BY DAN HILDEBRAN
During the Republican Party’s Saturday, July 20 candidate forum, Bradford County School Superintendent Will Hartley challenged the claims made in a mailer sent out by his opponent.
Headlining Tracey Kendrick’s mailer was the claim that in 2019, Bradford County was rated 55th out of 67 Florida public school districts and that in 2023, the district had dropped to 62nd.
“But she failed to mention that in 2019, learning gains were a component of district grades, but in 2023, they were not,” Hartley countered. “And she also won’t mention that the 55th ranking was due to the inflated grades at the high school, literally pulling two data points and comparing apples to oranges.”
The superintendent proclaimed that in 2019, the district could only point to one B school and now boasts three, an achievement last notched in 2011.
Hartley then asked his challenger how he would lift Bradford elementary schools to an A grade when the school she now leads, Brookview Elementary in Duval County, has a B grade.
“If all of our elementary schools are going to be a B and your school is a B, how is that better?” he asked. “And if you’re going to do better, what are you going to do differently here that you aren’t currently doing at your own school to make things better?”
Hartley then took another dig at the mailer, which called the superintendent a “former gym teacher and ‘sometimes’ realtor.
“Our educators continue to be disrespected throughout your campaign,” he said, “but I’m extremely proud of our administrators, teachers, parents, all other support staff, and even PE teachers.”
The incumbent also claimed that after taking office, his administration put the district on secure financial footing, allowing the system to raise teacher pay. He also pointed to the construction of Bradford Elementary School, which he said was the first new school within the district in 27 years.
Hartley also argued for continuity in the public school system, saying Bradford County had not re-elected a superintendent in 36 years.
“This school district has to have the consistency that our students and staff deserve,” he said.
I’m a professional educator
When Kendrick took the podium, she emphasized her professional background.
“I personally have taught and led schools for three decades,” she said. “I have the experience in education and…I have held positions ranging from fifth-grade teacher to principal at three different schools in two different districts.”
She also pointed out that she pulled her current school’s grade from a D to a B.
Kendrick then outlined the district and its leader’s shortcomings, saying that four years ago, Bradford Middle School was rated a C, and “four years later, it is a D.”
“The high school graduation rate was 88% in 2019, and with this superintendent, the graduation rate fell to 76% in 2022,” she continued, “one of the lowest in the entire state.”
Kendrick also claimed that after talking to ESE parents, teachers, and former teachers, she was shocked to discover that parents and students were misled about the degree the students would receive upon graduation.
“I have learned. ESE…students and parents thinking their child could graduate high school only to find out that they got a certificate of attendance,” she said. “Students bullied, complaints swept under the rug, and concerns for safety in the class are ignored. Parents shouldn’t have to hire an attorney to force the district to do the right thing for children.”
A third candidate for superintendent also made his pitch to voters.
Alan Bhajan, who is running without party affiliation, briefed the crowd on his childhood in Guyana, his professional training in the U.S., and his return to his South American birthplace to lead a district with 18 high schools and 166 elementary schools with a budget of close to $1.5 billion.
Bhajan added that he taught eighth-grade science at Bradford Middle School for two years.
The candidate also expressed dissatisfaction with the status quo.
“The methods of doing things, the leadership, it’s not working,” he said. “Things have to be transformed.”
Bradford County Commission
Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Bradford County Commission. In District 1, Starke City Commissioner Shannon Smith is challenging incumbent Carolyn Spooner. In District 5, Brian Outlaw is seeking to unseat Diane Andrews.
The proposed county fire assessment took center stage in all four presentations, and moderator Richard Solze ensured that the topic was addressed.
Smith said the county needs a fire department that it can afford.
He added that commissioners should learn to spend within the taxpayers’ means and stop relying on what he claimed were bailouts.
“During my six years on the city commission board,” he said, “we made tough decisions, secured tough decisions on budget cuts and department cuts.”
Kate Ellison told the crowd that Carolyn Spooner could not make the forum because of a family event.
Ellison highlighted Spooner’s certification as a county commissioner and praised Spooner’s commitment to the county’s adoption of mission and values statements.
