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The May 8 primary election will decide which of eight candidates will fill three seats on the Brooke County Board of Education.
The eight candidates in the nonpartisan race are Chris Byers of Weirton; incumbent Pamela Dudley of Wellsburg; Stacy Hooper of Colliers; Jamie Lancaster of Colliers; Jim Lazear of Wellsburg; Ted Pauls of Bethany; Ralph Smith of Wellsburg; and Andy Williams of Follansbee.
Board member Mike Simon, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Chad Haught last year, has chosen not to run for his seat.
The winners of the three seats may be from the Follansbee, Wellsburg or Weirton magisterial districts. But no more than one candidate from the Wellsburg and Follansbee districts may win the election because there is one resident from each district on the board who isn’t up for election.
Voters may select candidates from any district and aren’t limited to those in the district where they live.
Byers is regional director for Pinnacle Treatment Centers, overseeing 18 addiction treatment centers and has worked in addiction treatment and counseling since 1995.
His administrative experience has included managing more than than 500 employees, budgeting, community engagement, policy development and compliance oversight. He has been treasurer of the West Virginia Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors, president of the Family Connections board and president of the Brooke Girls Basketball Boosters.
Byers said if elected, he’d push for transparency for decision making that involves public’s tax dollars; ensure consistent curriculum requirements through a student’s four years of high school and work to improve communication between the board and school personnel and the community.
In her fourth year on the school board, Dudley is a retired teacher, having taught at Wellsburg Middle School for 35 years and received several awards for her efforts. She was volunteer coordinator and tutor for the free Homework Assistance program at Henderson Chapel AME for 18 years.
Dudley said, if re-elected, she would facilitate a smooth merging of the county’s middle schools into one and of its primary schools into four; ensure students, teachers and educational projects benefit from the sale of the closed schools; and see that teachers have the training and resources needed to provide a quality education.
“Our students must be prepared for the future, whether going to college, in the vocational area or the service industries. It’s our responsibility to see they are ready for potential local, national or global opportunities,” Dudley said.
A special education teacher for Marshall County Schools, Hooper has a master’s degree in education and is certified in several grade and subject areas. She has attained certification for principal and superintendent through Franciscan University of Steubenville and is working toward a master’s degree in administration.
Hooper said if elected, she would ensure students, teachers and administrators feel free to express themselves without fear of retribution; teachers are “armed” with resources to prevent school violence, not guns; and push for the restoration of the four-year grade structure in the primary schools.
Lancaster has been a medical technologist for more than 25 years and has worked as an epidemiologist for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. She has been health and wellness coordinator for the West Virginia PTA, and has written grants, including one that provided new playground equipment at Colliers Primary School.
She said if elected, she would work with others to strengthen school programs; push for instruction in life skills, such as balancing checkbooks and filing taxes; and ensure schools offer a safe, high-tech environment that prepares students for the future, whether that be college, trade school or the job market.
In his eighth year on the board, Lazear has more than 30 years of experience in business in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico and is logistics manager for Waldorf Distributing.
He said if re-elected, he’d continue to provide teachers with the most up-to-date materials for students, improve test scores by holding teachers accountable for them and encourage everyone “to come back together as a county and bring back the Bruin Pride we all shared not long ago.”
A college professor for 25 years, Pauls is chairman of Wheeling Jesuit University’s business department and has been a corporate marketing director, Bethany councilman, member of the Brooke County solid waste authority, church trustee and PTA president.
He said if elected, he’d work to restore the county’s primary schools as four-year schools instead of serving grades K-2 or 3-4 as planned for this fall, and support programs that will prepare students for various fields, including the arts and science, technology, engineering and math.
Smith worked as an independent contractor for 20 years before serving as Brooke High School’s building construction instructor for 10 years, during which he involved his students various community projects.
He was president of the Brooke County chapter of the American Federation of Teachers and served on its state executive board until his retirement in 2016.
Smith said, “I support art and music in the schools and vocational education. I believe in education first, sports second. I believe the board of education needs a change and I’m committed to making that change.”
An employee of American Muscle Docks & Fabrication, Williams has an associate degree in medical assisting and is working toward certification as a registered nurse.
He said if elected, he would improve communication between the board and public about important decisions before it, pursue measures to reduce bullying in the schools and encourage the board to consider mandatory drug testing for school employees because they should be role models for students.
Last year the Brooke County school board moved to merge the county’s seven primary schools, closing three, citing declining enrollment and revenue. Each candidate was asked how school boards may address those issues.
“Closing schools makes a community look disinvested. You can increase your revenue from the tax base of drawing new residents to the community, identifying grants and matching dollars to maximize the revenue you have, or to have the support of the community through levies, bonds or other fundraising efforts to increase revenue. The other alternative is strong fiscal management to maximize your most valuable asset, the human resources that make up the system,” he said.
Dudley said, “Being the fiscal stewards of Brooke County Schools, we have to make the most of what we’re allotted in a fair and legal manner. We can address this issue by applying for more grants and soliciting ideas from businesses, community organizations and parents.”
“If and when new jobs come into Brooke County, hopefully the employees will bring their families to our county and enroll their children in Brooke County schools.”
Hooper said the mergers may hurt the school district. She said many parents in the Weirton area and others plan to take their children out of Brooke County schools, which would reduce state funding to the county.
Hooper said she would push for Colliers Primary School to remain open, noting it’s close in size to Hooverson Heights Primary School and newer than that building. She said cuts should be made to other areas before teachers or service personnel.
Lancaster said the board should “work with the community and promote Brooke county schools to new businesses and organizations coming into the county. Having an excellent school system can be a selling point to bring more people to the area, increasing both enrollment and revenue. The school board can address the declining revenue by assuring effective management of resources, being more conscious of spending and eliminate unnecessary purchases,” she said.
Lazear said, “Population dictates enrollment so the only thing we can do as an education system is give the utmost education for the students that are enrolled and not lose any students we have due to our failure to give them a proper education. We should keep within budget, saving money when possible, and still focus on providing the best education we can give our children. ”
Pauls said the board should “stop making cuts at the expense of students and teachers. The classroom is the last place cuts should be made. We need to look at administrative costs.”
Williams said the drop in enrollment could be the result of “something as simple as families moving to change jobs or it could be because of internal factors within the school system that families are not happy with. If that is the case, the board needs to be getting their input on what they feel needs changed. We need to remember the board is there to be the voice of the community and the path of the future for our students.”
(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)