There are two candidates running for school board seat four, Mike Mills and Brigitte Smith. There are two candidates running for seat five, Donald “Donny” Barber and incumbent Sarah James.
The “Gazette” will email a different question each week to all of the candidates, for a total of four questions over four weeks. The candidates are given a week to respond in writing and we do not edit their answers except if it applies to AP Style Rules. The answers are presented in the order in which they were received.
QUESTION ONE: There has been public uproar about Marion County Public Schools low ranking amongst Florida’s 67 districts by state measures for decades now. Name the single change you would push for in your first year that you believe would move that ranking, explain how you would know within 12 months whether it was working and say what you would do if it wasn’t.…