Seven seeking seats on county school board
By FULLER ROYAL
Seven candidates are seeking four year-terms on the Columbus County Board of Education and for the first time in years, each of the three available seats has more than one candidate.
Columbus County Board of Education District 4 incumbent Dale Ward is facing a challenge from first-timer Kevin Hood. District 2 incumbent Bill Johnson is being challenged by newcomer Linda Pollard.
District 3 incumbent Ricky Bullard opted not to run this year. He is the Democratic nominee for District 6 Columbus County Commissioner.
The District 3 seat is being sought by newcomers Monte Herring, Esther Scott and Mike Waddell.
Herring, 53, is a district operations supervisor for Brunswick Electric membership Corporation. A graduate of West Columbus High School, he holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mount Olive College and an associate’s degree from SCC.
Married to Jennie Britt Herring, they have two children.
Herring is chairman of deacons at Cerro Gordo Baptist Church and Baptist Men’s president. He is a member of the WCHS advisory board and a former member of the Cerro Gordo Elementary advisor board.
He is a past president and a board member of Cerro Gordo Fire and Rescue, past treasurer of the Columbus County Fire and Rescue Association and a co-founder of Cerro Gordo’s Dixie Youth Baseball program. He has coached for 16 years.
He has no prior political experience.
Hood, 28, is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He completed the basic law enforcement training course at Southeastern Community College in 1998 and is majoring in high school history.
He and spouse, Terri Boyd Hood, have a 2-year-old son and a baby due the day after the election.
Prior political experience includes running for office with the United Transportation Union when he worked for CSX Railway.
He is an auxiliary police officer for Rockingham Police Department, as well as an auxiliary for Scotland County Sheriff’s Department.
Johnson, 65, is a 14-year member of the school board. A high school graduate, Johnson is a longtime farmer in the Evergreen community. He and wife Janice have one son.
He is a member of Evergreen United Methodist Church serving on its finance, nominating and personnel committees. He is also a member of its administrative council.
Johnson coached youth baseball for 35 years and is director of Evergreen Dixie Youth and Dixie Boys Baseball programs. He is vice president of Columbus County Dixie Youth League and a member of the Danny Jones Club of Dixie Youth Baseball
Scott, 62, is a retired school teacher and counselor. She owns and operates New Directions of Columbus County, a counseling and mediation center, and New Directions Group Care Management, working with home health and group homes.
She is a licensed professional counselor with national certification.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; her master’s degree in reading from Appalachian State University and her specialist degree in education psychology from the University of South Carolina.
A volunteer with the Girl Scouts for 21 years, she also worked with Boy Scouting for 11 years. She is a recipient of the Cape Fear Award for her Boy Scouting work.
She serves on the boards of Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina, Columbus County Partnership for Children, and the More-at-Four committee for Columbus County.
A volunteer at Fair Bluff Elementary School, she serves on that school’s advisory council.
She is a board member of the Greater Whiteville Chamber of Commerce and was chairman of this year’s Chamber Gala.
For 38 years, Scott has been a member of the Whiteville Junior Woman’s Club and the Whiteville Woman’s Civic League. Holding many offices at local district and state levels in those organizations, she is a recipient of the North Carolina Outstanding Junior Clubwoman.
Married to Chris Scott, they have six children and seven grandchildren.
She has no prior political experience.
Pollard, 44, is an employee of Belk. She has a bachelor’s degree in management. She and husband Odell Pollard have three children. She has no political experience.
Waddell, 44, is an insurance salesman for N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance. A graduate of West Columbus High School, he and wife Renetta have three children.
He has no prior political experience.
A member of Fair Bluff United Methodist Church, he serves as president of the United Methodist Men’s Club. He is an 8-year member of the Cerro Gordo Elementary Advisory Council and is a past PTO president for school.
Ward has served on the board for 12 years. He is a member Tabor City Baptist Church, the Tabor City Civitans and the Lebanon Masonic Lodge. He is a Scottish Rite Mason, a York Rite Mason and a Sudan Shriner. He sits on the board of Waccamaw Bank.
All seven candidates responded to a questionnaire provided by The News Reporter.
Here are their answers.
Why do you wish to be elected or re-elected?
