Over the years, as the budget for the HCSD has steadily increased, and the number of students in the district has steadily decreased, people seem to have gotten complacent about the school district and its budget. Many remember what happened back in 2011, when the voters soundly rejected the proposed budget, which was then $41,249,180, but the budget, which represented a 12.6 percent increase, was adopted anyway. Interest in education seems to have taken the form of various after-school and community mentoring programs that have appeared in the past decade with the goal of scaffolding and enhancing students' educational experience, but willingness to get involved in the oversight of the public school system seems to have waned. Last year, there were two openings on the school board, and only two candidates willing to serve. This year, there are three openings on the school board, and only one candidate. The one candidate is Willette Jones, who was one of the two candidates who ran last year and who is currently also challenging Abdus Miah in the Democratic primary to be the county supervisor representing the Second Ward.
What having three openings and only one candidate means that at least two school board members and possibly all three will be elected by write-in votes. In 2007, Peter Meyer was elected to the school board with 92 write-in votes. In 2016, the one candidate now seeking re-election to the school, Willette Jones, was herself elected by write-in votes.
Gossips is unaware of anyone mounting a write-in campaign to be elected to the HCSD Board of Education. If anyone has knowledge of such a campaign, I would like to help spread the word.
COPYRIGHT 2019 CAROLE OSTERINK
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