Why Public Schools Are Our Community's Smartest Investment

There are few things that bind a community together like public schools. If you don’t believe me, then go to a football game on a Friday night this fall. For example, at Hickory Ridge High School, you’ll see thousands of family, friends, and neighbors in attendance to see two teams, who have practiced for months (beginning in the scorching summer days of late July), in preparation for that very night. Almost all of those players will never play a down of football after high school, so they are not there for the scouts or trophies - they are there for each other, and to represent their school with pride.

You will see one of the state’s top marching bands perform at halftime, as well as support the team with their horns and drums during the game.

You’ll see hundreds of students dressed in whatever the theme is for that game, chanting and cheering for the Raging Bulls.

It is a uniquely American experience, and something that we should take immense pride in.

Athletics and extracurriculars are only one aspect of what our public schools provide, but are one of the many reasons that I am such a strong supporter of our public school system. Yes, public schools are about educating our students, and preparing them for college or trade school (if they chose to go that route) as well as the challenges and rewards of being an adult. However, it’s about so much more than grades and tests. A robust school system is statistically linked to increased property values and lower crime rates, therefore protecting the “investment” property owners have made in their neighborhood. Our public schools are the connective tissue of our community, and they are an investment in our collective future.

That is the main reason I am so frustrated and disappointed in our state legislature’s inability (or unwillingness) to pass a budget, because they are, in essence, giving our teachers a pay decrease, while also not providing funding for the services and goods needed to keep the schools running properly.

And the recent decision by our state’s Supreme Court to dismiss the Leandro case is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae that is our state leadership’s intentional disinvestment of our public school system. In case you weren’t aware, here’s what the Leandro dismissal means for Cabarrus County Schools (https://everychildnc.org/leandro-impact-analysis-2/):

• $8.2M less funding for children with disabilities

• $15.9M less funding for at-risk and disadvantaged children

• 27% less funding for our school district

That decision by our Supreme Court does not change the fact that we are obligated to provide each child in our county with a “sound, basic education” (per the North Carolina Constitution). But it does change how funding will be allocated for our schools. It means that more money will come out of our county’s taxpayers wallets, and less will come from the state.

It also means:

• More crowded classrooms and less teacher assistants

• More money coming from our teacher’s pockets to cover the basic needs of their classrooms

• Less social workers, counselors, and nurses to deal with the increasing mental health crises of our kids

• Less extracurricular activities, or more money out of parent’s pockets to cover the costs of those activities

What our schools need from the Board of Commissioners is a collaborative partner who will listen, and fight for CCS with our state legislators to get the funding we deserve. If elected, I will be the schools biggest cheerleader, and dedicated partner committed to swift, sensible budget agreements.

I am the product of our state’s public school system, and have a son in CCS right now (and a daughter who will start in 2027). It is vitally important that my children, and the 35,000+ active students in CCS, have the best education possible. Our kids deserve it, and I will make it a priority to make our school system the envy of the state.