STEVE: RIGHT NOW ON KCCI 8 NEWS CLOSE UP, THE STATUS OF THE DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS. STACEY: OUR GUEST THIS MORNING IS SUPERINTENDENT TOM AHART. THE CHALLENGES FACING THE DISTRICT AND WHAT HE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. STEVE: HE’S OVERSEEN MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN IOWA’S FASTEST GROWING CITY. WHY WAUKEE MAYOR BILL PEARD IS NOT RUNNING FOR REELECTION. KCCI 8 NEWS CLOSE UP STARTS RIGHT NOW. ANNOUNCER: THIS IS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. THIS IS KCCI 8 NEWS CLOSE UP. STACEY: GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. HE OVERSEES THE LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE AND THIS MORNING HE’S HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE STATUS OF DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS. STEVE: TOM AHART BECAME SUPERINTENDENT BACK IN 2013. PRIOR TO THAT, HE WAS PRINCIPAL FOR HARDING MIDDLE SCHOOL. HE’S ALSO SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOR ANKENY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HE SPENT 11 YEARS WORKING AS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER. SUPERINTENDENT AHART JOINS US NOW. TOM: IT’S A PLEASURE. STACEY: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO FURTHER WHEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS -- 41 PUBLIC SCHOOLS THIS YEAR? -- FOR DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS THIS YEAR? TOM: THERE ARE THREE CHANGES WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN REAL-TIME. WE MADE ANOTHER CHANGE TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL START TIME. WE WENT FROM 7:30 A.M. TIME TO 7:45 A.M. TIME THIS YEAR. EAKING OUT ANOTHER 15 MINUTES IN THE MORNING TO MAKE THE MORNING ROUTINE MORE SMOOTH FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS. SO FAR THAT IS WORKING QUITE WELL. ANOTHER BIG CHANGE WAS THE HIGH SCHOOL MASTER SCHEDULE. FOR MANY YEARS WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING A 4 X 4 BLOCK SCHEDULE. STUDENTS HAD FOR LONG CLASSES ON MONDAY, AND EVERY OTHER DAY THEY HAD FOUR DIFFERENT CLASSES THAT MET BETWEEN 85 TO 90 MINUTES. WE CHANGED TO A MODIFIED BLOCK SCHEDULE WHERE STUDENTS TAKE SEVEN CLASSES RATHER THAN EIGHT CLASSES. EACH OF THOSE CLASSES MEETS FOR SOME SHORT PERIODS ON SUNDAYS AND LONGER PERIODS ON OTHER DAYS. OUR STUDENTS WERE TELLING US THEY FELT LIKE THEY NEEDED STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR TEACHERS. THE MODIFIED BLOCK GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO SPEND MORE TIME IN EACH CLASS OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK WITH THEIR TEACHERS, HOPEFULLY BUILDING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS. IT INCREASES THE NUMBER OFFINALL DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. FOR A LONG TIME THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN RUNNING EARLY RELEASE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SCHOOLS WERE RELEASED TWO HOURS OR AN HOUR AND A HALF EARLIER TO CREATE TIME FOR TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS WORKED OUT WELL IN TERMS OF FUTURE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT INCONVENIENCED SOME FAMILIES WHO RELY ON THEIR STUDENTS BEING A SCHOOL FOR THE FULL DAY BECAUSE DAY CARE IS SOMETIMES A BIT OF A CHALLENGE ON A DAY THAT IS A ONE OFF FROM THE REST OF THE WEEK. WE WANTED OUR STUDENTS IN SCHOOL FOR THE