Rachel Brown
Dalton Daily Citizen
DALTON —
Tim Trew said he wants to continue the work he’s been a part of since coming on the Whitfield County Board of Education in 2004.
The District 2 incumbent said that includes setting policies that enable teachers to work toward raising graduation rates and test scores while keeping property taxes low. He cited the school district’s affiliation with the Schlechty Center and its Working on the Work (WOW) philosophy as one effort he wants to keep pushing to help with graduation rates. The Kentucky-based center emphasizes training teachers to focus on designing school work that engages students and sticks with them.
“It’s basically because of my commitment to the community,” Trew said of his decision to run again, “and I’ve got a lot of encouragement coming from folks.”
Trew faces fellow Republicans Rodney Lock, Bill Moore and Jessica Swinford in the July 20 primary. No Democrats qualified for the seat.
The owner of Trew Income Tax, Trew has held several local jobs over the years including working at Carpets of Dalton. This past school year he had two daughters at Northwest Whitfield High, one a senior and the other in ninth grade. His wife Donna last year was a teacher at Cedar Ridge Elementary. He has another grown daughter and a grown son.
Trew said his experience on the board will be an asset if he is re-elected.
“I’d like to see us doing more for less, but here again I’ve got a heart for teachers and staff,” he said. “I’m all about keeping the best people employed, and I’ve got a lot to offer for budgeting experience.”
Trew was born in Detroit, Mich., and grew up in Whitfield County, graduating from North Whitfield High School in 1975. He obtained his bachelor’s in business administration from what is now West Georgia College and State University and also completed some course work at what is now Dalton State College.
Trew praised his opponents for getting in the race and said they all seem to be “fine people.”
While he’s running as a Republican, Trew said that’s no indication of his faith in the party. He cited several years of state funding cuts to the education funding formula as well as middle-of-the-year cutbacks authorized by Gov. Sonny Perdue as Republican-backed efforts of which he does not approve.
He said he will not vote for a local property tax increase this year and plans to do everything possible to avoid one if elected for another term.
He can be reached at tim_trew@whitfield.k12.ga.us.
