The five individuals on the General Election ballot vying for three seats on the Calvert County Board of Education (BOE) spent an hour answering questions from residents of Asbury Solomons Friday, Oct. 26. The candidates’ forum was sponsored jointly by the retirement community’s Democrat and Republican clubs. In addition to the residents, the candidates received a few questions from Calvert Education Association President Debbie Russ.
In response to a question asked by Marie Andrews the candidates appeared to agree that more state money would be needed in order to expand early childhood education.
“The earlier you get a child started the better,” said Rose Crunkleton , who is running for reelection in the Third Election District. Crunkleton added she did not favor “all day” prekindergarten, stating that would be “overboard” for small children.
In response to Nell Bowen’s question about how Calvert County Public Schools could address the clamor for better qualified workers, the candidates praised the county’s Career and Technology Academy and programs such as STEM and Project Lead-the-Way. Of the school system’s recent partnership with Patuxent Naval Air Station, Second Election District incumbent Tracy McGuire said “I’m excited about it.”
Russ asked about providing pay step increases to teachers in the next fiscal year’s budget. “I believe the money is there,” said Third Election District candidate Kelly McConkey. “We have to get it from the [county] commissioners.” McConkey identified the money that is being held in reserve as the funding source for teachers’ raises. McConkey added that the BOE needed to look for “inefficiencies”
Both First Election District candidates—Joe R. Chenelly and Cliff Savoy—agreed that weeding out unneeded items from the operating budget might be the key to finding the money to pay teachers more. “Look at the budget very tightly,” said Savoy, who warne
