Board of Ed. Candidate Q&A – Lee Benson

News

Thursday, 25 July 2024 09:10

Each candidate running for public office was asked to answer a set of questions for publication.
Below are answers from candidates running for Scottsboro Board of Education.

1. Why did you decide to run for the school board?
I chose to seek re-election to continue the progress that has been made. Throughout my time as a School Board member, SCS has grown tremendously. These accomplishments could not have been possible without the support and hard work of everyone involved. These improvements include areas of Academic, Fine Arts, Athletics, School Safety/Mental Health, Career-Tech, Employee Salary and Benefits, Partnerships, State/Federal Accountability, Financial (including going from a 2 month operating reserve to a current 5 month operating reserve), and Capital Planning (10 classroom addition and auxiliary gym at Caldwell, artificial turf on BB and SB fields, Football Scoreboard with upgraded sound on it’s way, old lunchroom at Central Office – new roof completed in 2024; new professional development (event) center upgrades ready by Fall 2025), and Coming Soon- (Lt. Gov. Funds pending board approval): Upgrades at Trammell Stadium.

2. What do you see as the biggest issue facing the Scottsboro BOE and how do you intend to solve that issue?
Although much improvement has been made, there is always room for growth. There is never just one issue that any school system faces so it’s important to continue our focus and multifaceted efforts. In saying that though, I will always believe that the safety of our students and staff members is priority. Over the last couple of years, SCS has added camera/ security technology/ door upgrades, entry procedures at all schools, annual training with local emergency responders, threat assessments, ongoing mental health training, tiered behavioral resources, multi-disciplinary decision-making (crisis) teams at all schools, and upgraded camera systems for buses.

3. Do you support the Public Comments Policy enacted by the BOE in March 2024? Why or why not?
I do support the policy and voted yes when the recommendation was brought before the Board. Citizens are always welcome AND encouraged to contact board members with their concerns. Our email addresses are listed on the SCS website and I freely share my phone number. This policy was unanimously voted for in order to protect the dedicated SCS employees from public slander, of which they often endure on social media. Respectfully following a chain of command when addressing concerns or suggestions will more times than not lead to a resolution. The opportunity to address the Board as a whole has not been taken away. But again, I welcome and encourage citizens to contact me at any time.

4. Do you support the proposed SRO agreement between the City of Scottsboro and the BOE? Rather than having 5 part-time officers (2 paid by the City), the BOE will reimburse the City $100,000 per year in salaries/benefits for 2 full-time, city-employed officers instead, in addition to the BOE’s 3 part-time retired Officers.
I had to recuse myself from this particular process involving the Board due to my career with Scottsboro Police Department. The Superintendent and all other Board members negotiated with the Mayor and City Attorney. This is the agreement that both parties (City Council and SCS Board) unanimously voted for. From what I can gather, the City of Scottsboro has paid for 2 full time officers to serve as School Resource Officers within Scottsboro City Schools since around 2005. During the 2019-2020 school year, SCS was able to add 3 retired officers to ensure an SRO at all 5 campuses. In my opinion, changing the funding by the City of Scottsboro would potentially cause risk to the safety of our students and staff by limiting the resources and amount of time that a retired officer could serve. Our retired officers are integral assets to SCS and serve an important purpose. These men and women are top notch! Unfortunately, their time is limited throughout the week BUT we are able to make that work when paired with elementary time schedules. Secondary schools require more time each day for arrival/dismissal and extracurricular activities. Full time SROs have the availability to work these extra events which gives more opportunities to build important connections with our students and their families.