From staff reports
Dalton Daily Citizen
DALTON —
Murray County District 7 at large
What changes or improvements do you want to see in Murray County Schools? How will you implement those changes?
Jackie Rogers: After speaking to many citizens of Murray County, I continue to hear that the greatest concern is a lack of communication. Parents and teachers would like to be made aware of the agenda for each board meeting well in advance. I feel this would provide opportunities for parents and teachers to be scheduled in a timely manner on the agenda at upcoming meetings. It is important that we remember the bottom line here is our children. In order to offer the best education for our students and make the best decisions possible in their behalf, parents, teachers, board members and school system administrators must work together. Parents are entrusting the Murray County school system with their most cherished assets — their children. The school board needs to be able to get input from all those with a vested interest in decisions made for our students.
The school board meeting should be posted well in advance on the county website. This gives parents and teachers ample opportunity to be placed on the agenda. It is important that parents be encouraged to come to board meetings, however, with many parents working second- and third-shift jobs, this is not always possible. I would like to suggest that the district website add a site for parents and teachers to contact board members with questions, suggestions and concerns. I would also like to see each school website to add a site for administrators to inform parents of open houses, school events and emergency situations. Parents are kept more informed and administrators get immediate feedback. This site could also be used for principals to announce to parents when they need school volunteers. This site would be used for one-way announcements that would include school calendar reminders and announce school closings due to inclement weather.
Anthony Tankersley: I want to make sure that the money that the school system has is used efficiently. Cut back on any wasted resources, go after more state-funded grants, and closely oversee all school systems spending.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
Rogers: First and foremost, I have two grandchildren in the Murray County school system. Their education and well-being is of the utmost importance to me. I want to be assured that they are offered the best education possible.
Second, my wife and both of my daughters are teachers within the system. I have personal knowledge that teachers in this system care about their students and want to see them succeed. The teachers in our schools have worked hard under difficult circumstances with the present cutbacks that have been passed from the state level down to the local level. Yet, our teachers have continued to do an excellent job as demonstrated by the recent results from the state CRCT scores where the Murray County school system scored above the stave average even after cutting the school year to 160 days.
The third thing I have to offer is that I am a certified public accountant with my own firm in Murray County. I feel that the present financial crisis in our school system requires someone with knowledge and expertise in the area of budgeting. Making financial decisions with the cutbacks that the school system is presently facing is not an easy task. I feel my years of experience as a CPA will be beneficial in this capacity.
Tankersley: I have no set agenda, I want what’s best for the students and teachers of Murray County.
The school district cut $4 million from its budget for the upcoming school year and eliminated dozens of jobs. Also, school districts across the state continue to see state funding cuts year after year. What will you do to ensure taxpayer money is used as efficiently as possible?
Rogers: The top priority has to be our children. Losing teaching positions affects the education our students receive. A deep cut like the one we are experiencing requires us to learn to do more with less, but we can’t afford to lose any more teachers. Solutions to the present budget crisis will not come quickly or easily. This will take time. It is important that the entire community work together toward this goal. Taxpayers need to feel they have a voice in decisions made at the local school board level.
I think we need to look at our school budget and make sure each teacher has the tools they need to teach the curriculum. As a business person, I can’t do my best work if I don’t have the tools to do that work. The latest budget cuts leave teachers concerned about the availability of funds for classroom supplies needed for instruction. The main focus of the teachers in our system needs to be the education of the students. They do not need to also be worried about whether they will have the supplies they need to do the job.
Tankersley: We will closely oversee all spending, and use our local resources to the fullest extent.
Under what conditions would you consider raising property taxes?
Rogers: I would like to say none. However, this economy is affecting everyone. It would be hard to raise property taxes on folks that have already been affected by the elimination of homestead exemption. Couple that with either a total loss of jobs, reduction in pay or time available to work (i.e. overtime), and property taxes become unpayable and or uncollectible. But the board at some point cannot make cuts to the point that the students’ education suffers. So, I cannot imagine voting to raise property taxes but never say never.
Tankersley: Only to save additional school system jobs, we are down to minimum resources now. The local board of education could ask the voters to approve issuance of general obligation bonds to be repaid from property tax revenues.
Voters in 2006 supported issuing more bonds and paying for more projects than the current five-year education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) will collect. How will you address this situation?
Rogers: Most, if not all, projects will have contracts requiring the work be performed and paid for. We first would look to see if there are amenities that could be cut or reduced. There may not be that option to make changes but any fluff should be cut first before any other avenues are to be considered. I guess what I’m saying is we don’t have to have a Lexus when the Toyota will suffice very well. Secondly, the voters would have to decide to renew or extend the SPLOST time frame. If the economy picks up, then of course more SPLOST money will come in, but obviously this cannot be counted upon. Lastly, more cuts from other expenditures.
