What are your top goals if you’re elected?
One of the things, and why I even looked being on the School Board was that we’ve done a great job in our community with our schools, and I want that to continue, and I want to be able to work with our administration to keep this culture of learning going.
What are the biggest issues you think the schools are facing right now?
Right now it’s the decrease in enrollment due to the scholarship programs and homeschooling, and it’s something that is definitely a big issue. As people know, we were short about $2.9 million over that, and we’re funded pretty much directly through student enrollment, and another issue, the property taxes and stuff is coming up, so that’s our biggest challenge.
What are some changes that you’d like to see made in your next term?
Well, I’d like to work as a business person with a business background. I would like to see the school system utilize the talent when I say talent to business people in our community that can do a lot of the work and stuff at our schools. I think that’s something that we haven’t been as good with in the past, and I would, I would love to see us have a better business partnership with that, and I think with that it comes with some community pride and stuff toward our school system.
What are some things that the schools are doing well right now?
Well, even like Bell High School, it’s an “A” school. We’ve done very well across the board if you look at other districts. So I think the biggest thing is we just need to continue that program of how we’re doing things
What are some things the school board currently does you like to maintain going forward?
I would like to, like I said, continue being a good steward of our money, and to work at trying to create as much of a culture for learning in the classrooms for the teachers and the students.
What experience do you bring that will help you if you’re elected?
I have been in business in this community the past 31 years, and a successful business. And it has taught me a lot of decision making, and it’s taught me about how to spend my money wisely.
How the families that we support with our business, when I make a business decision, how it affects them, and I think that is something that is a big benefit, sitting down with our budgets and everything in our schools.
What makes you the best candidate in this race?
Back again, I think my experience with a business and the responsibility we’ve had to run that business, I think it’s something that we’re going to carry on with the schools.
Is there anything that we didn’t talk about that you feel like everyone needs to know?
Well, yes, my biggest thing is, what I like to tell people that maybe don’t know me is, you know, we all have little political slogans and stuff, and mine is “Rooted in Gilchrist and investing in the community.” My investment in our community didn’t start when I decided to be a School Board member, it started many years ago, and I’ve served on school advisories in Leon County and Gilchrist County. I have been on our booster club at Bell. My father was a graduate of Bell High School. I’m a graduate of Bell High School. My three children are graduates, and what I’m proud to say is all three of my kids are involved in the community like I have been, and coming through, I was on the board of directors with Gilchrist County Recreation Authority. When the lights went up on Field of Dreams. I can’t tell you the thousands of dollars that I’ve donated through students and sports. In fact, just as something that’s kind of funny, I went in to a little restaurant there in Trenton on Friday, and this young fellow came up to me, and he looks at me, and he goes, “Mister Roy?” He says, “Do you remember me? And I looked at him, and I said, “Yes, sir, I do.” And I got up, and we had a great embrace. But it’s somebody that I coached 25 years ago, and that lets you know, you know, you don’t think people notice things that are happening, but it’s neat when you’ve been able to come back and see somebody that you haven’t seen in quite some time that remembers you and thanks you for some of the things that you’ve done.