9 questions to all RTM Board candidates and other parents & taxpayers

To better inform the voting public on local issues, the citizen group RTMTU.org is working to provide this questionnaire to all candidates for the school board.  I think these are great questions to ask them, as well as the rest of us who are parents and/or taxpayers in RTM.  What would your answers be?
1. Most of the public is unable to attend school board committee and legislative meetings and is thus left out of any meaningful participation in matters involving the school district.  Would you support live, interactive distribution of these meetings over the internet?
2. Currently all communication with school board members is filtered through the Superintendent’s office.  Would you support taxpayer and parent access through direct email communication?
3. Do you believe the district’s budget should be available to the public in more detail than currently on the RTMSD.org website?
4.School district employees currently pay 9% of their health insurance premiums with taxpayers paying the other 91%.  Nationally, the school employees pay and average of 34% with taxpayer paying the remaining 66%.  Would you support increasing the share paid by RTM employees?
5. The amount RTM is expected to contribute to the district’s employees’ pension fund is projected to increase to 23.9% of wages from 16.9% currently.  Do you have a plan for covering this 7% increase in expenditures?
6.Currently, RTM grants tenure to teachers with 2 years of observable experience.  Would you support lengthening this to 5 years before tenure can be granted?
7. According to enrollment and budget figures, RTM spends $21,000 per student with the state wide average being $15,200.  Do you know the reason for this wide difference and can the local tax base sustain this disparity?
8. The 2013-14 budget lists total district long-term debt at over $84 million, equaling nearly 11% of the district’s budget or over $26k for every graduating senior (what a great scholarship that would be).  Do you think this is a reasonable level of debt for the district to carry year-to-year?
9. The rising costs of health care, concerns about the hole in the teachers’ pension fund, the inevitable increases in interest rates, combined with declining student enrollment present serious challenges to the district and its taxpaying citizens.  Would you support a policy that all long-term bonded debt obligations require approval by voter approved referendum?