FORTVILLE – About 25 people attended a public forum Wednesday night to hear from the five candidates vying for three at-large seats on the Mt. Vernon School Board.
The forum was hosted by the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation, moderated by its executive director, Renee Oldham.
Among the candidates are current school board members Meghan Britt, Phil Edwards and Chad Gray, and two challengers, Jamie Kalb and Stacy Nielsen.
Both Kalb and Nielsen have said this is their first political race.
Oldham said the forum is essential in that it provides a the public direct access to hear exactly where the candidates stand on various issues.
“I think it’s very important for the community to be engaged in the process because it directly impacts everyone that lives in our county, regardless of if they have students that attend Mt. Vernon schools or not,” she said.
“Our students are the future workforce. We are creating the pipeline of future employees, should they chose to reside and live in our community, so from that perspective what the schools do has a big impact on the community,” she said.
Having a stellar school system also impacts local home values and quality of life, she said.
The candidates agreed on many of the issues raised at the forum, including what the school district is doing well.
At one point, Oldham asked them what goals they would like to see the school board accomplish in the future, given the district’s expected growth and limited financial resources.
Nielsen said continuing to emphasize open and transparent communication to families and the district at large should remain a top priority.
“Good communication and relationships with the community at large will continue to foster that familial feel that Mt. Vernon has established,” she said, adding that focusing on career readiness through the future Amplify Hancock learning center is also essential.
Britt said the school board would be best served by focusing on its recently updated strategic plan, which lays out the goals for the corporation.
“We spent the last few years gathering a team together to talk about what our goals were for our school district in developing a three- to five-year plan,” she said.
“Some of the things we highlighted was a high quality education for all of our kids. It’s a huge goal for all of us,” Britt said, adding that school safety and security is also a top priority.
Edwards agreed and pointed out that while it’s sad to have to discuss what type of glass to put in the new elementary school windows, those types of discussions are essential.
“There’s been a lot of discussion over the last four years on how can we keep our students safe,” he said, adding that school safety should always be paramount.
He also emphasized the importance of proper planning for future growth, and Gray agreed.
“The thing I want us to think of as a district going into the future is, we need to be a district that maintains our seat in the driver’s seat,” said Gray.
“We are a district that is ahead of the curve in the opportunities and the expectations and the outcomes that we have for our students, and we need to continue to position ourselves in that way. I think that models are out there that we are following, and the opportunities that we are providing are tremendous, and we have to continue to do that,” he said.
As a former teacher, Kalb said she’s place a high priority on addressing teacher burnout, and keeping class sizes small to maintain a conducive learning environment.
“I’ve been that teacher who had 36-40 students in a classroom,” she said, adding that small class sizes set both students and teachers up for success.
She also emphasized the importance of supporting and retaining quality teachers.
“It’s crucial to support educators to make sure they retain their passion and commitment to their role,” she said.
