Karl Cender to join Valparaiso School Board

Our President and Owner here at Cender and Company was picked this week to join the Valparaiso Community School School Board by the City of Valparaiso City Council. Article and details from the Northwest Indiana Times -

VALPARAISO | Fiscal considerations swung the City Council's appointment to the School Board on Thursday in favor of a financial consultant.

The council appointed Karl Cender, a consultant, certified public accountant and owner of Cender & Co. in Merrillville.

In their deliberations, council members spoke highly of runner-up Amy Cory, a nursing professor at Valparaiso University, for her enthusiasm and attendance at board meetings, but they chose Cender for his financial expertise.

With further state cuts to public education expected in the next budget round, difficult financial decisions will have to be made on the local level, council member Kelly Ward said.

Member Bob Taylor wondered where the money would come from and said he didn't want to see a tax increase on seniors.

Member Art Elwood said, "The bottom line, sad to say, is money."

The finalists, who included Debra Koeppen, Scott Mundell and Robert Thompson, were "an outstanding slate of candidates," Ward said.

The questions in Thursday's second round of interviews were submitted by the public, with council members asking follow-ups.

Asked which programs, academic areas and foreign languages he would favor cutting if the necessity arose, Cender said enrollment and budgeting would need to be studied first, but he stressed the priority of academic programs.

In response to a wide-ranging question about the environmental impact of the schools, Cender said a decision whether to build new elementary schools or renovate existing ones should include weighing the costs and benefits of greener alternatives.

Cender also suggested that students could be challenged to brainstorm ideas on reducing the schools' carbon footprint.

That idea, council member Jan Dick said, helped sway him in favor of Cender.

Cender also said he agreed with the board's recent policy to admit up to 10 nonresident students annually to Valparaiso High School from the city's two parochial schools, which conclude at eighth grade.

Cender will replace board member Mary Idstein, who moved out of the city and could not apply for appointment.

Cender, 50, and his wife have a daughter who graduated fro

m Valparaiso High School in 2009 and a son who will be a sophomore at the school next year.