WILKINSON — The three candidates for Eastern Hancock School board praised the district’s efforts at improving security, but they were cautious about the idea of guns in classrooms as they faced voters during a wide-ranging forum on Thursday night.
About 40 people crowded into the Wilkinson Volunteer Fire Department for the forum, which was sponsored by League of Women Voters of Hancock County. The candidates — incumbent Michael Lewis and challengers Tammy Stunda and Alan Craney — answered questions for almost 90 minutes. The topics ranged from air conditioning in the high school gym (a good idea, but probably too expensive for now, all agreed) to transfer students (good for revenue, but possibly at the expense of small classes, they said.)
On the topic of arming teachers, all three seemed to agree other solutions for improving safety should be explored first.
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Having a gun in a classroom isn’t a pleasant thought, but when it comes to the safety of students, no measure should be left out of consideration, Craney said. In that case, allowing teachers to be armed is an avenue that could be explored, he said.
Stunda said allowing teachers to have access to firearms is a difficult subject, because there isn’t a one-size-fits-all safety solution for any given school. Eastern Hancock already has an excellent safety program, and any new policies would have to be written while considering the unique situation of Eastern Hancock schools, she said.
Lewis, who is running for a second term on the board, said the school system already has detailed safety procedures. He said the procedures in place hopefully make it unnecessary for teachers to need weapons.
The candidates, answering questions submitted by the audience, used the occasion to tout their qualifications.
Lewis said the learning curve that comes along with serving on the school board is steep, and it takes more than a single term to truly understand the complexities of the job, he said. Board members have three primary duties: Keeping the superintendent accountable, managing budgets and managing school policies, he said. His said his best asset is his experience navigating multiple opinions to find the best way to represent the citizens he works for. He strives to give students the safest and most efficient learning environment possible, he said.
“We’re only paid $2,000 a year to do our job,” Lewis reminded the crowd. “We really just focus on our needs. If something’s not broke, then we’re not going to fix it. We have some of the best teachers and staff in the county; We wouldn’t be a four-star, grade A building if we didn’t have that.”
Stunda said her experience working with large budgets in her career has prepared her for the financial challenges the school system faces. As a volleyball coach, she said she has a more personal perspective on how to best serve the community.
As an example, she cited the issue of air conditioning in the high school gym. That was not a priority of hers before, she said. But after recently watching three of her players nearly pass out from heat exhaustion in the hot gym, she has changed her mind.
“It’s understandable to see why there’s value in serving your community through the school board system,” Stunda said. “And I think now is a good time in my life for me to try and get more involved.”
Craney, a businessman and auctioneer, said his professional experience as a “people person” will serve him well if elected to the school board. The organization could greatly benefit from one of his greatest strengths, which he said is finding common ground during conflict resolution.
“In my job, it’s tough to keep everybody happy,” Craney said. “But when people have problems, they come to me.”
“But no matter whether it’s myself or them, someone who’s genuine and good is going to be on this board. no matter who it is,” he added. “Eastern’s going in the right direction.”
