Consolidation, test scores and taxes made up a good chunk of the discussion during the League of Women Voters debate forum between the candidates running for Christian County School Board in District 5.
Incumbent Tom Bell and challenger Dan Mason went head-to-head on those topics and numerous others, with plenty of rebuttals coming from both candidates throughout the forum. Bell says he still believes the consolidated high school is still the way to move forward in this community, and they’re working to bring the construction cost down.
Mason says the consolidation process has not been transparent since the beginning and that due to cost and various other reasons, its time to move in a new direction.
Mason expressed his concern at the assessment scores in Christian County, saying they need to improve now and indicate what he calls a lack of focus on education in the district—he says that should be the top priority of the district and he would work to get it addressed. Bell says they have a five-year plan to address not only the test scores but also the achievement gaps—they’re also working to provide learning opportunities for future careers and learning for all students.
Both candidates agreed that teachers need to be paid more, and that safety was of vital importance in all schools.
You can watch the full debate below;
https://www.facebook.com/lwvhopkinsville/videos/1210198722877849