FULL AFTERNOON TO PREVENT HOPEFULLY SOME POOR DECISION-MAKING BY SOME OLDER STUDENTS WHEN THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA FREE TIME. WHAT THAT ENABLED US TO DO WAS TO CAPTURE THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES. WE HAVE FEWER DAYS OF SCHOOL THIS YEAR THAN PREVIOUS YEARS BECAUSE WE CAN COUNT THOSE MINUTES THAT BEFORE WE HAD TO SUBTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. WE THINK THAT WILL BE OVERALL A POSITIVE ALL THE WAY AROUND. STEVE: THE DISTRICT EXPANDED THE FREE MEALS PROGRAM TO INCLUDE MORE SCHOOLS. HOW GREAT IS THE NEED IN DES MOINES AND WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN SO FAR? TOM: INTERESTINGLY, WHEN WE ROLLED THIS PROGRAM OUT AT A SMALL NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO WE ANTICIPATED MORE OF A REACTION THEN WE RECEIVED. AT THAT TIME WE TRIED TO PROJECT WHEN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WOULD BECOME ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM ASSUMING IF THE FIRST YEAR WENT WELL AND WE SAW THE BENEFITS WE THOUGHT WE WOULD THAT WE WOULD HAVE A TIMELINE TO ADD ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS TO THE FOLD. WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS MOVE UP THE TIMELINE. WE TOOK IN MORE SCHOOLS THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED ON UNTIL LAST YEAR. THE GOOD THING IS THAT IT SAVES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. IT REALLY MAKES ALL STUDENTS FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT HAVING TO DELINEATE BETWEEN STUDENTS THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE MEALS AND THOSE THAT DON’T. WE ARE ABLE TO FEED MORE STUDENTS AND WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT MORE EFFICIENTLY. THE BAD NEWS IS MORE SCHOOLS ARE ELIGIBLE BECAUSE THE POVERTY RATE IN THE DISTRICT CONTINUES TO INCREASE. LAST YEAR WE CLEARED THE 76% MARK FOR STUDENTS THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE REDUCED PRICE LUNCH. WE DON’T HAVE THE OFFICIAL COUNT THIS YEAR YET. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN UNTIL OCTOBER. WE ANTICIPATE SEEING THAT NUMBER CONTINUE TO CLIMB. THAT’S THE BAD NEWS. STACEY: LET’S MOVE ON TO ATHLETICS. YOU HAVE CONTACTED THE GOVERNING BODIES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS SPORTS IN THE STATE OF IOWA ASKING THEY LOOK INTO HOW CONFERENCES ARE DIVIDED UP. EXPLAIN THAT. TOM: I’M NOT SURE WHEN STATES STARTED CREATING CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS FOR ATHLETICS BUT IT WAS DONE EARLY. IT WAS TO ENSURE SCHOOLS WEREN’T MORE ADVANTAGED THAN OTHER SCHOOLS THEY WERE PLAYING AGAINST. THERE WAS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. EVERYONE HAD AN EQUAL CHANCE IF THEY PUT IN THE TIME AND EFFORT AND ENERGY TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WHAT I AND SEVERAL OTHERS ARE ARGUING THIS WE DON’T HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD ANYMORE. THERE ARE DIFFERENT METHODS PEOPLE ARE SUGGESTING TO BALANCE HOW THE CLASSIFIED SCHOOLS -- MY SUGGESTION IS A FACTOR IN SOME WAYS OF POVERTY. IF YOU JUST TAKE ENROLLMENT, THAT DOESN’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. IF YOU HAVE A SCHOOL THAT MAY HAVE THE SAME ENROLLMENT AS SCHOOL A HAVING THE SAME NUMBERS AS SCHOOL B, BUT IT HAS A HIGHER PARTY RATE, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE STUDENTS WERE TO SPINNING AT SCHOOL A HAVING THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY WORKED THEIR WAY TO THE SYSTEM TO PARTICIPATE IN CLUB SPORTS TO BELONG TO ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE HELPED THEM TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS AND ABILITIES ARE PROBABLY RIGHTLY DIMINISHED. ALSO, THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN A POSITION TO PARTICIPATE IN EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES BECAUSE OF OTHERS POSSIBILITIES, WHETHER IT IS TAKING CARE OF YOUNGER SIBLINGS OR THEY ARE REQUIRED TO WORK TO HELP THEIR FAMILY SUPPORT THEIR OPPORTUNITIES, YOU JUST DON’T SEE THE INVOLVEMENT NUMBERS TELLING THE FULL STORY. STACEY: WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION ABOUT THIS? TOM: WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING. THEY WILL NOT MEET ON THAT TOPIC UNTIL LATER THIS FAULT. WITHOUT ANOTHER -- THIS FALL. WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS SINCE ABOUT THE WINTER OF LAST YEAR. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STATES THAT ALREADY DO SOME SORT OF ADJUSTMENT IN THE CLASSIFICATIONS. WE THINK IT PROVIDES MORE STUDENTS AND EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND SUCCESS, AND IN THE CASE OF FOOTBALL, FOR ME TO NOT PUT STUDENTS IN HARM’S WAY. STACEY: WE WILL TAKE A BREAK. OUR CONVERSATION WITH SUPERINTENDENT TOM AHART CONTINUES AFTER THE BREAK. STACEY: WELCOME BACK. WE’RE CONTINUING OUR CONVERSATION WITH DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT TOM AHART. STEVE: WHAT LEVEL OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT DO YOU SEE IN THE DISTRICT? IT’S IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS’ SUCCESS. IS THE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT WHERE IT SHOULD BE? TOM: I SPEAK ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT. NOT ONLY DO OUR PARENTS GIVE OUT THE BEST THEY HAVE SENDING THEIR KIDS TO US, THEY ARE ALSO LARGELY ENGAGED AS WELL AS THEY ARE ABLE. A LOT OF FAMILIES, BOTH AVAILABLE PARENTS ARE WORKING FULL-TIME. SOMETIMES MORE THAN ONE JOB. OFTEN TIMES THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IS NOT MATCHED BY THEIR ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE WORKING LATE SHIFTS OR WORKING MORE THAN ONE SHIFT. WE ALWAYS STRIVE TO GET ADDITIONAL PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT AND BETTER PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT. THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON. WE ALSO RECOGNIZE A LOT OF FAMILIES WOULD BE MORE ACTIVE IF THEY SIMPLY HAVE THE TIME. STACEY: LET’S GO TO FUNDING, SOMETHING WE HAVE HEARD TALK ABOUT FOR YEARS. THE STATE SPENDS MORE THAN $3 BILLION THROUGH K-12 EDUCATION EVERY YEAR. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET ENOUGH SUPPORT? WE TALKED ABOUT THE 76% TO QUALIFY FOR FREE LUNCH. TOM: I WOULD ARGUE WE DON’T. OVERALL IT IS EASY TO SEE IF YOU LOOK AT A TRENDLINE OVER THE LAST 40 OR 50 YEARS HAVE HOW THE STATE HAS SUPPORTED EDUCATION. WHETHER YOU LOOK AT JUST A PERCENTAGE OF SUPPLEMENTS OF STATE AID, ALLOWABLE GROWTH, THE AMOUNT OF INCREASE IN BASELEVEL FUNDING FROM THE STATE. OR WHETHER YOU LOOK AT SCHOOL FUNDING AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN THE STATE. YOU CAN’T MAKE THE ARGUMENT AS CHALLENGES HAVE INCREASED, PARTICULARLY IN DES MOINES BUT NOT EXCLUSIVE TO DES MOINES, STATE SUPPORT HAS DIMINISHED. I WOULD ARGUE OVERALL STATE FUNDING IS LACKING AND LAGGING