The New Bloomfield Parent-Teacher Association will host a forum for the four candidates seeking election on the New Bloomfield Board of Education.
Incumbents Gracia Backer, Craig Abbott and Debbie Cuno along with challenger Megan Haas are vying for three seats on the school board. They will each have an opportunity to answer five questions on Tuesday, April 1, starting at 6 p.m. in the New Bloomfield High School cafeteria.
Backer, the board's current president, told the Fulton Sun in January that she wants to continue the school's progression in terms of finances and textbook and technology scheduling. While addressing curriculum changes with Common Core, Backer said she wants the district to develop facilities and maintenance plans and stress the importance of attendance.
Abbott also said previously that he wants New Bloomfield to put technology at the forefront in order to further student achievement because students are facing a "technology-driven era." He also stated his goal of increasing communication between the school and the community to create a stronger bond between the two.
Cuno's main focus, as she stated earlier this year, is on teachers and curriculum. Cuno is hoping the district can bring back educational programs cut from when it struggled financially. A concern of hers was the fact that New Bloomfield Schools has one part-time music teacher. Cuno also said she would like to see the early childhood and Parents As Teachers programs be maintained and possibly expanded.
In a previous Fulton Sun article, Haas said her biggest goal is to ensure students are prepared for college or the workforce and more specifically would like to be a part of increasing school security and enhancing the school's financial situation.