Debate offers glimpse of Fayetteville School Board candidates

FAYETTEVILLE -- Three candidates for the Zone 2 seat on the Fayetteville School Board spent an hour Friday giving insight into their personalities and views on a variety of topics, including hiring a superintendent, business partnerships and sex education.

The debate was organized by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. About 40 people from the community and School District attended.

Phil Jones

Residency: Fayetteville, since 2007

Family: Wife, Janis; two adult children

Employment: Adjunct professor, owner of business consulting firm

Education: Master’s of business administration, University of Arkansas; bachelor of science, construction management, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Military experience: None

Political experience: Five-year term Benton School Board, 2000-2005; School Board president, Benton School District, 2005; Two-year term on Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

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Bob Maranto

Residency: Fayetteville, since 2008

Family: Wife, April; two children

Employment: Professor

Education: Bachelor of science in political science, University of Maryland, 1980; doctorate in political science, University of Minnesota, 1989

Military experience: None

Political experience: Elected in 1978 to Republican County Central Committee in Anne Arundel, Md. Served three years

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Jeanne Champagne

Residency: Fayetteville, since 2014

Family: Husband, Dennis; four children

Employment: Owner of a business consulting firm

Education: Attended University of Arkansas and University of Phoenix

Military experience: None

Political experience: None

Early voting begins Tuesday. The election is Sept. 15.

Bryn Bagwell, the current Zone 2 School Board member, chose not to seek re-election. The candidates who want to replace her for a five-year term are Jeanne Champagne, a small business owner; Phil Jones, owner of a business consulting firm and adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas and Ecclesia College; and Bob Maranto, a University of Arkansas professor.

Kathy Wade, a Zone 2 resident who's on the board of the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation, knows Maranto, but she attended the debate to get to know the other candidates. She desires a School Board member whose only agenda is putting the interest of children first.

"I still haven't decided," Wade said.

Bagwell said Superintendent Paul Hewitt has done an excellent job, but said one of the most important issues the candidates could face on the School Board would be to choose a new superintendent when Hewitt decides to step down. Hewitt is a long-time educator.

Champagne said she would look forward to being a part of that process and would want to spend time talking to applicants.

"I would want to know what their experience is," Champagne said.

Jones spent five years on Benton's School Board before moving to Fayetteville in 2006. His family joined him in 2007 when they bought a house.

While serving in Benton, Jones was involved in replacing the superintendent there and developed criteria for choosing a superintendent to guide him when interviewing candidates.

"Both Benton and Fayetteville people love their schools," Jones said. "They want to see people from the schools out in the community."

Maranto said he would value characteristics such as integrity, a willingness to reach out to people and confidence in evaluating candidates. He initially would be interested in looking at candidates internally and from within 20 to 40 miles of the School District.

He also would rely on the judgment of Hewitt, who has experience in evaluating superintendent candidates for other districts.

Sarah Thompson, a former school librarian who worked for the School District for 25 years, told the candidates she's concerned about the high rate of teen pregnancy in Arkansas and the incidences of sexually transmitted diseases. Thompson asked whether they agree with comprehensive sex education or support abstinence-only sex education.

Jones and Champagne said they believe in abstinence-only policies.

Maranto, who has children who attend Fayetteville schools, thought his children were receiving a well-rounded view of sex education and not an abstinence-only point of view.

Thompson is interested in working with the School District to craft comprehensive, medically accurate education on sexual health as chairman of the Planned Parenthood Voters for Arkansas, she said. She isn't basing her choice on that one issue, though, she said.

"I'm not sure who is the best choice for this," Thompson said.

Brenda Gullett, a Fayetteville resident and former State Board of Education member, wanted to know the candidates' views on building partnerships with businesses and to learn what to tweak in preparing students who will join the workforce.

"I personally believe the consumer of public education is business," she said.

Maranto said he would want to build a culture of working with external partners, including businesses and the university.

Jones said he would be interested in having conversations with businesses to ask for their help and to understand their needs.

Champagne said she would want to talk to current business partners for their thoughts on strategies.

NW News on 09/05/2015

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