Ringgold school board candidates answer questions at voters’ forum
Three incumbents and two other candidates participated in the event.
Ringgold school board candidates gathered Monday to answer questions from community members at a “Meet the Candidates” event hosted by the Washington County League of Women Voters.
Held at the Monongahela Fire Department, it attracted more than a dozen community members. Out of six expected candidates, five came to the event and answered questions.
It was a panel-style discussion, with the moderator reading a question and allowing each candidate to answer. The moderator was Bracken Burns, who is a part of LWV.
Running for an at-large seat on the board are Heather Dougherty, Sherrie Crawley Garry, Sarah Fine and Gene Kennedy. Garry did not attend Monday’s event.
Also participating were Region 1 candidate Paul Mountain and Region 2 candidate Carol Flament.
Mountain, Fine and Flament are incumbents, as is Garry.
Burns asked the candidates to introduce themselves, share their credentials and values and explain why they are running for school board. He then asked what they would want to change or begin if they are elected.
Dougherty
Dougherty lives in Union Township and is a mining engineer for the U.S. Department of Energy. She has a daughter who attends school in the district.
“Three of the top priorities I’d like to see is to improve student achievement measured through growth data, engagement metrics shared with the teachers and the staff,” she said. “And I think part of that is looking at our numbers in the sense of staff and teachers to help. We need to look at what we’re paying teachers so we can be competitive in this area and retain teachers.
“I’d like to build transparency and trust in the community so and that would be measured by improved communication and community satisfaction.”
Fine
Fine was born and raised in Carroll Township and is a Ringgold alumnus. She attended college briefly and has held many jobs with some involving home care and nursing. Fine has children who attend the school district.
“More than anything, I would like to see the sitting board be able to come together and look at the giant picture that is the Ringgold School District, and go from there on making appropriate changes for issues that arise throughout each school year,” she said. “I think transparency is very important. I think if we are going to raise a tax that we should let that be known ahead of time, and if there are programs out there that could help the people that are going to be affected by that tax change. I think that we should supply that information.”
Flament
Flament was born and raised in the Monongahela area and is a business owner in the city. Flament said she is level- headed and wants to see the best for the children of the district.
“I personally would like to see us get the cell phone under control,” Flament said. “Kids not having their cell phone, video, whatever, and playing on their phone. I don’t know how we do it, get the bags, turn their phones in, but I think the phones are a distraction to our kids’ education, and I’m all for the safety and security of our children, our staff. I’d like to see bullying stopped all the way, however we can do it.”
Flament agrees with other candidates about salaries in the district and needing to be more competitive with pay.
Kennedy
Kennedy is an area native who is retired from Peoples Natural Gas. He was formerly on the board of the Mon Valley Career and Technology Center.
“The main thing is the wages for the teachers,” he said. “Can’t retain teachers. We’re like a farm for other districts. They come for a couple of years, get a little bit of experience, and move on for better pay. And we can’t blame them for that. But, you know, it’s all about the taxes.”
Kennedy would want to keep taxes steady, work on getting bus drivers for the district and provide more options for students, including technical schools.
Mountain
Mountain lives in Carroll Township and currently has grandchildren in the district.
“I would like to increase starting pay for the new teachers so we can attract more qualified teachers with a better starting wage that could definitely alleviate some of the shortages in that area,” he said. “Fuel goes up, food goes up, wages go up. And you’re battling every district in this area, battling Belle Vernon. You’re battling Elizabeth Forward, Charleroi, Monessen, Bentworth, all these districts competing for the same individuals, whether it be bus drivers, maintenance workers, custodians, food cafeteria workers, teachers, administrators. I mean, we have to do something in order to attract more qualified individuals.”
Mountain also wants to enforce district policies better.
Management of books
A significant question for the panel was about the increasing effort to monitor and regulate what books are available to school students and what some of the candidates might consider inappropriate books.
Kennedy stated that such a decision should be aided by the input from the community, district administration, and teachers. Kennedy said it also depends on the community, and that some curriculum guidelines might not fit a certain school district.
Fine, Mountain and Flament said the district monitors what types of books are available to students. Fine said students are mostly accessing things online and that district buildings have a lower number of books.
Dougherty said age-appropriate books should be available to students. She highlighted that she’s learned through her daughter that laptops that are provided to students in the district are monitored, which she appreciates.
