that each student will achieve one year's growth in one year's time. The district is going through unprecedented times, financially, despite these challenges, we still have to meet our stakeholder’s expectations by providing a quality education for our students, while maintaining our community’s high property values. I feel my background as a business owner gives me the experience to work through this financial crisis. I look forward to the opportunity to work with all stakeholders in the district as we continue to support the Novi Community School District’s commitment to excellence.


What do you think are the biggest issues facing the school district? How would you handle them?  

Priority #1: Assuring that each student in the Novi Community School District receives one year’s academic growth in one year’s time.  All Novi students, regardless of their placement on the academic spectrum, need to have the resources in place to challenge them and allow them to succeed academically.   

Priority #2:  In order to do that, the Board needs to establish the proper metrics in order
to measure whether or not Novi students are achieving at a high level.  Metrics need to be put into place that measure yearly growth in all subjects.   

Priority #3: The Board must exercise financial responsibility in the operation of the district.  We need to do more with less as the district continues to move through these unprecedented financial times.  However, it is imperative that future budgets maintain the small class size that has been one of the factors in our students’ academic growth and success.  The budget must be analyzed to make sure operations are being run as lean as possible without detracting from the District’s commitment to ensure all students will achieve at a high level.  Objective evaluation of programs can determine if there are redundancies and if the programs are offering the necessary opportunities for student success.  Because a significant amount of the District’s budget is committed to wages and fringe benefits, the District needs to work with the superintendent’s administration and all stakeholders to maintain a stable and positive fund balance over a long period of time to ensure the District maintains the commitment to fiscal discipline and academic excellence.


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