The Shadow
WARM SPRINGS — Candidates for the Millboro vacancy on the Bath County School Board were interviewed Tuesday evening.
Jessica Forbes and Jeff Grimm were asked a series of questions by current school board members during a meeting at the School Administration Building.
Prior to the meeting, the school board held a budget work session.
Forbes and Grimm are interested in the Millboro seat on the school board that was vacated following the resignation of Bryan Secoy in January. One will serve the remainder of Secoy’s term which runs through the end of 2019. All five seats on the board will be up for grabs in the November election.
Both candidates attended Bath County schools and both have children who attend Millboro Elementary School.
“I’m very interested in the education at Millboro,”?said Forbes, outlining why she wanted to serve on the school board.
She was also asked about the role of a school board member.
“It would be to help with the decisions that affect the school system and that affect our children,”?she said.
Forbes said safety of children is the top challenge facing school officials today. She also discussed her personal involvement with education in the community.
“Essentially, I’m a very detail-oriented person,”?she said. “I?do like to look at things as a whole.”
Another question posed by the school board dealt with long-term priorities for Bath County Public Schools.
“Really, just ensuring that we are giving our kids the absolute best opportunities that we can to succeed,”?Forbes said.
Both candidates were asked if their employment would affect their ability to serve on the school board.
Forbes, who holds a job with the federal government in Covington, said her work schedule would not affect her role on the school board.
“It should not inhibit me in any way to perform my school board functions,”?she said.
“I am a very original person, a detailed person,”?Forbes said. “I’m not coming in with an agenda.”
Grimm, a deputy with the Bath County Sheriff’s Office, has three children who attend Millboro Elementary School.
“I?want to make sure that we keep the school system strong, keep it in place, keep it moving in the right direction,”?he said.
Grimm also discussed the role of a school board member.
“It’s to set the course of what education is going to be in the county,”?he said.
Grimm said he frequently visits all three Bath County schools. He said school officials today are faced with the challenge of constantly adhering to numerous state and federal guidelines.
“You have to color inside of those lines,”?he said. “I have been involved for many, many years in local government. I?feel like I could hit the ground running, because I do understand those processes.”
Unfunded mandates are the biggest challenge facing the school system today, Grimm said.
“I?think it is a tragedy,”?he said. “I?think it’s unfair. You figure out a way to fall into compliance and do the best that you can with what you have.”
Grimm said he would place an emphasis on vocational training for students and adults. He said he envisions a partnership with the board of supervisors that would provide opportunities in fields such as nursing and welding.
He cited small class sizes as a strength in Bath County Public Schools, while athletics were a weakness. He said coaches in the school system should partner with youth league coaches to “set the tone” for athletics from youth programs to the high school level.
Grimm said the school board should advertise for teachers who could also coach.
“I?think that would be a huge benefit,”?he said.
Grimm said his work schedule would not affect his ability to attend school board functions.
“I?will always attend every meeting that I?am required to attend,”?he said. “I?have good support at home; I?have good support at the office. I?will do what is expected of me.”
Interview questions were posed by school board members Rhonda Grimm, Eddie Ryder and Cathy Lowry. Roy Burns did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.
“I’d like to thank both of you for coming out,”?Ryder said. “I’m happy that we’ve got people interested in the school board.”
“I?would thank you both for being involved with your children,”?Lowry added.
Rhonda Grimm said the school board is composed of five members who sometimes have differing opinions.
“We’ve had to agree to disagree, but we try to do it respectfully,”?she said.
“That’s the secret:?Listening to what everybody has to say,”?Ryder added.
Grimm said that it is best to approach a position on the school board without trying to micromanage.
“I?really appreciate your enthusiasm,”?she said.
The school board has scheduled a Wednesday, Feb. 27, meeting at the School Administration Building to consider the appointment to the Millboro seat.
