Post 4 Candidates For Oconee County Board Of Education Answer Variety Of Questions In Video Interview

***Call For Increased Transparency***

Adam Hammond and Sheri Ward Long, candidates for Post 4 on the Oconee County Board of Education, agreed on many issues in separate, 45-minute long interviews.

Hammond, the Republican Party nominee, and Long, running as a Democrat, said there is a need for more transparency in the way the Board interacts with the public.

Both said the Board needs to provide more detail to the public when it presents it budgets.

And both expressed concern about how the Board treated Amanda and Michael Prochaska, co-publishers of The Oconee Enterprise, when they tried to speak to the Board in August.

Both also said they plan to vote in favor of the referendum on the ballot that would allow the Board, rather than citizens, to select the chair of the Board.

The two did provide different responses to some questions, and they differed greatly in style.

Hammond was animated and provided long answers to the questions, while Long provided short answers to the questions but spoke at length at the end of the interview about a few issues she is passionate about, including opposition to the heavy reliance on Chromebooks in Oconee County Schools.

The two agreed to sit for the video interviews as a way of reaching out to voters before early voting starts on Tuesday.

Katie Green, the Democratic Party nominee for Post 5 on the Board of Education, and Brock Toole, the Republican Party nominee, as well as Republican Michael Ransom, unopposed for Post 1 Board Chair, also gave separate interviews.

Interview Format

I invited all five of the candidates on the ballot for the three open School Board posts to participate in the video interviews, and all agreed immediately.

Hammond 9/28/2024

All had identified themselves and responded to questions from the audience in a candidate forum before the May party primaries, but none had responded to questions about some of the issues that have emerged in recent months.

I reserved one of the study rooms at the Oconee County Library in Wire Park in Watkinsville and interviewed Ransom on Sept. 21, Greene, Hammond, and Toole on Sept. 28, and Long on Sept. 29.

I asked the same 25 questions, in the same order, of the candidates for Posts 4 and 5.

I asked Ransom some of the same questions, but I also focused more on the referendum on the ballot on Nov. 5.

Ransom currently holds Post 5 on the Board and chose to run for Post 1, being vacated with the retirement of current Board Chair Kim Argo.

Tim Burgess, who currently holds Post 4, is not seeking re-election.

Interviews with Green, Toole, and Ransom will follow this post later this week.

Long qualified to run as a Democrat without party recruitment and is running without party support, but I did not ask her or any of the candidates about their party affiliations.

Summary Format

My goal is doing these interviews was to create a video record for others to watch in their entirety. All of the videos either are or will be on my Vimeo site.

Long 9/29/2024

Below I have provided each of the questions asked, in the order I asked them of each of the four candidates for Post 4 and 5.

I also provided very brief summaries of the responses of each of the candidates.

When I shortened the answers, as I did often, I inserted ellipses (three dots) to indicate that a section of the answer had been removed. Where no ellipses appear at the front or back of the transcribed responses, nothing has been removed.

I am presenting those responses of the candidates in alphabetical order, though the Republicans will appear before the Democrats on the ballot.

At the end of the interview, I offered the candidates a chance to respond to questions I had not asked, and Long spoke for 22 minutes, 16 of them on Chromebooks alone. Only a tiny part of her answer is summarized below, but the full response is in the video.

I used two cameras, both on the table in front of me, for redundancy, but the video below is from only one of the cameras.

Only the candidate and I were in the room for the interview.

Questions And Responses

1. Why do you want to be a member of the Oconee County Board of Education?

Becker 9/28/2024

Hammond

...I felt like there was a need at the time and I think with my experience and my perspective I offered a unique opportunity to address some of the opportunities that I saw...I wanted to put myself out there to hopefully contribute in a positive way to serve our students...

Long

I'm really focused on the kids. I decided it felt like there needed to be some changes made and if I can help make some changes I would love to do that.

2. What special skills or talents or perspectives do you think you can bring to the Board?

Hammond

...I’m a very thoughtful and organized person and I try to be a good listener...I went to Oconee County Schools. I have that historical context and perspective...

Long

I was a parapro in the past...Just interested in how things are going. My children went to school out here...