BEHIND. PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY I THINK OUR STATE -- OUR STATE DOES A WONDERFUL JOB OF FINDING EVERY SINGLE STUDENT REGARDLESS OF ZIP CODE OR SCHOOL DISTRICT OR PART OF THE STATE. IT’S EXACTLY THE SAME. WHAT WE DO A POOR JOB OF HIS RECOGNIZING THE PATHWAY FOR EVERY STUDENT IS DIFFERENT. WE CAN’T MAKE THE ASSUMPTION ALL OUR STUDENTS HAVE ALL THE ADVANTAGES THAT PERHAPS WE HAD OR LEGISLATORS HAD WHEN THEY WENT TO SCHOOL. A STUDENT COMING INTO A PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT PERHAPS DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AS A NATIVE LANGUAGE REQUIRES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND RESOURCES THAT MY CHILDREN TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND ACHIEVE THE SAME OUTCOMES WE HOPE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. IF THEY ARE COMING FROM A DISADVANTAGED HOME, THERE ARE THINGS TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITY. THERE ARE THINGS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MUST PROVIDE THAT PERHAPS OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS DON’T NEED TO PROVIDE. STACEY: WHAT IS THE ADEQUATE AMOUNT? THE IDEAL AMOUNT? TOM: I’M NOT SURE I’M PREPARED TO SPEAK ABOUT THE REAL TERMS. I WOULD SOUND REALLY POLLYANNISH IF I DREAM BIG. THERE ARE STATES LIKE MINNESOTA WHO HAVE A BASE FORMULA LIKE IOWA DOES. EVERY STUDENT GENERATES A CERTAIN PER-PUPIL EVENT OF FUNDING. MINNESOTA, THIS IS NOT PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENS BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS EVERY STUDENT GENERATES THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUNDING. IF THE STUDENTS QUALIFIED FOR A REDUCED PRICE LUNCH, THEY GET THE BASE FUNDING PLUS 50%. IF THEY QUALIFY FOR FREE LUNCH, THEY GET BASE FUNDING TIMES TWO. THEY RECOGNIZE ON THE FRONT END IN ORDER TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE EXPERIENCE AND PROVIDE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES AND RELIABLE AN ONGOING BASIS, DIFFERENT STUDENTS REQUIRE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RESOURCE. STEVE: DO YOU GET THE IMPRESSION FROM THE LEGISLATORS THEY ARE LOOKING AT EDUCATIONAL SPENDING AS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE, OR SOMETHING THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE FILLED? TOM: GENERALLY SPEAKING WE ARE MOVING MORE TOWARDS THE LATTER I WOULD ARGUE. IT USED TO BE PRETTY -- A SAFE ASSUMPTION WITH THE PRIORITY WAS TO DETERMINE STATE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE REST OF THE PRIORITIES. NOW WE ARE TRYING TO COMPETE WITH A HOST OF OTHER POTENTIAL PRIORITIES EVERY YEAR. OFTEN TIMES WE GET THE SHORT END OF THE STICK. STEVE: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY. UP NEXT, ONE-ON-ONE WITH WAUKEE MAYOR BILL PEARD. WHY HE HAS DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR REELECTION. STAY WITH US. AS A VETERAN, AND AS A MAYOR, I'VE SEEN WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE WHEN WE HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACKS. BUT IN TODAY'S DIVIDED AMERICA, WE'RE AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS. OUR RIVERS AND OCEANS ARE RISING, HEALTHCARE COSTS ARE SOARING, AND OUR KIDS ARE LEARNING ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS BEFORE THEY LEARN TO READ. TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES, AND TO DEFEAT THIS PRESIDENT, WE NEED REAL SOLUTIONS. NOT MORE POLARIZATION. I'M PETE BUTTIGIEG, AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE, Welcome back to KCCI 8 News Close UP. STACEY: WELCOME BACK. OUR NEXT GUEST IS THE MAYOR OF WAUKEE BILL PEARD. HE WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 2006. BEFORE BECOMING MAYOR HE SERVED TWO TERMS AS A WAUKEE CITY COUNCILMEMBER. A TOTAL OF 22 YEARS IN OFFICE. HE JOINS US NOW. