She and her opponent Dana Rienboldt aim to replace Emily Fallon who is sentenced to serve one year in prison after she stole more than $23,000 from the Anne E. Moncure Elementary School PTO, while she was the president of the organization.Â
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Decatur: Responsible Fiscal Management, School Safety, Competitive Pay Scale for all employees
PL: What concrete solutions do you propose to address these issues?
I'd like to discuss the possibility of a cash capital fund for our schools, which will help eliminate overestimating of budgetary needs, and greedy spending practices. We will develop a hierarchy of needs and direct funds toward the most necessary and appropriate matters annually.
First and foremost, ensuring that Stafford County is compensating our teachers and staff members appropriately as planned for in the market-based compensation plan. We need to develop replacement cycles for updating equipment including school buses and technology.
And finally, we need to continue and further develop sharing resources within the county which will improve our spending practices and reduce waste countywide. Iâd like to add a resource officer in each middle and high school to improve relations and increase security as well as add a resource officer in each elementary school, as our county does not currently have one at any elementary school.
Decatur: The role of a school board member is to be the voice for the residents in their community. When brought together as a unified whole, the school board cohesively serves the county, helping the school system to operate efficiently and provide students with the best education possible for the taxpayersâ dollar. I believe each member should each bring unique experience and expertise along with a creative approach, and the wishes of the members of the community we represent to create and uphold a school system that stands out in the Commonwealth.
PL: What expertise will you bring to the office?
Decatur: I have 10 years of experience in managing schools, creating and balancing the schoolsâ budget, working with the accreditation process, school meals programs, hiring and training teachers and ancillary staff members, and building successful relationships with parents, students, and school systems throughout Virginia.
I also have the interpersonal skills necessary to facilitate an open dialogue that will begin to repair the relationship between the school board, board of supervisors and residents of our county. We simply must work together cohesively and responsibly to ensure that we make decisions for our county that will benefit all of us for many generations to come.
If I felt that those interests were being handled properly within our district, I wouldnât be here asking for your vote. When irresponsible decisions are made in local government, they will directly affect our lives and when weâre talking about the school board, those decisions will directly affect my childâs education.
The mismanagement of millions of our tax dollars may not have affected the studentâs in our county during the years in which it happened, however when we failed to give raises because that money was missing from the countyâs budget, many wonderful teachers began leaving Stafford County and taking jobs elsewhere.
You will hear that the School Board was not given accurate information, however, I believe that it was the job of the School Board to cross check any reports they received to ensure all information was accurate and valid. When that failed to happen, repercussions became imminent for future students in our county, including my son and his peers.
I will not focus on the problems but rather the solutions that will set our school system back on the right path. I have the experience necessary to do so as well as an open mind and a fresh approach that will not only set us on the right path but will move our district ahead of all others in our educational practices.
Read more Project: Election 2016 candidate profiles.
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