3. What problems, if any, do you see the Board facing at present?

Hammond

...I’ve heard a lot of what’s on parents' minds. What’s on taxpayers minds...And one of the things I consistently see over and over again is that need for communication and transparency...Obviously now, school safety is a huge focus...

Long

...It seems like everybody is on the same page. I’m thinking, is there every any bickering?...It just seems like we don’t get to hear as the public, what’s going on behind the scenes...

4. How would you address those problems?

Hammond

...I really view everything as an opportunity...With my willingness to be open minded, my willingness to listen to the community, and really be an advocate for the community, I think that says a lot for what I would bring to the Board...I am willing to learn. I am willing to research and look into things...

Long

Maybe the public needs to know a little more about what’s being asked of the Board...I was at the Board meeting when they decided to do generators and I didn’t hear any background on that and why they were choosing generators...Really the expense of a generator for a school is–that’s a lot of money...

5. There is much concern in the community about school safety. The Board has authorized Superintendent Jason Branch to work with Sheriff James Hale to develop “a memorandum of agreement that would provide a comprehensive law enforcement presence at all 12 of our schools.” What would you like to see included in that agreement?

Hammond

...I am excited to hear that the school system is going to collaborate with Sheriff Hale to really determine the best path forward...School resource officers aren’t going to fix everything. They aren’t. This has to be a multi-layered approach. We have to also think about our social workers in the county. There is a huge mental health issue right now with our young people...

Long

I would say no favoritism. I’ve seen it. Everybody is treated equal. If somebody is in a situation, that they’re treated just the same as the next person. It doesn’t matter who they are. Where they live. Where they’ve come from. I’ve seen that personally. How they can be discriminatory.

Long 9/29/2024

6. The Board has been asked to install school resource officers in the past and declined to do so. Do you think the Board has been adequately proactive in dealing with school safety to this point, or do you feel it has been overly reactive? Please explain your answer.

Hammond

...In the past...for whatever reason they determined that school resource officers weren’t right at that time, and I have to trust that judgment...We need to move forward, and we need to look at what is best right now...

Long

I don’t think its been overly reactive...And right now, I don’t think it’s a big issue. Maybe just in the high schools it may seem to be more needed there...There might be concerns later, but I don’t there are concerns right now with that specific issue.

7. Voters not only will be selecting School Board members on Nov. 5, but they also will be voting on a referendum the Board has placed on the ballot relating to how the Board selects its chair. Since voters approved a referendum in 1964, Oconee County voters have selected the chair of the Board of Education. Post 1 is designated as Board Chair on the ballot. If the referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot passes, it will change that, negating the election of Michael Ransom, who is running unopposed for Board Chair in November, and allowing the Board in January to pick its own chair. In 1964 voters also approved a procedure for replacement of Board members when there is a resignation. The Board itself picks the replacement, regardless of how much of the four-year term remains. That ability to fill vacancies includes the chair. Current Board Chair Kim Argo was selected by the Board to replace Tom Odom, who stepped down less than a year into his four-year term. The November ballot items would require Oconee County to follow the state constitution for replacements when an opening occurs. Basically, an election would be held if much of the term remains. Voters will not get to vote on these two changes independently. As the legislators wrote the item, and the Board approved it, it is all or nothing: Allow the Board to elect its chair or leave things as they stand, meaning the Board can elect its chair when a vacancy occurs and fill all vacancies without elections. What is your position on this referendum? Do you support its passage or oppose its passage? Why do you have that preference?

Hammond

...I would like to see them in two different referendums...I will be voting yes for this referendum because it will put us more closely aligned with the majority of school districts in the state...

Long

I support its passage because I think that new members need to be voted on...I just think the better decision would be to allow voters to make that decision.

8. Board Chair Kim Argo ruled Oconee Enterprise co-publishers Amanda and Michael Prochaska out of order when they tried to address the Board at its Aug. 12 meeting. The two tried to speak after public comment had been closed to correct information that has been presented earlier in the meeting by CFO Peter Adams and to respond to the critical comments that Board Member Tim Burgess had made about the paper. Had you been on the Board, would you have asked Board Chair Argo to allow Amanda and Michael Prochaska to speak?

