9/25/14 - The six candidates vying for the three open seats on the Brighton Area Board of Education took part in a forum at Scranton Middle School last night. About four dozen people attended the event, which posed about half a dozen questions to the candidates, who got two minutes to answer each one. The debaters included incumbents John Conely and Miles Vieau as well as Ken Stahl, Andy Burchfield, Jerilyn Gilleylen, and David Chesney. The incumbents touted the efforts of the board to reign in the districtâs deficit, which is slated for elimination this year. Conely said that in the past the teacherâs union had a grip on the districtâs administration, which gave away more than could be afforded. That was backed up by Vieau, who said that he was committed to never going back to a situation in which the district was spending more than it received in revenues. Chesney gave the current board members kudos for handling the budget deficit, which is expected to be eliminated by the end of the current school year. But he said the district lacks a long-term vision and there was a need to put policies and practices in place to do that. Gilleylen said she wanted to be âan instrumentâ in creating a positive image for the school board while helping the district become a leader in the state. Burchfield stressed security issues and continuing to provide the district with adequate preparation for all possibilities, while still maintaining a realistic budget outlook. Stahl said heâd like to see more technical education in the district as not everyone is âbook smart,â but can still have productive careers if given the right training. In addition to the histories provided in their opening statements, candidates were asked about relevant topics like charter schools, teachersâ unions, and the role of school board members. The candidates will square off in November for the open seats, all of which have four-year terms. The district is planning to put the full audio of the meeting on YouTube sometime this week. (TD/JK)
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