The Daily Tribune News contacted these candidates about themselves and their platforms, and while they have diverse backgrounds, all candidates shared the common theme of saying they wanted to see current efforts for the school system flourish while dealing with the current economy.
Ward 3
Name: Clifton Dempsey
Age: 44
Occupation: Owner of Dempsey Funeral Services
Education: A graduate of Darlington School and Shorter College
Family: Wife, Melanie, and four children, three of the four in Cartersville schools.
Why are you running for school board?
A. My wife and I are very involved with the school system, I have been serving on the Cartersville Schools Foundation board for probably three years and we are certainly involved with our kids' education as well as president of the dugout club. My wife is involved because she's probably been one of the past president of about every [Parent Teacher Committee], she's been on the elementary school advisory council, she's been the elementary school yearbook editor for two or three years, she's the past president of the middle school PTC and the president elect of the high school PTC ... I'm also a board member of the Bartow Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
This is one way my wife and I felt we could continue helping the school as being a member of the school board.
What makes you the best candidate?
A. My past board experience on some large boards. I was appointed by the governor in 2006 to the state board of cemeteries ... and I was appointed to a six-year term by the governor, so we regulate all the preventual care cemeteries in the state. That board as well as being on the International Cemetery Funeral Cremation Association -- we have about 7,000 members worldwide -- and just being on those boards is one reason because I know how boards work. And, being on boards, you have to work as a group, it's not just one person, you have to ask questions and see what is the best direction, and in our case, for the school system. I feel qualified because I'll be able to ask questions on why we're making those decisions and at least be a voice for people in my ward.
Another reason is I'm a college graduate. I graduated Shorter College in 1993 and certainly have been a business owner since then, and I feel by having a higher education than a high school degree is certainly needed in the education field. And my wife and I have a lot of friends who are teachers and administrators in the school system and are certainly friends with a lot of parents having four children ...
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
A. Tim Chason has done a great job in serving our ward, and since he has elected not to run again, I certainly want to continue serving the ward he's been responsible for, but I don't have any particular item other than we have serious financial concerns upcoming with the economic situation that has hit the school systems, and I feel that has to be addressed ... I'm an Eagle Scout and I'm very proud of that. As a young teenager, earning the Eagle Scout Award has helped me throughout life in determining leadership skills as well as how to get along with others and trying to come up with the best solution to issues that might come up, and I think working with the six other board members we'd be able to come up with a lot of good solutions for our school system.
Name: Travis Popham
Age: 41
Occupation: Co-owner of Professional Realty Group in Cartersville
Education: Graduate of Cartersville High School, real estate licensee from the Georgia Institute of Real Estate
Family: Wife, Candace, daughter in the Cartersville School System
Why are you running for school board?
A. I believe in the school system. I graduated from Cartersville High School and I know it's a great school system, and I guess my main motivation is my daughter. But I think it's an excellent school system, and I just feel like I could be a help to continue it being that way.
What makes you the best candidate?
A. I think my love for the school system and for the community itself. I love giving back to the community and that I just love kids and I want to see not just my daughter but all the kids get a great education ... I know the fact that I went to the school system doesn't make people want to vote for me, but I just feel like I honestly understand the system. And I feel like I truly, truly have the best interest of the school at heart.
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
A. I have no agenda, I'm not upset about the way anything is being run. I think the current school board has done a good job, I just think I can help. I know there's going to be some tough issues coming up budget-wise. I sell real estate and I'm on the frontline of this housing crisis, I see it every day, and I know where the tax-base is and I know where it's going. That rolls directly into the school system and I see the budget issues that are coming down the road and I just feel like I can assist in that. There's not a negative to the school system, in my opinion, as it has been over the years. I just feel like I can make it better and continue to grow.
At-large
Name: Saunders Jones III
Age: 31
Occupation: Community Banker at Century Bank of Georgia
Education: Graduate of Cartersville High School, Bachelors from University of Georgia, MBA in finance from Kennesaw State University and currently working on graduate degree in banking from Louisiana State University
Family: Wife, Katie, teacher in the Cartersville School System, daughter in primary school and a 1-year-old son
Why are you running for school board?
A. I think it's important people who grew up in this community, who grew up in the school system and are a product of the school system give back to the school system, and I think the highest level of service I can give to the school system is to serve on the school board.
What makes you the best candidate?
A. I think it's important school board members be personally invested in the school system, that they're full stakeholders, so to speak, in the decisions made by the school board, and obviously as a parent of a kid in the school system, as the husband of a wife who's a teacher in the school system, as a graduate of the school system myself and as a community leader, I think it's vitally important that you have fully invested folks in the school system and that's primarily one of the main points I would bring to the school system. I wouldn't only be personally invested but also think I could bring a fresh perspective to things. I think it's important to have my generation -- who are the people right now who are deciding on where to send their kids to school -- that they have a voice on the school board as well.
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
A. I think that one of the greatest accomplishments I can achieve on the school board is to be a true mouthpiece for the community, to have direct community involvement, to be a representation of a segment of our community that frankly isn't represented right now on the school board, and if I'm able to adequately address issues that are faced for all folks to say, "Well, that Saunders Jones, he listens, he communicates, and he's somebody, I guess, is a full facilitator between the school board decisions and the community."
Name: Linda Benton
Age: 68
Occupation: Worked part-time at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church doing various duties, now director of church growth
Education: Attended University of Louisville but did not graduate. "Education, to me, if you don't have it makes it more important to you, I truly believe that."
Family: Husband Jerry, three adult children, two of which graduated from Cartersville High School, granddaughter is a senior at the University of Georgia
Why are you running for school board?
A. The tradition of excellence in Cartersville City Schools is very important to me and for the past 17 years I believe I have been an effective board member, and I want to be a part of continuing that tradition for the next four years.
What makes you the best candidate?
A. I know on all my signs I have "experience matters," but I think experience does matter and it's not just experience, it's confidence people have in me being on the school board, the confidence my fellow board members have had in electing me president the last 11 years.
What do you hope to accomplish if re-elected?
A. There are a number of initiatives going on right now. The Gatekey Scholarship program is extremely important, it might go statewide, I'd love to see that. This is not taxpayer money that will fund two years of college, but donated money to our school foundation. We have programs at the primary school, focus classes that help children catch up if they're a little behind. They're smaller classes and I look forward to hearing the results of those classes. Freshman academy, the students all have iPads and I look forward to hearing the results from that. There are a number of things that are going on that I want to see come to fruition.