Hammond

...It didn’t sit well with me from the beginning. It certainly did feel like the newspaper was being thrown under the bus...In this instance, I would have encouraged them to come back to the next meeting and speak after signing up...

Long

Definitely. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t have been able to have their input there since they were there. It was about something that was related to them. They should have been allowed to speak and should have been given at least five minutes.

9. Quite separate from what you would have done at the Aug. 12 meeting, do you feel that owners of businesses in Oconee County, should be allowed to address the Board whether or not they live in Oconee County?

Hammond

...I think anyone who pays property taxes in Oconee County, whether they are a resident or business owner, should have the opportunity to speak at a Board meeting...

Long

If they have a business in Oconee County and they come to the Board of Education meetings, they need to be allowed to speak whether they live here or not.

10. Someone cut the video and then subsequently the audio for the live stream of this exchange. When the video was uploaded, all parts of the exchange were cut, leaving an unidentified four-minute gap in the video. The minutes of the meeting also made no mention of the attempt by the Prochaskas to speak. Oconee County Schools Communications Director Steven Colquitt justified this action this way: “The simultaneous broadcast and archived video are provided as a courtesy, in conjunction with the legally required minutes, to accurately document the business of the Board of Education and its meetings. Disruptions and distractions not germane to the proceedings will be excluded from both versions.” What is your reaction to this statement of policy?

Hammond

...In this instance, the disruption was germane to what had been discussed during that meeting...In this case, by including it, would have been an example of being transparent on exactly what happened...Including that into the video and into the minutes would have been an effort to show you’re being transparent.

Long

I think everything should have been stopped and the issue taken care of before proceeding. Yes it should have been (available to the public).

11. The Board, both in this year’s budget and in last year’s budget, listed $50,000 as the projected income from investments. Yet last year it received $2.7 million in investment revenue, and it has received $354,515 already this year. Citizens have asked for an explanation of this budgeting, but no one on the Board has responded. Citizens both this year and last year, in budget hearings, asked for line item budgets before the budgets were approved. They have been referred to budgets from the year earlier instead. What is your explanation for this type of response from the Board to citizen requests for detailed budget information?

Hammond 9/28/2024

Hammond

...This issue alone is one of the first ones that I’ll be interested in asking questions about...I think it is important for us to be as accurate as possible when we make those projections in the budget...

Long

When a citizen requests for a detailed budget, it should be there for them. No questions asked. No questions asked. If they are that interested in it, then they need to be given the chance to look at things like that.

12. Would you propose any changes in Board behavior regarding budget information in the future?

Hammond

...They present the budget. People speak out. But there’s really not a lot of back and forth and a lot of conversation between the Board members and the public...That’s something that I would like to see increase and improve over time.

Long

Yes, they need to be clear and open with what they are doing. There just seems like they’re undermining the public and what they need to know. They just need to be more transparent for sure in how they deal with things. That is a very big concern.

13. Do you think the Board should hold regular town hall style meetings?

Hammond

Absolutely.

Long

Yes, I do believe that would benefit the public...Those announcements need to be made more clear so that people can come.

14. What do you think is the proper relationship between the Board and the Superintendent?

Hammond

...The School Board is representative of the taxpayers. The School Board should provide that level of oversight for the school system...

Becker 9/29/2024

Long

They seem to have a good relationship at this point right now. I don’t see that there’s a problem with that. I don’t think the superintendent needs to be the final say...

15. Do you think the Board at present is overly deferential to Superintendent Jason Branch?

Hammond

...I think it’s a matter of personality and players and place...I ask questions, and I want to represent the taxpayers...I think there needs to be more of a back and forth between Dr. Branch and the School Board...

Long

No I don’t think so.

16. Back in June, Superintendent Branch said the Georgia School Board Association asked the Board to affirm a couple of documents on Board Norms and Protocols. One of those documents greatly restricted the ability of Board members to obtain information from the superintendent. The superintendent can request that the Board approve any request made by an individual Board member. If you had been on the Board at that time, would you have voted to reaffirm those restrictions? And why?

Hammond

I do not support anything that limits the power of the School Board...

Long

I don’t think there need to be any restrictions at all...