Tankersley: We will have to cut back on any spending that is deemed unnecessary. We could vote for a SPLOST of 1 percent which could be used to increase the homestead exemption for property taxes. The SPLOST could be used to pay off or construct capital projects, thereby saving property owners the tax burden. We also have the option to use ad valorem tax revenues levied for the maintenance and operation of schools to fund capital improvement projects.
Whitfield County District 2
What changes or improvements do you want to see in Whitfield County Schools? How will you implement those changes?
Rodney Lock: We need effective leadership from our superintendent and his/her staff if we are to be a great school system. This can not be achieved with the intimidation methods we have had the past five years. Principals must be allowed to run their school without small town politics. Teachers and employees need to be supported, given direction, and boost their morale. When positions become available well qualified local people need (to) be given first opportunity. Our community needs to be listened to. Bring transparency to the school system and let everyone know what is happening with the school system before things have already been decided. Stop cutting teachers and courses that are impacting our children. Focus on what is necessary to educate our children, and prioritize everything around that. Stop wasteful spending. Car travel reimbursement alone was around $700,000 last year, with $800,000 spent on substitutes. Keep services in house. If a company can do the job and make a profit we should be able to do the job for at least 30 percent less. I have learned this in the operation of my own business. This is our hard earned tax dollars and it should be managed wisely. We need to build reserves for hard times like we are in now, not spend every dime we are blessed with.
I am just one vote out of five, but you will know where I stand. We need to elect servant leaders not self servant leaders. Our leaders need to have our children and taxpayers’ best interest at heart with every decision made. Be knowledgeable of what they are voting on, and carefully consider the consequences of each decision. If not, move to postpone the motion and gather knowledge about it before a vote is cast. We have one shot at educating our children and we can’t fall short even one year.
Jessica Swinford: I want to see our school system retaining effective educators and doing whatever it takes to make sure that our children receive a quality education. I also want to see teachers out of the classroom less and change in the way our professional learning is handled. While I believe it is important for teachers to continue their professional development, I believe it is more important for a child to have his or her teacher in the classroom and not a substitute. We should explore all opportunities available to implement this so our teachers can continue to make the difference in a child’s life inside the classroom.
I also want to see Whitfield County Schools as a place where the teachers are confident that their ideas and opinions can be heard without fear or intimidation. We trust our children in their care, and we should at least allow them the opportunity to voice any concern they may have as well as the positive things happening in our schools.
I feel that changes or improvements in our schools can be accomplished by communication with all those concerned, and I will advocate open communication so that our schools succeed in giving our children the best possible education.
What is your opinion of the school district’s affiliation with the Schlechty Center and the WOW (Working on the Work) philosophy?
Lock: We have spent several millions on WOW alone plus travel, lodging, meals and substitute teachers. Some teachers I have talked to have missed over 40 days of classroom instruction while attending WOW and leadership conferences. These teachers are professionals that have spent thousands of dollars and countless hours of time to get a teaching degree that is apparently not good enough for our current system. Professional development should be for all teachers and money should be spent wisely. Our system has chosen to follow a person’s program that less than one-fourth of 1 percent of other school districts have chosen to follow. Murray County almost doubled test scores working with North Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) with very little cost to taxpayers. Whitfield County has spent millions on WOW and our test scores have barely moved. If you compare dollars spent vs. true test scores have we got our money’s worth from Schlechty Center?
Swinford: While I would agree that WOW in itself is not a bad educational tool, I do disagree with the manner and method that it has been implemented in our schools, not to mention the costs incurred by the taxpayers. Not only has this affiliation cost our county a substantial amount of money, it has removed our teachers from their classrooms and placed a substitute teacher in their place for many days of the school year. I believe we should allow the teachers the opportunity to freely speak about WOW and then move in a positive direction together so that we are moving forward in our educational instruction.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
Lock: I think running a business for 27 years in Whitfield County is a huge asset in my campaign for school board. I have had to meet budgets every year and a payroll each week. I have had hard times during my 27 years of business fighting ups and downs in the economy and change of conditions, but this has taught me to manage income wisely and build revenues for hard times. I am also an overburdened taxpayer that struggles each year to understand where our tax dollars go. I have a very good working relationship with customers and employees, because I am always willing to listen to new ideas from people at all levels of the industry. My motto has always been God gave me one mouth and two ears because you are supposed to listen twice as much as you talk.
The education of our children is not broken. We have very professional educators in our school system compassionate about our children. I have raised two children through the education system and working on the third. Added together this is 29 years my children have been in Whitfield County Schools. During this time I have met very dedicated teachers that have went above and beyond the job of educating my children. They have assisted in teaching them lifelong learning and have been an influence in their lives.