HERRING: The education of our children is one of the most important responsibilities we face. What we teach and the attitudes in which they are taught can have lifelong implications. It is an awesome responsibility. We have the best professionals to be found and I would like to be a part of this team. I wish to be elected because of my desire to be a servant of the people, to assist in any way that I can and to offer encouragement to our administrators and teachers. I would also like to have the opportunity to restore confidence and trust in our elected officials.
HOOD: My wife and I are products of Columbus County Schools and our children will be, too. We want to be involved parents with the future education of our children and your children as well.
JOHNSON: Many positive ongoing projects have evolved that I would like to see to completion. With my experience I feel that I can continue to make a positive difference for the students of Columbus County.
SCOTT: I wish to be a member of the school board because I have a great interest in the education of the children in Columbus County. With my 35 years of experience working in the public schools, I feel that I can help our school board and the administration make sound decisions that will have a positive impact on the future of this county and its citizens.
POLLARD: I believe in quality education for every student and preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s world.
WADDELL: I would like to participate in the decision-making for our county school children and employees.
WARD: To continue to help the children of Columbus County to receive the very best education possible.
What was the most positive action the school board took during the past four years?
HERRING: One of the positive actions was the implementation of the AYP program a year earlier than required. Also, the quick response taken after the Williams Township school disaster was commendable.
HOOD: The Columbus County School Board took immediate action to rebuild Williams Township School after the traumatic fire that robbed its students a few years ago.
JOHNSON: Over the past four years the present board was involved in many positive actions. Among them have been: recruiting and hiring highly qualified teachers; increased staff development; a more efficient transportation system; certified deputies in the high schools, Nakina Alternative School, the middle schools and many of the elementary schools; and security cameras in all schools.
SCOTT: (Scott’s answer to this question is combined with the answer to the next.)
POLLARD: The school board gave the teachers a small supplement to help keep good teachers in Columbus County and the More-at-Four program.
WADDELL: The school board strived to promote education and facilitation of teachers and ancillary staff to influence students for test scores to meet or exceed state requirements.
WARD: By hiring a superintendent, and assistant superintendent from within the system. Trying to hire within the county.
What was the biggest mistake the school board made during the past four years and has it been corrected?
HERRING: Mistakes are a part of all our lives, from which we can derive learning. We utilize that learning in the present, thereby enabling us to move forward into the future with success.
HOOD: Some Columbus County schools don’t have an assistant principal because their student enrollment is below state limits. If local funds were not available, I would ask the county commissioners to fund these positions. School teachers in lower grade levels also need assistants to maintain their children’s effectiveness and safety.
JOHNSON: I can’t recall a major mistake made by the board and I attribute this to the working relationship between the board, administrative staff and the openness to the citizens of Columbus County.
SCOTT: Most decisions made by the school board in the past four years have been made for the betterment of our schools and in keeping with the federal and state mandates that must be met in order to continue receiving funding. I do not feel that I can criticize any actions taken by the board since I was not present to hear or know all that was involved when decisions were made. I can only promise that, if elected, I will do everything in my power to use the knowledge I have and my voice to help make the best decisions possible for its schools.
POLLARD: No answer.
WADDELL: As I am not aware of mistakes made, one area of concern is loss of experienced teaching personnel and the need for positive retention strategies within budgetary constraints. We need to retain good people.
WARD: We all make mistakes each day. We try to make positive decisions. I can’t recall any big mistakes.
What will you bring to the school board for the next four years?
HERRING: I will be a voice for the people, a dedicated servant and most of all a good listener so I can make the best decisions for the children of Columbus County.
HOOD: I will take the appropriate steps necessary to make our schools a safer place to learn. I will also personally request each school’s progress to help target areas that need change. I will also introduce new ideas to encourage school enrollment and lower drop out rates.
JOHNSON: I will bring my numerous years of experience, my proactive attitude for improvement and my desire to make Columbus County School System the best it can be.
SCOTT: As a member of the school board, I will bring with me my skills and willingness to work with others for the good of all of our schools. I have knowledge of the educational process and a sense of fairness that should serve me well as a board member. I also offer diversity to help widen the perspective of an all male board.
POLLARD: New ideals to better the schools and ways to find and keep quality teachers.
WADDELL: I will dedicate my time and energy to meetings and community support. I will listen with an open mind and participate in sound, competent decision making. I will promote the school board in a positive manner.
WARD: Twelve years of experience. Good working relationship with board.
In light of recent events involving the Columbus County commissioners, what are your feelings on open meetings and the present financial compensation ($6,000 annually) for school board members?