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. THIS WEEK YOU ANNOUNCED AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE IN OFFICE THAT YOU WILL NOT RUN FOR REELECTION. WHY STEP ASIDE RIGHT NOW? MAYOR PEARD: THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I GUESS SOMEBODY NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT IT IS TIME FOR A FRESH SET OF IDEAS AND FRESH EYES LOOKING AT OUR SITUATION. I LEAVE THIS PLACE, MY OFFICE IN WAUKEE IN A REALLY GOOD SPOT. IT IS GROWING LIKE CRAZY. THERE IS SO MUCH NEW, GOOD STUFF COMING THAT MY WIFE AND I HAD THIS DISCUSSION ALL SUMMER, ALONG WITH MY TWO BOYS. THEY SAID, DAD, IT IS TIME TO PASS THE BATON. CYNTHIA: WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED IT WAS A SEA OF FARMLAND. THE POPULATION HAS JUMPED 166% SINCE YOU TOOK OFFICE. WE LOOKED AT UP. WHY DO YOU THINK SOMEBODY PEOPLE ARE FLOCKING TO WAUKEE? MAYOR PEARD: MAYOR PERD: THE ONE THING I HAVE DONE AS MAYOR AND AS A COUNCILPERSON IS THANK EVERYBODY ALONG THE WAY. NO ONE PERSON, MYSELF INCLUDED, MADE WAUKEE WHAT WAUKEE IS. WAUKEE IS A GREAT COMMUNITY. IT HAS VIRTUALLY NO CRIME. IT HAS EXCELLENT SCHOOL SYSTEMS. IT HAS A COMMUNITY FEEL TO IT. -PEOPLE, -- I HAVE HAD PEOPLE COME UP TO ME TO THANK ME FOR SERVING. IT’S A PLEASURE TO SERVE, NOT AN OBLIGATION TO SERVE. I THINK THAT IS WHY WAUKEE HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL. AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF THAT. PEOPLE ARE COMING BECAUSE THEY ARE MOVING OUT FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE KIDS GET A GREAT QUALITY OF EDUCATION. BOTH MY BOYS WENT THROUGH IT. NOW WHERE YOU ARE -- NOW YOU ARE SEEING GRANDPARENTS MOVING FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE TO BE CLOSE TO THE GRANDKIDS. CYNTHIA: AND NOT JUST RESIDENTS, BUT BUSINESSES AS WELL. WHY IS IT SO ATTRACTIVE TO BUSINESSES? MAYOR PEARD: THEY SEE NEW FRONTIERS. ALL THESE PEOPLE, THEY NEED SERVICES. BANKING, CHIROPRACTIC, MOVIE THEATERS, ENTERTAINMENT, RESTAURANTS. THEY ARE CATCHING UP WITH THE POPULATION THAT NEEDS THESE SERVICES. CYNTHIA: ONE OF THE BIGGEST BUSINESSES, APPLE. YOU HAVE BEEN PROUD OF WORKING TO GET THEM ESTABLISHED THERE. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT DATA CENTER WILL BRING TO WAUKEE? MAYOR PEARD: THAT IS HARD TO SAY BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF BUSINESS THAT WILL BE COMING TO WAUKEE UNDER THE APPLE GUIDANCE. I THINK WE WILL SEE MORE PEOPLE OR MORE BUSINESSES COME IN BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN WAUKEE. THEY WILL MOVE THERE BECAUSE APPLE AS THEY ARE, SO IT’S ATTRACTIVE FOR THEM TO COME THERE. YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF COTTAGE INDUSTRIES. HOTELS, MORE RESTAURANTS, THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT WILL FOLLOW APPLE. CYNTHIA: ALWAYS LOVE MORE RESTAURANTS. WE WILL TAKE A SHORT BREAK. OUR CONVERSATION WITH MAYOR BILL PEARD WILL CONTINUE NEXT. We're wrapping up our conversation with Waukee Mayor Bill Peard. -What are you most CYNTHIA: WE ARE WRAPPING UP OUR CONVERSATION WITH MAYOR PEARD. 