Candidates vie for Miner’s seat on Manatee School Board. Miner was no-show at debate

Four candidates highlighted their strengths and motivations during a virtual debate for the District 3 school board seat, currently held by Dave Miner, who was not present for the event on Thursday morning.

Miner, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a longtime Bradenton attorney, won his seat on the School Board of Manatee County in 2012, serving as its chair from November 2018 to 2019. In a phone call on Thursday afternoon, Miner said he had other obligations during the debate.

“I do have a little bit of life other than being a school board member,” he said. “I’ve got a professional life and personal life. I had confidence that it would be a great success without my being there, and I applaud those who put themselves out there to be part of the panel.”

During the virtual debate, hosted by Manatee Tiger Bay Club, the candidates fielded questions about accountability, COVID-19, district finances and their priorities. The four people challenging Miner are Christine Dawson, Scott Boyes, Mary Foreman and Richard Murphy.

Boyes, a Manatee County resident for more than 30 years, retired as the principal of Jessie P. Miller Elementary School earlier this year. Boyes said all of his children went to local schools, and after starting his career in finance he transitioned to working as a teacher and administrator.

“I will bring my educational experience and knowledge to the board,” he said. “I will bring a calm, level-headed, even temper to the board. I will bring an open-minded and collaborative nature to the board. I will bring a fresh perspective and innovative ideas to the board.”

One of the top issues in the upcoming school year, he said, was the need to safely reopen schools, measure student progress and manage uncertain finances during the pandemic.

Boyes said there was a need to be measured with spending, prioritizing the needs of educators, and to continually monitor the district’s finances, scrutinizing the numbers and asking questions when needed.

As a former teacher and school administrator, Boyes said he knew the importance of planning at the campus level, since every school is unique. He vowed to focus on individual needs when having conversations about district-wide issues, such as the reopening of schools amid COVID-19.

“I don’t want to throw dirt but, Mr. Miner, it’s time for him to step down,” Boyes said. “He’s struggling a little bit and my concern is that we do have a lot of issues. We need collaboration. We need somebody with a cool temper, and can work with other people.”

Foreman worked as a certified public accountant for several decades, and after she identified problems with the district’s accounting in 2012, during its financial meltdown, she volunteered for its Audit Committee. She recently served the committee as its chair, and Foreman vowed to ask tough questions as a member of the school board.

“Only a trained CPA who understands internal controls knows the questions to ask the administration. Currently, our board has two teachers on it. What they don’t have is a CPA. I’ve been a CPA for 40-plus years and a member of the audit committee for seven years. I know that district’s finances.”

Foreman said she valued achievement and accountability, two concepts that directly affect each other. Accountability is needed to properly manage a budget worth hundreds of millions of dollars, especially in the complicated world of education finance.

And when the budget is well managed, bolstering Manatee County schools with adequate resources, the district and the community enjoy achievement, Foreman said.

Citing the need to improve grade-level reading and to supply internet to families during online learning, she vowed to address mismanagement of the taxpayers’ money, putting it toward pressing needs in the upcoming year.

“You can pay your taxes every year to a school district that makes headlines for bad decisions, or you can put me on the board so the board never gets blindsided again,” Foreman said. “If you want your taxes better spent, if you want your home value to go up because we’re an A-rated district, then I’m your candidate.”

Dawson worked in the local school district as a teacher, administrator, reading coach and instructional specialist for 35 years, from 1979 to 2015. She recently served as chair of Lincoln Memorial Academy’s governing board, before the school board revoked its charter. The revocation led to an ongoing appeal and a federal lawsuit against the district.

There was a disparity in the resources afforded to different schools, Dawson said, highlighting the need for greater accountability in the district.

“How does it happen? The checks and balances are not there. Why aren’t they there? Probably because of political and self-interests. I would hope to remove those,” she said.

Dawson compared the school board to the executive branch of the government. She said the board was responsible for creating policies and ensuring that Manatee’s superintendent respects and enforces those guidelines.

Any issue, whether it be the need for greater financial accountability or more planning during a crisis, such as the one presented by COVID-19, can be addressed through better policies, Dawson said.

“I find oftentimes in Manatee County that a policy is a good policy, but the way it is implemented makes it a flawed policy,” she said.

Murphy held a seat on the Hendry County School Board from 1994 to 2008, and he worked as the district superintendent from 2008 to 2012. Before his time as an administrator, he worked as substitute teacher in Palm Beach County, and a full-time teacher in Highlands County.

“If you want to talk about budgeting, finance, contract negotiations, health care and benefits, and working with community partners, I’ve done that,” Murphy said.

He emphasized the need to back teachers with both money and training opportunities, and the same was true for the district’s support employees, Murphy said.

Murphy also called for more planning before the 2020-21 school year, grappling with the need for COVID-19 testing, a clear stance on masks and greater options for families.

“Parents need to know they have choices,” he said. “That’s what they want is choices. They all have jobs, they all have obligations.”

All the candidates — Boyes, Foreman, Dawson, Murphy and Miner — will be on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. If no candidate wins a majority of the votes, there will be a runoff on Nov. 3.

This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 4:22 PM.