Fred Turnier’s knowledge of local government stems from his background in city planning, but this Reno resident says that his biggest qualification as a candidate for Washoe County School Board in District G is that he is a parent.

“I believe in their future and I believe in this community,” Turnier said.

Turnier, his wife and two children moved to southwest Reno in 2003 after Turnier was recruited to be the director of the city of Reno Planning Department during a period of unprecedented growth. Before moving to Reno, Turnier worked as the planning manager for a national engineering firm in Clark County.

Turnier now owns a small business in Reno specializing in consulting and advanced planning for property owners, neighborhoods and developers throughout the northern Nevada area.

“I have knowledge in the local system and large complex systems of bureaucracy,” Turnier said. “I believe as an elected official I would hit the ground running.”

Turnier graduated from the Univer-sity of Neva-da, Reno with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and he holds a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“I have the education and the experience,” Turnier said.

Turnier’s role as a parent is what opened his eyes to the problems of the school district, which seem rampant as $40 million is being cut from its budget next year.

“When you cut from education, you cut from our future,” Turnier said. “The budget cuts are robbing northern Nevada of economic vitality and residents’ quality of life.”

But where the money is going to come from is difficult, Turnier explains.

“It’s a tough question and it’s a tough answer,” Turnier said, adding that funding problems are directly tied to a lack of accountability.

“There was a bond passed that the school district did a great job of spending,” Turnier said. “Now we’re short. But the school district hasn’t done a good job of telling that story.”

In addition to promoting greater accountability, Turnier says that the district needs to travel down different avenues to solve the financial deficiencies.

“Developers were expected to pick up the shortfall during the economic downturn,” Turnier said. “Then they went after real estate transfers and then the casinos. But we need a comprehensive plan. We shouldn’t burden one industry. Education is an investment we all need to make.”

Furthermore, Turnier says that if Reno wants to compete with cities like Salt Lake City and Boise, residents need to invest in their children.

“In northern Nevada we are pushing for diversity in our economy,” Turnier said. “So we need to raise the bar in terms of having accountability in our school district.”

Another concern Turnier has is the school district’s lack of reinvestment in older schools.

“Schools that are more than 50 years old and plus have absolutely no reserves,” Turnier said. “There is a lack of planning to replace and upgrade buildings. And we have more of them than newer schools.”

Turnier’s background would help to facilitate greater attention to planning, he says.

“The school district doesn’t have a master plan for the future,” Turnier said. “For me, that’s a scary thing.”

Turnier feels that the school district is also losing sight of its primary focus.

“The school cistrict is not a developer,” Turnier said. “The school district is not (Regional Transportation Commission). The school district’s core job is education.”

Turnier learned a lot about the reality of the classroom while substitute teaching at schools throughout the area such as O’Brein, Stead, Montello and Swope, he says.

“One of the saddest things is the salaries of the teachers,” Turnier said. “For a lot of people that’s the factor in deciding between becoming a teacher and a real estate broker.”

These pressing problems really pushed him to run.

“You can sit on the sidelines and complain or you can step in,” Turnier said. “I chose to step in and change the system.”