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Beth Harris
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Beth Harris was the District 8 representative on the Muscogee County Board of Education in Georgia from 2010 to 2014. She was elected to the board in 2010. Harris lost her re-election bid against challenger Frank Myers in the general election on May 20, 2014.
Elections
2014
Beth Harris ran against Frank Myers in the general election on May 20, 2014.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Frank Myers |
64.4% | 1,509 | |
| Nonpartisan | Beth Harris Incumbent | 35.6% | 833 | |
| Total Votes | 2,342 | |||
| Source: Georgia Secretary of State, "Official County Results," accessed June 10, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Harris reported $600.00 in contributions and $464.50 in expenditures to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, leaving her campaign with $135.50 on hand prior to the election.[1]
Endorsements
Harris received no official endorsements in this election.
Campaign themes
2014
Harris explained her themes for the 2014 campaign in an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer:
| “ |
Should the school district divide into three regions -- east, west and central -- as proposed by the superintendent? Superintendent Lewis believes this organization will give him greater supervisory effectiveness, improve student achievement and help us deal with the reduction of State funding. I support his efforts to increase administrative efficiency. Should every school have the exact same resources? The majority of the money to operate our district comes from the State with distinct stipulations attached to each group of funds. An example is the fact that special needs students receive higher funding per student; therefore, the higher percentage of special needs students a school has, the more funds that school receives. We are bound to obey the State funding formula. Expenditures per student should be equal, but resources might be differentiated based on needs, the state funding formula, or school-based decisions. Was the school board right to vote against then-superintendent Susan Andrews' appointments in May 2012? Superintendents recommend principals. Boards vote on the recommendations. In Georgia, elected boards hire, fire, and evaluate superintendents. Boards are never expected to rubber stamp a superintendent's decisions, nor should they attempt to dictate them. Superintendents, board chairs, and other board members should work to assure everyone is on the same page. When communication, trust, or the flow of information is impeded, embarrassing situations can occur. A majority of the board members individually determined they weren't ready to affirm these recommendations. This incident could have been avoided had there been better communication and a better working relationship among all parties. Andrews pulled one of her recommendations "in the best interest" of the candidate. She could and should have done so with them all. I believe she knew the majority didn't support her. She was probably the ONLY person in that room who was NOT surprised, yet we took the heat. If elected, will you support another special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST)? As the end of the current SPLOST approaches we will assess how many projects we were able to complete and what our pressing needs are. I support efficiency; prudent, conservative transparent spending; and, adequate funding for our students. Columbus residents have shown that we prefer temporary sales taxes over property tax increases. In the Muscogee County School District, SPLOST funds have been a lifesaver in the past. I will support a future SPLOST if the superintendent and board, with the advice and counsel of citizens, deem such a measure to be necessary. Should the school district open up the bidding process for law firms? The Muscogee County School District is not required to put professional services out for bids. A research study completed in January 2014, at the request of Superintendent Lewis, indicated that bidding out legal services is not practiced by most Georgia and Alabama school districts. The main reasons included the varied areas of specialization required and the quality of work. Another important factor is the development of a long-term relationship. This study can be accessed at www.muscogee.k12.ga.us. Search the website for "Hanover Legal Services Report" to view the entire study. The law firm is hired for one year at a time by a vote of the board at the recommendation of the superintendent. I support keeping that process in place. |
” |
| —Ledger-Enquirer, (2014) | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Beth + Harris + Muscogee + County + Schools + Georgia"
See also
- Muscogee County School District, Georgia
- Muscogee County School District elections (2014)
- Flurry of school board elections heading to ballots in Georgia, New York
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Department of the Columbus, Georgia Consolidated Government, "Campaign Finance Disclosures," accessed May 16, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ledger-Enquirer, "Q&A with Muscogee County School Board District 8 candidates," April 23, 2014
| 2014 Muscogee County School District Elections | |
| Muscogee County, Georgia | |
| Election date: | May 20, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District 2: • Victor Morales • John "Bart" Steed • John F. Thomas • John Wells District 4: • Naomi Buckner |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
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