Fayetteville school board candidates participate in second debate
Posted on Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The two candidates in the Fayetteville School District Board of Education's at-large position 2 race and half of the six candidates in the at-large position 1 race attended a second candidates forum Tuesday.
The forum was taped in the Board Room at the Adams Leadership Center and was facilitated by Carolyn Long. It was broadcast live on the Education Channel.
Among the questions Long asked position 2 candidates Susan Heil and Jim McGinty was a request to respond to the criticism that the school board does not make timely decisions.
Heil, a seven-year incumbent, noted that question seems to refer to the ongoing debate about the future of the high school. She said the future of the school is a major decision that should not be rushed.
She said the board will be exploring its options shortly to move forward, given that the University of Arkansas recently withdrew an offer to buy the property on which the current high school campus sits.
The board had hoped to sell the facility to help subsidize new construction at another site.
McGinty said while it is important to be responsive to concerns, operating the school district is like running a large corporation given its annual budget and the number of district employees.
"You've got to make decisions in a timely manner," he said.
McGinty said he would like to move forward with a plan for a new facility at the current location, 40 acres in the 1000 block of West Stone Street, saying he views that as the best option.
For the at-large position 1 debate, candidates Stacy Furlow, Conrad Odom and Jim Halsell attended. Candidates who were unable to attend were Jeanie Hill, Joe Lee and Mike Malony.
On the high school, Furlow said she wants to find develop a building "that meets 21 stcentury skills"and is the best fiscal option for taxpayers. Developing the right building that is conducive to learning might be more important than location, she said.
"I believe the location is not the primary issue," she said.
Odom, who was appointed to the position two months ago after board member John Delap resigned, said he looks forward to making a decision soon.
"With the university offer off the table, I think the decision is now ready to be made," Odom said.
"With the university offer off the table, we have a facility here that could be updated to world-class, 21 st-century standards," Halsell said. "With also the caveat that I think it's time to start talking about the second high school."
Halsell said to his knowledge, Rogers first started talking about a second high school in 1993. The district opened its second school this year.
The three candidates also said they would like the high school to have a high-end arts center when it is redesigned. They also expressed an interest in expanding prekindergarten programs.
Furlow said prekindergarten might "pay for itself"with the benefits it will provide to students and the schools in preparing children for kindergarten.
The candidates gave a summary speech about how they would approach the role of board member.
Odom said he hoped his "experience in getting people together"would be useful, noting he previously dealt with some contentious debates as a City Council member years ago.
"I am going to do what is best for students," Furlow said.
"I put student outcomes first and will make decisions based on that," Halsell said.
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