Voters last week had their first chances to get a close look at three candidates running for two seats on the Fayette Board of Education. While two-term incumbent Skip Vandelicht is well known to many here, challengers Aaron Cunningham and Ray Snider are new to the public eye. All three answered prepared questions and queries from the standing-room-only audience in a forum held at the high school library on Tuesday, March 25, hosted by the Association of Women for Education (AWE) and moderated by Fayette Optimist Club officer Sean Pridgeon.

The two candidates with the highest vote totals on Tuesday, April 8, will win seats on the board, which meets on the third Wednesday of every month except for July. The board’s April meeting will be held on Monday, April 14, to comply with state law that requires the BOE to reorganize within 14 days of the election. The board’s other incumbent, Matt Hudson, is not running for re-election. He previously served for two terms and was later re-appointed to the seven-member board to fill the seat vacated by Kristen Gibbs, who resigned when she moved outside the district.

The three candidates hail from a variety of backgrounds. Mr. Vandelicht served as band director in Fayette for 31 years before becoming Director of Bands at Central Methodist University. He has served as BOE president for five of his six years on the board. Mr. Vandelicht’s wife was also a career teacher in Fayette, and his daughter is currently an elementary teacher here.

Mr. Cunningham is the father of five children who attend Fayette schools. A chiropractor by trade, he expanded his business to Fayette and later relocated his family here from Columbia, primarily due to the school system. He also said he wanted a community where his family could grow roots after he and his wife grew up with parents in the military, which meant frequent moves.

“Our children were entering middle school in Columbia, and we wanted a good school for our children,” said Mr. Cunningham in his opening remarks. “I didn’t ever expect to try to be on the school board, but I figured I have five children from preschool to senior, and I need to get involved to make sure they have a good environment and a good community that they can grow up in.”

Coming from a high school of 2,000 students, Mr. Cunningham also said that the smaller classroom sizes here and the availability to be a part of several sports teams and extra-curricular activities were an attraction.

Mr. Snyder and his wife adopted three children from their time working at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries in rural Harrisburg. They later moved to Fayette to raise their family. Two of their children are in high school here, one attending half of her classes online.

“I, too, just realized this year I’ve been lacking getting involved myself with a lot of what they have done for schooling. So, I thought that this year would be great for me as well to get into the school board,” Mr. Snyder said in his introduction to the more than 50 people in attendance. He also stressed the idea of inclusivity several times during his answers to questions throughout the forum. “One of the things I’m passionate about for schooling, I love inclusivity. I want to make sure everybody is able to be involved, and they feel included, and they feel safe.”

The first three questions were provided to the three candidates in advance and were concerned with fairly straightforward topics related to the role of board members and the district’s priorities.

As the most experienced of the three candidates, Mr. Vandelicht broke down the expectations of board members. He said members do not dictate curriculum but make and enforce policies, procedures, and rules, as well as supervise and evaluate the superintendent and approve the district’s yearly budgets.

“We have to have the funds to do the things that we need to do for our students. We’re responsible for making good decisions on how to spend the dollars that we have. I feel like, in my mind, those things are very important to the people who have elected us that we take care of their money, the tax money, and that we’re able to spend that wisely,” Mr. Vandelicht said. “And we have to be looking forward because, in this day, we aren’t sure what’s going to happen on the state or federal level with funding. It is very tentative year to year. So, as we plan, we make a long-range plan, and then we follow through with that plan as best we can and make adjustments when it happens. I think if we have high-quality teachers with good resources, that will go a long way to a great education for our students.”

All three candidates said that the students should come first when making decisions as a board. However, they also stressed the need for teachers and staff to have the resources needed to be effective and keep them in a profession where fewer college graduates are entering.

Mr. Cunningham included district administration in that equation as well. “They need to feel supported from the community as well as the school board. And one thing that I feel like I can bring into the school board is the angle as a parent, but also as a community member a business owner, and to make sure that as a board member, we can bring open ears to the community.”

All three candidates echoed one other regarding keeping teacher salaries and benefits competitive and stressed the need for a good environment to help attract the best teachers. Mr. Vandelicht said that in the last few years, the board and the administration have put a lot of effort into improving the culture and climate of the schools within the district.

Mr. Snyder acknowledged the different types of education his children receive. While his son attends high school in person, his daughter attends about half of her classes online. “She’s actually half-day here and half-day online, which is great because the school was able to set that up for her and help her get in that just because that’s what she preferred. While she really likes her teachers that she has at school, she also loves the independence that she got from doing the work on her own.”

Mr. Snyder also complimented the district on the sports and activities available to students throughout the year. “I’ve seen a change in how my son conducts himself at home just from his last year on the basketball team,” he said.

One question from the audience asked how the board should promote parent engagement within the district. Mr. Cunningham said sports and extra-curricular activities allow parents to mingle and create friendships and bonds. Mr. Snyder suggested parents harness social media platforms by sharing what the school posts to further promote the activities of the district. Mr. Vandelicht said the district has several avenues available for parents to become more involved, such as booster clubs. He also wants parents to become more engaged with their students at home, particularly those of elementary-aged kids, by helping with homework and reading.

One criticism expressed by a parent in the audience was that expectations are not consistently established for either parents or students. All agreed that expectations should be set at the start of every class. Mr. Vandelicht said there is a definite chain of command, and the board can encourage administrators to discuss the matter with their teachers to set those expectations. He also urged parents to ask teachers if they’re unsure. Mr. Cunningham suggested teachers establish a class syllabus. Mr. Snyder said keeping a line of communication open between parents and teachers is important.

Following the question-and-answer session, several of those in attendance took time to visit personally with the three candidates.

Howard County Clerk Shelly Howell predicts a less than 15 percent voter turnout countywide for Tuesday’s elections. Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. A list of polling places and sample ballots appears on Page 9 of this newspaper.