14 YEARS AS MAYOR IN WAUKEE. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? MAYOR PEARD: I AM MOST PROUD OF THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE ATTRACTED IN WAUKEE. VERY FEW TOWNS OR CITIES GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PAINT A BLANK CANVAS. WAUKEE, WHEN I STARTED, WAUKEE WAS A BLANK CANVAS. IT WAS A SMALL TOWN. KIND OF A SLEEPY LITTLE TOWN BUT A GREAT COMMUNITY. NOW THE PEOPLE ARE COMING AND THE GROWTH IS HAPPENING. WE ARE ABLE TO PLAN WAUKEE OUT TO WHERE IT MAKES SENSE. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL TYPE OF -- CYNTHIA: COMMUNITY. I WILL NAME A COUPLE OF PROJECTS YOU HELPED SEE THROUGH. THE GRAND PRAIRIE PARKWAY. MAYOR PEARD: THAT WAS MY BABY. I STARTED GOING OUT TO WASHINGTON, D.C. AND LOBBYING OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION TO GET THAT INTERCHANGE IN FROM THE INTERCHANGE TO WAUKEE. ABSOLUTELY, THAT WAS MY BABY. CYNTHIA: THAT LED TO MORE DEVELOPMENT OUT TOWARDS HICKMAN. EXPLOSIVE GROWTH. MAYOR PEARD: IT WAS BECAUSE -- IT’S BECAUSE THEY KNEW GRAND PRAIRIE PARKWAY WAS COMING. THAT BROUGHT TRAFFIC IN. IT’S ABOUT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT. IT IS ABOUT GETTING HER TRAFFIC AROUND THE CITY IN AN EFFICIENT WAY. CYNTHIA: THE NEW IMAX THEATER. MAYOR PEARD: I LOVE MOVIES. THE FACT THAT IMAX INVESTED IN WAUKEE SAYS A LOT ABOUT OUR CITY. OUR COMMUNITY. IT IS A STATE-OF-THE-ART -- I WELCOME ANYBODY THAT LOVES TO COME SEE MOVIES TO COME OUT TO WAUKEE AND GO TO ONE OF THOSE MOVIES IN THE IMAX. IT IS PHENOMENAL. CYNTHIA: IS THERE ANYTHING LOOKING BACK NOW YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY OR ANYTHING YOU REGRET? MAYOR PEARD: NO, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF WHAT I LEARNED IN THE EXPERIENCE I HAVE DONE HAS BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE. IT MADE ME -- I’M A PRETTY WELL-LIKED MAYOR. SOMEBODY THAT HAS THE PASSION. IF YOU DON’T HAVE PASSION FOR THIS JOB, IT WILL EAT YOU UP BECAUSE IT IS ALL ABOUT FIXING THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY ITSELF. I DON’T HAVE VERY MANY REGRETS. CYNTHIA: YOU ARE LEAVING WITH A LOT OF PROJECTS ON THE TABLE. TRAIL SYSTEM, PARKS. MAYOR PEARD: AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO STEP OFF AND LET THE NEW GENERATION OF PEOPLE TAKE WAUKEE FORWARD. IT COULD BE 21 YEARS IF I WAITED UNTIL WAUKEE HAD STOPPED THE RAPID GROWTH. I WOULD BE 80 YEARS OLD. YOU JUST PICK A POINT IN TIME. I AM NOT UNIQUE TO WAUKEE. THERE WILL BE LOTS OF GOOD PEOPLE FOLLOWING ME. WE HAVE A GREAT COUNSELING GREAT STAFF. IT’S IN GOOD HANDS. CYNTHIA: IN THE LITTLE WAUKEE SOURCE MAGAZINE YOU LISTED AS ONE OF THE TOP 50 BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN AMERICA, TOP 10 FASTEST GROWING U.S. SUBURBS, TOP 10 BEST FOR FAMILIES. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. YOU CAN BE PROUD. WHAT DO YOU SEE IS YOUR NEXT CHAPTER? MAYOR PEARD: PROBABLY CLEANING THE HOUSE. DOING SOME LANDSCAPING. CYNTHIA: AND YOU HAVE A FULL-TIME JOB. MAYOR PEARD: I WORK FOR THE IOWA CABLE AND TELECOMMUTE SHOULD NUISANCE -- TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION VICE PRESIDENT. I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE. IT HAS BEEN GOOD IN MY SCHEDULE. CYNTHIA: WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SERVING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT WEEK FOR KCCI 8 NEWS CLOS