To the editor:
Hello, my name is Carolyn V. Bowden and I am a candidate for the Brown County school board. Please know that you can vote for a candidate in each district no matter where you live because the board is a countywide office that represents all residents and students.
As a member of the current board, I was party to the selection of Dr. Laura Hammack two years ago. Wow, what changes have happened since then. BCSC (Brown County School Corporation) has received numerous grants that our staff has gone after that will and are impacting the state of education and opportunities for the future for our students to allow them a world-class education and open doors to whatever path they may chose.
We have not fully replaced job openings each and every time without evaluation of the needs, and we have redistributed job responsibilities of jobs not replaced in order to meet the needs and to be fiscally responsible to our community.
One may not remember, but we were the first in our area to set up STEM labs/Project Gateway and we did it K-12 in all buildings. Because we did so, it set us up to be able to get the ROI grant in order to allow our students the widest options in education now and in the future for college and for jobs in our region.
We have great teachers who go above and beyond, which allows our students to participate in activities such as competitions in science, history and We the People, which has resulted in our students’ success locally, in the state and in the nation.
The board made the decision to support the arts and other areas to allow student success wherever it best fits them. All students are not alike, but all students can be successful if given the opportunity and support.
All members of Brown County have a standing in BCSC. You have a standing because your needs now and in the future are dependent on the students who become plumbers, mechanics, nurses, doctors, scientists, who will be impacting your life. What better way than to grow those opportunities for our students who will pay us back with replacing the furnace, coming to your home to help you after an illness and other services. You have the right for the local board to be fiscally responsible and to make local decisions that best fit our county. Your school board and school staff petition, educate and communicate with the legislators to fight for the needs of rural communities which we chose to live in.
We are improving security measures, undergoing training, and getting a school resource officer (SRO) up and ready to assist our students and staff.
Our buildings and properties are used not just by us, but by the community for so many different needs and events.
Our technology has gone to 1-1 for our students corporation-wide so that they will be fully educated on technology and future education/job-ready when they leave BCSC.
We have counselors in school for student needs and support. We have a bullying program in place. I, for one, am very passionate about anti-bullying. I personally will not tolerate it from anyone anywhere since I had that experience as a child from classmates and a teacher due to my disability, and this was before American Disabilities Act. As a physical therapist, I treat my patient as a whole person — mind, body and spirit. I believe that we also have to serve our students the same way in order to help them become the best that they can be as fully engaged citizens in the world.
Oh, there is so much more going on at BCSC. Yes, we have a declining student population, but that is common throughout all rural areas. We are working with home-schooled students who want and need to take some classes in our buildings. We are taking students from out of the county, and we are supporting the need for affordable housing with infrastructure support such as internet to entice younger families and professionals to move here and grow. Our board members serve on multiple boards in the county/town that support our community known as Brown County.
Please feel free to talk to any of the board members who will get you the information you need and answer your questions.
Please go vote for Brown County and I respectfully ask for your vote to continue to serve Brown County and the Brown County school board.
Thank you very much.
Carolyn V. Bowden, Brown County
