BAINBRIDGE – For the each of the last three elections, Bainbridge-Guilford residents have had little choice at the polls, with the number of candidates equaling the number of open seats on the district’s board of education. This year, however, three candidates are vying for two vacancies, both carry a three year term.
The seats are currently held by Howard Lockhart and Jeanne Shields. Both are running for re-election. They will be joined on the ballot by challenger Patrick McElligott.
In the order they will appear on the ballot:
Howard Lockhart is completely his first three-year term on the B-G school board.
“My reason for joining the board was to find out why the taxes kept increasing so much,” he said. “And rather than complain, I decided to get a first hand look.” After first serving a year on the district’s budget advisory committee, he ran for a seat on the board in 2008. He is now seeking a second term in office.
Lockhart believes he offers a “unique perspective” to the board since he was not born and raised in the area. A Rochester native, he moved to the district in 2002. He and his wife have three children.
“I bring to the table experience in business and the private sector,” said Lockhart, an engineer who has worked for Mineral Technologies for 34 years.
“I would like to think that I am on the side of the district, the taxpayer and the employees,” Lockhart said, explaining that he uses the skills he employs in his professional role “to analyze current situations and forecast to provide ideas and future direction” for the district.
He says the school has done a “good job” of staying to its priorities of providing a quality of education to help all students reach their potential as members of society, and bringing “a sense of identity and pride” to the community. But he does see room for improvement.
“Better communications both internally and externally to the community, clearly defined higher expectation levels for both students and employees, and resolution of fair teacher and support staff contracts are needed to take B-G to the next level of achievement,” he said.
Patrick McElligott is making his first run for school board.
