School Board candidates met last week with a member of The Pilot’s editorial board. I sat in on three of the meetings (as an observer, not a participant) to hear what they had to say. Each candidate had roughly a half-hour to share their thoughts on the school budget, discipline and other topics.

Here are some of the highlights from the interview with Thelma Hinton. I’ll post information about the others I observed later.

Hinton, one of two candidates who will appear on the ballot for the Nansemond Borough, said residents should vote for her because “I know the community. I have crossed racial barriers.” Hinton touted her Suffolk roots – she grew up in Hollywood – and her work with disabled and disadvantaged children. She also said her time on the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners had helped her build leadership skills. “I listen to the voices of the community,” she said.

The School Board should look at bus purchases, textbook purchases and field trips when considering how to trim the budget, Hinton said. Also, the board should take a close look at the number of employees at the administrative level to see if any jobs overlap, she said. After-school programs and the International Baccalaureate college prep program in the works at King’s Fork High School are two things that should not be sacrificed, she said.

As for tackling discipline problems, Hinton said the schools need more mentorship programs, perhaps in partnership with local ministers. Other solutions, Hinton added, include expanding vocational programs, engaging more parents, and teaching students in secondary grades about life skills, bully prevention, peer pressure and gang awareness.

-- Hattie Brown Garrow