Jeremy V. Kilburn
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Jeremy V. Kilburn is a Republican who currently represents District 2 on the Walton County Board of Education in Georgia. He has served on the board since 2008. Kilburn defeated challenger Charles J. Wilson III in the primary election on May 20, 2014. He won re-election unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Kilburn earned his B.S. from the University of Missouri. He later earned a master's degree in poultry science from the University of Georgia. Kilburn also holds a J.D. from the University of Georgia. He currently works as an attorney specializing in corporate law. Kilburn and his wife have one child.[1]
Elections
2014
Jeremy V. Kilburn ran against Charles J. Wilson III in the Republican primary on May 20, 2014. He was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014, as there was no Democratic candidate.
Results
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Jeremy V. Kilburn Incumbent |
100% | 3,537 | |
| Total Votes | 3,537 | |||
| Source: Georgia Secretary of State, "Walton County Official Election Results," accessed December 19, 2014 | ||||
Primary
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jeremy V. Kilburn Incumbent |
67% | 962 | |
| Republican | Charles J. Wilson III | 33% | 473 | |
| Total Votes | 1,435 | |||
| Source: Georgia Secretary of State, "OFFICIAL COUNTY RESULTS," May 20, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Kilburn did not report any contributions or expenditures to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission as of May 20, 2014.[2]
Endorsements
Kilburn did not receive any official endorsements in this election.
Campaign themes
2014
Kilburn's campaign website explained his themes for the 2014 race:
| “ | Jeremy was appointed to the Walton Board of Education in March 2008, replacing the seat vacated by the retiring Bill Inabinet. He came to the board during a tumultuous time; the system had been recently released from is probationary status from the school accreditation agency, SACS. Disgruntled citizens, unhappy with the direction and leadership of the school system, frequented board meetings. In one of Jeremy’s first meetings, he challenged the proposed financial plan and budget. The proposal presented the board with the option of either cutting programs or increasing the millage rate. Through targeted cuts, the board was able to balance the system budget without increasing the millage rate or implementing the programmatic cuts originally proposed.
The following year, after the board appointed current Superintendent Gary Hobbs, Jeremy began to serve on the budget committee. He has continued this service to help manage the system’s finances during tough economic times. By the 2009-2010 school year, state funding dropped by almost $6 million (more than $500 per student), and the local tax digest was also beginning to decline. Jeremy and the rest of the board made revolutionary decisions, including the change to a family-friendly 160-day school calendar (one of the first counties to make such a change) to reduce costs in anticipation of the even more severe economic times to come. Through Jeremy’s forward thinking and leadership on the budget committee, the Walton County School system has been able to continue to function with far fewer furlough days and major programmatic cuts than many of the systems that surround us. Forward-thinking, conservative fiscal policies have saved our system and its employees from the financial despair that many other communities find themselves in. PROVEN LEADERSHIP In January of 2014, Kilburn was elected unanimously by his peers as the Chairman of the Walton County Board of Education. This honor is reflective of the confidence that fellow board members have in his leadership skills and his ability to advocate for students, teachers, and taxpayers alike. The recent SACS/AdvancED five-year audit resulted in high praise for the Walton County School Board and the system as a whole. An audit team from across the country spent a week within our school system, interviewing parents, teachers, administrators, and board members. The Walton County School District was awarded a score of 3.2 on its Education Quality score. The lead auditor commented, “rarely do I ever see a system score over 3.” In addition, the Walton County Board of Education was recently named a “Quality Board” by the Georgia School Boards Association; an honor bestowed on the top school boards in the state. The board is, under Jeremy’s leadership, working toward being awarded "Board of Distinction", a process requiring hours of additional governance training and the achievement of specific goals. The board recently learned that the state funding levels for the 2013-2014 school year were going to be increased and immediately took action to restore the furlough days that were in place, resulting in an immediate raise for our teachers for the remainder of the 2013-2014 school year. Due to the increased funding for the 2014-2015 school year, the budget committee has already recommended that the system begin restoring teacher and other positions to decrease class and ease the burden on school officials. The board also added four days to the 2014-2015 calendar. This type of forward planning is typical of board action during Jeremy’s years of service. INCREASING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT In spite of the shortened school calendar, less money in the budget, increasing enrollment and ever-changing, unfunded mandates from the state and federal governments, student achievement in Walton County schools has soared. County-wide graduation rates reached their highest point in 2013 (80.7%), with Monroe Area High School boasting one of the largest increases in the state, improving 24.51%. By setting high standards and expectations for the system and it’s superintendent, Jeremy and the Walton County Board of Education have proven that high expectations will be met with good results, even if money is tight. MEANINGFUL INNOVATION With the school board's vision and support, the eSMART program is a major innovation in Walton County and is the largest iPad one-to-one initiative in the state. Teachers are using technology more meaningfully to engage students in a digital classroom, enhancing learning and producing graduates who are prepared to compete in a 21st century economy. WALTON PROUD Jeremy and fellow board members have been instrumental in working with the Walton Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority to bring new businesses to Walton County and expand operations of existing companies. Kilburn actively supports the Walton Proud initiative, an initiative like no other in the State of Georgia, where public and private schools work together to tout their combined successes and strengths to promote the value of education system in our community.[3] |
” |
| —Jeremy V. Kilburn's campaign website, (2014) | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Jeremy + Kilburn + Walton + County + Schools + Georgia"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Jeremy Kilburn for Board of Education District 2, "Home," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ GA Easy File, "Search Results: Paulding," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jeremy Kilburn for Board of Education District 2, "Why Jeremy?" accessed May 20, 2014
| 2014 Walton County School District Elections | |
| Walton County, Georgia | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Lynn E. Hill District 2: • Jeremy V. Kilburn • Charles J. Wilson III |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
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