“She held public town hall meetings in all local municipalities and gathered input from residents and stakeholders on what was most important to them and incorporated their input into the plan,” Ellison said. “She encouraged the board to pursue economic development projects.”
Ellison also reminded the crowd that Spooner always returns phone calls and responds to constituent concerns.
“She has a deep love for the entire county and community and always reminds everyone that we are one community and Bradford Strong,” she said.
Ellison said Spooner has not decided on the fire assessment and wants the county to reduce spending as much as possible before placing an additional burden on taxpayers.
In District 5, incumbent Diane Andrews said talking about being a county commissioner is easy, but making decisions that affect people’s lives is different.
“It is extremely easy for someone to stand up here and say, ‘I’ll not raise your taxes, I’ll cut the budget. I’ll reduce the spending. I’ll ensure that all roadside ditches are mowed and cleaned on a consistent basis,” she said. “But the truth is, until you sit in one of those five black chairs, you have no idea what you’ll do in order to run the county in the appropriate manner and in the way that is best for the citizens.”
Andrews also reminded the crowd that each county commissioner has only one vote in five.
She said that since she was first elected, the county had purchased a paving machine that she said “saved us a great deal of money.”
Andrews also said that three homes have been lost to fire in her district and that firefighters now take 25 minutes to reach some areas of western Bradford County.
“It’s easy to say that we don’t need those fire (stations),” she said, “but when you’re standing there watching people’s homes burned down and their family’s crying and they’re losing everything they need, when you’ve got people laying on the floor, your wife that you think is dead because she doesn’t have a heartbeat, and you need a rescue unit, it’s very important.”
Andrews’s challenger, Brian Outlaw, conceded that he has much to learn if his campaign succeeds.
“I have no false expectations,” he said. “There will be a learning curve, but I promise you I will give my all. No one tries harder than I do, and my results reflect my efforts”.
“I have worked on county, state, and federal government projects and programs,” he continued. “I’m no stranger to working hard for the taxpayers in Bradford County, and I will continue to do so if elected.”
When Solze asked Outlaw about the fire assessment, the candidate responded that his brother is a firefighter, and he was a state trooper for 10 years, so he is familiar with the issues facing first responders.
“I plan to learn as much as I can about the issues because, again, until you’re on the inside, you really don’t know what’s going on,” he said.
School board
The three school board District 5 candidates fought for votes at the forum.
Dana Reddish Bell reminded audience members of her family’s heritage in Bradford County education, with both parents serving in the district.
“I’m passionate,” she said of the school district. “Let’s talk about accountability and decision-making. If elected, I vote as a school board member. I will do so with the understanding that my child may be affected just as your child may be affected. I’ll not exempt my children from the policies.”
The candidate also stressed fiscal responsibility, ensuring that every dollar goes into the classroom.
Mitchell Gunter started by pointing to his success in lobbying for local road improvements, like lowering the speed limit on the Starke Bypass from 65 to 55 at its two ends and putting in no-passing zones on State Road 100 near Southeast 109th Street, also known as Meng Dairy Road.
Gunter said that if elected, he would focus on improving the efficiency of the district’s maintenance operations and developing a five-year plan for capital improvements.
He also said bullying in schools is a problem that must be addressed.
“A lot of parents are just concerned about the bullying,” he said. “Some parents, they decided to move their kids to other schools, to Clay County, or even bus them all the way into Gainesville on their way to work. We have to stop the bullying because if we don’t stop that, we’ll lose more students as we go along. And when we do that, we lose funding for our school system, and we need all the funds that we could possibly get.”
Incumbent Candice Osteen stressed her experience on the board, claiming she is one of only 95 school board members in the state to achieve certification. She said the achievement demonstrates her commitment to the students and parents.
“Dedication to the community and its organizations has been the cornerstone of my service,” she said. “My number one priority is and always will be relationships with our students and teachers, whether through donations, volunteering, or rallying resources. I’m constantly working to support our programs and initiatives.”
Osteen cataloged her involvement in Takes Stock in Children and other initiatives.