17. How much influence do you feel the Georgia School Board Association should have over what is done by the Oconee County Board of Education?

Hammond 9/28/2024

Hammond

I’m a big local government guy...I think the association has a great opportunity to be a guiding organization...But I also think a majority of the decisions should rest locally...

Long

...Separate school boards need to be able to make some decisions on their own and not necessarily based on what the Georgia Board is stating.

18. Do you feel the Georgia School Board Association at present has too much influence over what is done by the Oconee County Board of Education?

Hammond

This is one of those areas where I would like to learn more as I go into the situation...

Long

I would say not.

19. At the Republican Party meeting last month, several of those present said it is a conflict of interest for a Board member if her or his spouse works for Oconee County Schools. Do you agree with that argument? Please explain your answer.

Hammond

I don’t agree with that argument because they are still taxpayers...

Long

... I don’t see it as a conflict of interest so much...

20. Over the years, there has been discussion of increasing the salary of Board members. This would take legislative action and voter approval. At present, Board members receive $1,800 per year. That compares with Board of Commissioner salaries, that range, for the part-time commissioners, between $33,989 per year and $39,332, based on years of service. Should the salaries of the members of the Board of Education be increased, and, if so, what would you consider to be an appropriate annual salary for Board members?

Hammond

...I would not vote to approve a salary increase for School Board members...

Long

I don’t think they need to be increased.

21. The two most important governing bodies in the county are the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners. From what you have observed, how well are these two Boards working together?

Hammond

I think it is improving...I am excited about the opportunity of collaborating with them, working with them...

Long

I think they need to be working together more than less. I’ve not really seen a whole lot of what they have done together but they definitely need to be working together to make decisions.

22. Would you do anything special to change that relationship?

Long 9/29/2024

Hammond

...Maybe two years ago, there was a joint meeting between the School Board and between the county commissioners. I thought it was great...

Long

No. Just making sure that everybody’s on board and everybody is being clear about the needs of the county and the schools.

23. What do you think are the biggest challenges that Oconee County Schools will face in the next four years–the length of a Board term?

Hammond

Relevance...I think well-rounded, educational opportunities that are relevant to the workforce are important...We need to be mindful that every student is different and opportunities like agriculture and CTAE (Career, Technical, Agricultural Education) are very important to connect all students with...We need to make sure we are preparing students for what happens after high schools. For some that is going to Harvard. For some, it is going to UGA...For some, it going to Athens Tech. For some, it’s going into the military. For some, it is going to the workforce. ...We need to provide educational opportunities so when a student leaves Oconee County or North Oconee High School they are leaving with a well-rounded experience...

Long

First of all, the county has talked about putting in a new high school. I think they need to look at the numbers that we have, of students that we already have. Are there places that are not filled that could be filled? Is there a way to rearrange some things if we need to do that? As opposed to having a brand new high school and the expense of a new high school when there are so many people that are choosing to home school now, send their children to private school. So I think we need to look at the numbers a little more as far as that’s concerned and do what’s best for the students, not what they think is best for the county per se.

24. What would you do as a Board member to help Oconee County Schools address those challenges?

Hammond

Listing to parents. Asking questions. Sharing ideas. Having a free flow of information...

Long

Just be pro-active. Talk with teachers. Talk with students. Talk with other administrators and get their opinions about how they feel about certain things that are going on within the county and with the Board of Educations.

25. Are there things that I didn’t cover that you would like to address in this interview?

Hammond

...We have a community and base of support, really from parents in this county that are invested and engaged and involved in their young people’s education...The biggest ingredient, if there is a recipe for success, is that community involvement. We have that here in Oconee County. So we’ve got to make the most of that...

Long

...I do not like the use of the Chromebooks. I just really think we need to get back to the books. And we need to get back to the old reading, writing, and arithmetic...some other things that I’m concerned about–recess, even for middle schoolers and high schoolers...They need 20 minutes of some sort of recess... Another thing I’m a component (she meant proponent) of is bringing back wood shop, car mechanics and home economics into the schools...Let’s learn by doing again. That’s really important...

Video

The first interview below with Hammond was recorded beginning just before noon on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The second interview below, with Long, was recorded starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29.