SUMMIT COUNTY — With two years on two of the school district's advisory committees under his belt, J Kent McHose said he wants to do more.

“I have done my homework,” McHose said. “Now put me to the test. Elect me to the Summit School District Board.”

The retired CPA said he's an active member on the District Advisory Committee and the Citizen's Budget Advisory Committee. He's also president of the church council at Lord of the Mountains Lutheran Church in Dillon.

“I have visited nearly all of the schools in the district and gained insight into the issues and opportunities we face,” he said of his experiences on both committees.

McHose spent most of his career with May Department Stores — as the chief financial officer (CFO) and then as the company chairman. Most recently, he was the chairman of Filene's Department Stores based in Boston.

“Everyone knows there's a big financial squeeze,” McHose said of the school system's budget. He said his strong financial background would be helpful to the Summit School District board because his goal is to meet the district's fiscal requirements without sacrificing the community's quality of education.

As an example, McHose said he took part in the process of recommending the closure and demolition of the deteriorating Summit Education Center in Silverthorne because there weren't a lot of students there.

“That's an example of putting a first priority on things that don't affect the classroom,” he said. He also said he wants to protect classroom size and tools for teachers.

McHose said other suggestions to improve the school district's budget include looking at transportation, energy requirements, phones and fee structures to see where cuts can be made.

A vision for education

As a father of five, McHose said he fully “understands the importance of those 13 years of education in elementary, middle and high school as providing the foundation for higher education, careers and life skills.” He wants to create inquisitive learners, so Summit County children are ready for higher education.

“I believe in providing education that sets high standards and expectations appropriate for every student, and I am committed to improving academic performance for all students,” McHose said in an e-mail.

The school board candidate also said it's important to have high standards, and he wants Summit County schools to be competitive globally.

“There's a tension between the balance of academics and extracurriculars,” McHose said, noting he advocates putting more emphasis on academics.

A focus on students being competitive globally goes hand in hand with McHose's strong support of the dual-language program at Dillon Valley Elementary. He said he wants to see the program continue as the students move on to middle and high school.

“It's an important issue — how they (the board) will handle that, ” he said. “I look forward to being part of that.”

As a retiree, McHose said he has lots of time to invest in the Summit School District.

“I'll make the commitment,” McHose said. “I'm not pulled in other directions. My focus is on the community.”

McHose is also an advocate of adoption (four of his children were adopted). He said he believes in teaching kids how to “actively entertain” themselves, like going outside to play and using their imaginations.

“We didn't have a television in the house until after the kids were out of school,” he said.

McHose is an avid wilderness traveler, particularly in the high arctic. While in Summit County, he said he rides over 200 miles a week on his road bike during the summer. Currently on a trip to India, McHose missed the first school board forum last week.

Caitlin Row can be reached at crow@summitdaily.com.