HERRING: It is our responsibility to be open and accessible to all the voters of Columbus County. I realize that there are certain matters that must be kept confidential, but accessibility generally yields understanding. In regards to the compensation, I understand that the present compensation package was voted on in 1998 and I believe it is more than adequate.
HOOD: Meetings by the county commissioners should be open to the public except for meetings that would not break the law; for example, privacy laws employees have that deal with their employment. School board members’ compensation is half the cost of most elected county positions and I am proud of that.
JOHNSON: Open meetings have always been a policy of our school board. We only use closed sessions to discuss personnel and legal matters as required by the laws of North Carolina. Considering the amount of time involved in meetings and extra curricular activities, I feel that the compensation is fair; however I am elected to serve the students of Columbus County and that is my first priority.
SCOTT: In light of the recent events involving the Columbus County Commissioners, I have the same feeling about open meetings that I have always had. Citizens need to be concerned about what others do on their behalf and should always be able to attend public meetings, as long as interest is not aimed at disruption. When I filed to run for the school board I had no idea that there was financial compensation for serving. I consider the job as one of community service.
POLLARD: No answer.
WADDELL: I believe that open meetings are necessary for community input, information, involvement and support on applicable topics. When I decided to run for school board monetary compensation was not, and still is not, a consideration. I do not have an opinion about current compensation for school board members.
WARD: I think we all should abide by the open meeting rules. The public has the right to know. I do not serve on the board for the compensation. We pay 100 percent of our insurance and only get $560 per month with no travel expense. We travel to schools across county for meetings each month.
What are the school system’s biggest needs and how will you address those?
HERRING: With our facilities reaching the average age of 40 years, I feel that replacing or remodeling schools is one of our biggest challenges. Hopefully, the new lottery, along with funds from the state, can help. Also, we need to address the issue of adequate instructional supplies. With the dedication of our teachers, we need to provide them with the materials they need to do the best job possible.
HOOD: The biggest need of the school system is obviously our children’s education, hands down.
If I had to address another issue, our school buildings need to be renovated to at least meet the minimum requirements set forth by North Carolina state building codes.
JOHNSON: The biggest need we face presently is for improvement and renovation of our facilities. These needs will be met in part with funds received from the N.C. Education Lottery.
SCOTT: All school systems have tremendous needs at this time in our country’s history. We are being forced to participate in a federal education program that may or may not meet the educational needs of our children and we are faced with an economy that is less than optimal for education.
We need to have economic growth in our county so that the tax base can be increased and we can have more money for education. In order to have good economic growth we need to have good schools. It behooves us all to come together and work for the good of all. We can no longer afford to educate our children and have them be forced to move away to make a living.
POLLARD: Quality education for every student.
WADDELL: I believe that our greatest need is in facility improvement. We need to continue to improve facilities and plan for maintaining existing facilities adequately.
WARD: Better school buildings, and a better environment for our kids to learn in. With Columbus County being a low wealth county, we are going to have to rely on the lottery money to repair some of our 75-year-old buildings.
Last word:
HERRING: Being accessible, being a good listener and willing to work with others is my definition of a good school board member. Through the years I have learned the importance of these and what a difference it has made in my life. The desire to serve is a prerequisite of my Christian faith. I believe I have all the attributes needed to be a good servant for the Columbus County Board of Education. Given the opportunity, I believe we can make a difference.
HOOD: My campaign is concentrated around “Ready for a Change?” I would like to be a positive participant to these changes such as the recruitment of qualified and motivated teachers, promote teacher retention, and encourage more parental involvement.
Positive changes like these will determine the success of our school’s educating potential.
JOHNSON: I would like to thank the citizens of Columbus County for their continued support, and also the central administration, principals, teachers and all other school personnel for their dedication and hard work.
SCOTT: If elected I will give everything I have to see that our schools become the best in the state and even the country – not because we have the highest test scores but because we do the best job of providing each and every student with a viable education appropriate and commensurate with his/her abilities.
POLLARD: None.
WADDELL: The overall interest in the educational opportunities of children drives my vision to become a school board member. In addition, I have three daughters attending two of our county schools. The decisions, in which I participate, will consider the interests of all children in the Columbus County School System.
WARD: Our School Board has worked very hard and has a great working relationship to see that children get a good education. We have some of the state’s best teachers here in Columbus County and we have a great administrative staff.