The problem is flagrant spending of our tax dollars. If this education system was a business it would have gone bankrupt a long time ago. Business can not raise prices to cover poor financial decisions. If they did customers would go elsewhere. Same with taxpayers, they will not support education when their money is wasted. We must have public support in education to make this a system that other districts would like to copy. We need to listen to our teachers and empower them with the tools to do the best job that they can.
Swinford: I am a mother who has been actively involved in the school system. I have served four years on the Varnell School Council, two terms on the system’s redistricting committee and once on the Teacher of the Year Committee. I have a close relationship with many school teachers, school administrators and I am in touch with many community members. I am very passionate and committed to serving our children, teachers and community.
The school district cut $13.5 million from its budget for the upcoming school year and eliminated dozens of jobs. Also, school districts across the state continue to see state funding cuts year after year. What will you do to ensure taxpayer money is used as efficiently as possible?
Lock: When Mrs. Brochu arrived she put a 14-member cabinet in place to develop a shell around her and keep the public at a distance. Their salaries are all over $100,000 a year. A public relations position was added, because of past relationships she could monitor and have knowledge of anything going in the paper that was negative so she could control the media to some degree. A construction manager was hired to find a general contractor, handle construction documents, and complete a punch list at the end of capital projects. If the full plan is implemented they will leave with over $8 million of taxpayer’s money. This is not a necessary expense. This job was handled in house by two people before at a cost of around $150,000 a year. WOW was implemented by Brochu at a cost of millions during the past five years. Leadership Academy is another Schlechty Center course that takes principals and teachers away from our children two days a month for nine months at a high cost to taxpayers. Current administration also outsourced our custodial service at a cost of around $2 million education dollars, when it was done in house for less than $1 million. She hired an outside consultant to look at our system and find ways to operate it more efficiently. This was at a cost of around $100,000 when she could have asked people in the system and got a very good answer. Is all this necessary to educate our children? Is it in the best interest of our children and community? I think these issues should be looked at very closely, and we need to decide what is necessary for a quality education. We need to evaluate if we need to continue in this direction with education.
Swinford: I feel the best way to be accountable to the taxpayers is by being informed and educating myself before making a decision. I believe communication with other board members is vital so that we could work together to eliminate wasteful spending and making cost-effective decisions. We cannot ever forget that the needs of the children should always be our focus.
Under what conditions would you consider raising property taxes?
Lock: A property tax increase would be a last resort. I too am a taxpayer that pays thousands of dollars of my hard earned money and I expect every dollar to be spent wisely. Whitfield County’s unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation, and we are all struggling just to make ends meet. It would be insane to ask for more money after all that has happened to our community except as a last resort. We have a budget to meet and we must come up with innovative ways to meet it without any more harm to our children and taxpayers. We have very trusting taxpayers that have faith in our elected officials to be good stewards of their money. I have seen many ways to cut spending out of our budget from the outside looking in. Just imagine what could be found when I get elected. I would like to have an audit by our system CPA just to let the community know exactly where we stand with SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) and other taxes before the new board takes control.
Swinford: As I have said before, I would not be opposed to raising taxes if that was the only way to provide a quality education for our children, but I am not convinced that we have explored all avenues available. The fact remains that taxes are what fund our education, and if we cannot as a board make enough changes in the budget to give our children the best education possible, then raising taxes would be an option.
Voters in 2006 supported issuing more bonds and paying for more projects than the current five-year education SPLOST will collect. How will you address this situation?
Lock: SPLOST was voted in by trusting voters for around $100 million, which will be short by as much as $40 million if we continue with all the projects proposed. This was to renovate our technology and infrastructure. Money being spent needs to be done carefully and with proper oversight. It is true you can’t spend SPLOST dollars on anything other than items on the referendum such as construction and technology, but there is such a thing as inter departmental loans. We could loan our general fund money from SPLOST accounts to help us weather this storm. The main goal is educating our children and it should be prioritized above everything. Instead it has been used to spend us into a hole, and all the property owners have been thrown under the bus. Money spent for bad land deals when we had 85 acres prep with sewer and water at the Career Academy, $3 million spent on sewer, paying a construction manager a large percentage just to oversee a general contractor. These items alone could have saved at least $12.5 million on the new high school. At the next board meeting the board will sign an agreement with a construction manager for 8 percent to find a general contractor who can spend $30 million or more for rebuilding Eastbrook and a new gym for Career Academy. This may be needed, but should this be done when unemployment in our area is among the highest in the nation, teachers are being cut and foreclosures are at an astonishing rate? A new building is not going to help educate our children, but teachers will. If this is passed the new board will have high hurdles to clear, $40 million over on SPLOST, $5 million to start a new high school, and shortfalls from the state. Stop all spending that is not detrimental to our school system. Work on getting financial stability back to the system.
