Interview with Josh Hinton, BOE Chair and candidate for re-election

Photo of Josh Hinton (special photo)

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Question: Henry County Schools is the largest recipient of property taxes in the county and levies the maximum amount allowed under state law. What steps have you taken to ensure the school system is fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars?

Answer: Henry County Schools has been at 20 mills tax rate since 2006, long before I was a member of the BOE. That rate remains lower than our neighbors in Rockdale County (24.9 mills), DeKalb County (23.18 mills), and Atlanta Public Schools (20.74 mills). As a BOE we have continued to ensure that our budget dedicates 90% of financial resources to schools and classrooms. With an economic outlook that has recently become uncertain, I am now focused on securing employee positions and compensation since the best investment we make in students starts with attracting and keeping the highest quality professionals in every job family.

Question: The education SPLOST VI referendum is expected in spring 2021. What projects would you like to see included on the project list?

Answer: The BOE has recently completed a study on student population projections and will be able to review those details once the COVID-19 restrictions lessen. That is critical to determining how to prepare for student growth.

It has been important to the BOE and myself to invest in the security of our school campuses and the safety of our students. We have just completed a single point of entry for all of our schools and we are currently installing an emergency response system at all fifty schools so that any employee can activate a response to any emergency. I think the next layer to the security of our schools is a buzzer entrance system for all fifty schools like we are piloting at McDonough Middle School and High School right now.

I would like to see the continued investment in our one-to-one student devices since I was on the BOE when the voters approved the current one-to-one devices in the [education] SPLOST V referendum. That investment has been a tremendous advantage to our students as we deployed remote learning as a result of COVID-19. We will begin working together as a BOE along with district staff and community stakeholders to make recommendations for the SPLOST VI list likely in early fall.

Finally, I intend to support an aggressive replacement plan for our bus fleet so that we can remove older buses from the road. We should consider a second bus maintenance shop on the west side of I-75 so that drivers in Hampton, Luella, and Dutchtown travel fewer miles for routine maintenance and state inspections.

Question: What has Henry County Schools done to combat bullying in the schools, especially if a student has a history of bullying others?

Answer: Safety and security of students has been very important to me and the Board of Education. I personally do not tolerate bullying in Henry County Schools. In the past few years we have been more actively invested in mental health partnerships, social workers, counselors, and School Resource Officers. The investment in preventative education for students coupled with more serious consequences outlined in the annual board-approved Code of Conduct when bullying occurs has been aimed at reducing bullying incidents across the district.

Question: Finally, why should voters vote for you?

Answer: During these uncertain times of the current pandemic, proven leadership and experience leading through good times and challenging times is a must. This is especially true when it comes to ensuring our future generations are successful with regards to their educational achievement. I fully understand that the seat I currently fill belongs to the citizens of District 2. I keep that in mind with every action I take as it pertains to the students, staff, families, and business of my district. This also applies for the entire county. As the current Chair of the Board of Education, I have had the support of my fellow board members to lead our collective team of district representatives and work hand-in-hand with our superintendent and leaders from around the community and state to meet the needs of our 43,000+ students.

During elections, people often latch on to one or two issues to measure a school system’s success or failure. What is often missed is all that goes on to ensure our district can provide for students and staff at the highest levels and sustain that year after year while so many variables can change at any given time. I have the experience and knowledge to keep our positive momentum going for student success and employee satisfaction. My experience on this board includes good times and challenging times, but never once did I lose sight of what was most important at the expense of politics. Success across the board for every student in our district is most important. I have always been here to represent my district and it’s many voices. My pledge to that effort remains unchanged and unwavering. I humbly ask for your vote on June 9 so I can continue being your district 2 Board of Education representative!

More information about Josh Hinton is available on his Facebook page and campaign website.

About Clayton 1429 Articles
Clayton Carte is the founder and owner of MHF News. He founded the site in 2017 to highlight transportation projects. Over time, he began covering other topics like new development so residents can best know what’s happening in our community.