Frederic Sturtevant said, if elected to the Cape Elizabeth School Board, he would look forward to helping strengthen the district’s curriculum, so that the entire 13-year experience is a consistent one for all students.

Sturtevant is among three candidates seeking two, three-year seats on the School Board.

A developer adviser for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in South Portland, Sturtevant, 43, believes the district’s biggest weakness is the current curriculum.

“A comprehensive curriculum, with particular attention paid to consistent goals within each grade level, needs to be established,” he said.

Sturtevant believes Cape Elizabeth schools have a reputation for providing an excellent education, and its reputation needs to remain intact. At the same time, fiscal responsibility is needed during the budget process, he said.

“Cape Elizabeth needs to remain mindful, as it has in the past, of the quality of the education it offers, while also taking into account the financial burden upon its citizens during a struggling economy,” he said.

Sturtevant said when it comes to budget cuts, the board would need to measure the worthiness of all school programs with input from the public, parents, teachers and students, who, through first-hand experience, can provide insight on the effectiveness of the programs.

“As we look to find cost savings in the upcoming budget, it will be important that we use a paring knife to make cuts, as opposed an ax,” he said. “There needs to be particular attention paid to those programs that have experienced cuts in the past, as they may be less likely to be able to support additional cuts.

“Also, volatility of fuel costs could have a dramatic effect on spending in the current budget year, as well those to come,” he said.

Sturtevant lives in Cape Elizabeth with his partner of 22 years and his 11-year-old son.

Cape Elizabeth School Board – Frederic Sturtevant – Budgets need ‘paring knive,’ not ‘ax’