Swinford: I would be committed to making sure as a board we have explored all areas in which we could cut the expenditures. I think it is also important to educate the community on the financial situation and communicate what options would be available before making any decisions. Of course, as a last resort it may be required to raise property taxes to cover the shortfall.
Some people say the Board of Education should have waited to name a superintendent until after the new board members take office in January. Now, according to the current employment contract, the position can be reopened only by mutual consent, for cause, if the superintendent becomes disabled, or if the board is willing to issue up to 24 months of pay. Would you support reopening the superintendent position?
Lock: I will work closely to make sure that whomever the superintendent of Whitfield County Schools is, whether it remains the one put in place by the current school board or someone the new board feels is best suited for our system, that this person is a servant-leader; a leader which places the needs of the system above their own and empowers our teachers and staff to give of themselves as he/she gives to the system. The superintendent needs to lead by example and this person creates the culture by which our staff are validated and empowered to do the best job they can. This person creates the overall atmosphere of the system in which our children and our community’s future is dependent upon. If Danny Hayes takes (the) Whitfield County school system in a positive direction where our school system goes from good to great, I will support him. I would work diligently through communication with teachers, system personnel and taxpayers to know what is in our best interest. If asked a question you will get a straightforward answer without hesitation, and you will know how I voted behind closed doors or in public.
Swinford: While I disagree with the board’s decision to name the superintendent before the new board members could take office, I want to allow the superintendent the opportunity to fulfill the needs of the students and teachers of Whitfield County. Of course, if the needs of our children, teachers and taxpayers are not met, then I would support reopening the position.
Whitfield County at large
What changes or improvements do you want to see in Whitfield County Schools? How will you implement those changes?
Tony Stanley: I would like to see our staff treated with respect and professionalism. I want to have an open door policy with staff and stakeholders, for student learning and the interest of the stakeholders.
Bill Worley: We need to continue improvement in our schools and system test scores. Also, communication with the general public must improve, they want someone to listen to them and hear their concerns.
What is your opinion of the school district's affiliation with the Schlechty Center and the WOW (Working on the Work) philosophy?
Stanley: I like the WOW philosophy. I am a bit concerned about the amount of money spent on this. The basis of this program is just “quality teaching.”
Worley: First of all, let me start by saying I fully support professional learning for our teachers and staff. With that being said, let me also say I feel like I need to learn more about how the WOW philosophy is being implemented in our classrooms. I answer that as honestly and truthfully as I know how because I hope people see I am running for the board without ulterior motives or preconceived notions. I have no hidden agendas; I just want to serve the children of Whitfield County to the best of my ability.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
Stanley: I have the utmost respect for the other candidates and their interest in the kids of Whitfield County. I am open minded and can listen objectively. Then make a responsible decision, keeping in mind that all we do is for the education and success of our children.
Worley: Experience. As a parent of a recent graduate I have been involved at all levels from elementary school through high school. I think I am a very approachable person and can relate to a wide variety of people.
The school district cut $13.5 million from its budget for the upcoming school year and eliminated dozens of jobs. Also, school districts across the state continue to see state funding cuts year after year. What will you do to ensure taxpayer money is used as efficiently as possible?
Stanley: We need to be as streamlined as possible. We need to look at any and all ways to save money and at the same time provide for the needs of the students.
Worley: Continue gaining knowledge about decisions to be made and understand the taxpayer’s concerns. As a property taxpayer in Whitfield County I have a vested interest in how OUR money is spent.
Under what conditions would you consider raising property taxes?
Stanley: As an absolute last resort.
Worley: As a last resort! However, we cannot let our children’s education suffer. Also, by law we are obligated to educate any child that lives in our county.
Voters in 2006 supported issuing more bonds and paying for more projects than the current five-year education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) will collect. How will you address this situation?
Stanley: I will not spend money that is not there. I am sure there is a need for these projects. In this economy I would prioritize and complete the projects when the funds are available.
Worley: ESPLOST is the fairest revenue source for our county taxpayers (compared to property taxes). It may be that we need to extend the ESPLOST to complete projects. However I would want to see the numbers for myself before I could give an answer to this question.
Some people say the Board of Education should have waited to name a superintendent until after the new board members take office in January. Now, according to the current employment contract, the position can be reopened only by mutual consent, for cause, if the superintendent becomes disabled, or if the board is willing to issue up to 24 months of pay. Would you support reopening the superintendent position?
Stanley: If there is a reason to do so. As of now I know of no reason.
Worley: At this time, I would not support reopening this position. The superintendent should be evaluated on an annual basis, just as every other school system employee is. While we should hold that position to a higher standard of expectations than the average employee, the evaluation process should be similar in nature. Furthermore, the economic downturn which we are in does not lend itself to paying 24 months of severance pay to any employee. As a board member, I would feel this would not be acting like good stewards of the taxpayers’ money.
