Pegasus News Election Survey: Mike Rehfeld, candidate for Grand Prairie ISD Board of Trustees

Pegasus: What is the greatest thing that the Grand Prairie ISD School Board of Trustees has achieved in the past year?

Rehfeld: I believe the greatest thing the GPISD Board of Trustees has achieved this year was the hiring of a new superintendent. They have offered the position to Dr. Susan Simpson. She will be on board shortly and will be able to start turning the district back around in the right direction. Now with new leadership we can move in a positive direction and start improving our students’ grades and then improving our district’s overall rating.

Pegasus: What is the single biggest improvement that the GPISD Board of Trustees needs?

Rehfeld: Electing a parent such as myself to the Board. I feel as a parent with a student in GPISD I can assist the current board with new ideas concerning the students. I have a lot of contact with the student population and hear the concerns of the students firsthand. I also talk with the teachers and hear their concerns. So by electing a parent such as myself I feel that would be one of the biggest improvements we can make to the GPISD Board of Trustees.

Pegasus: What is the toughest problem that you have ever solved?

Rehfeld: I deal with solving problems every day in my career as a fire/arson investigator and as the coordinator for a Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program. So away from my career, I would say the biggest problem I have ever solved was deciding to run for GPISD School Board. I have thought about it for several years and have always made an excuse not to run. By taking the big step of running for School Board now I can surpass that problem and work on my next biggest problem, which is making GPISD one of the best school districts in the state.

Pegasus: If you are elected and can only achieve ONE quantifiable thing in your term, what would you want it to be?

Rehfeld: I would like to work on bringing the grades up at our Academically Unacceptable campuses to get them an Acceptable rating.