Four candidates compete for one Frankton-Lapel school board seat

Oct. 28—ANDERSON — Three newcomers and one unsuccessful former candidate are competing for one at-large seat on the Frankton-Lapel School Board.

Seth Bays, Doug Garber, Brittney Hall and George "Geep" Harrison each hopes to claim victory when voters go to the polls Nov. 8.

Bays' family is on its third generation to attend school in the district. Though he has no children attending Frankton-Lapel schools yet, he expects to have two there within the next couple of years.

"I'm a direct product of this community, and it's just my way of giving back," the Stony Creek Township farmer said.

Though he doesn't have experience as a political candidate, Bays, 32, said he believes his experience serving on a co-op advisory board as a liaison with local farmers will be helpful.

He also started his post-secondary education as an elementary education major at IUPUI. However, farming on the weekends brought him back to the land.

"The farther I got in my education, the more my heart went back to the farm."

Still, Bays said he maintains ties to education through his wife, Molly, who was a teacher at Frankton-Lapel Jr.-Sr. High School but now serves as an administrator for the online program.

"Just with her being there and knowing our kids will be helpful to me keeping in touch with what's going on."

Among the issues most important to him, Bays said, are the urban sprawl that's pushing Indianapolis' population northward and makes pressure on the schools likely. He also is concerned about a successful exit for students from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When a problem comes along, I can think on my toes and work with other individuals to solve problems."

As a father with three children in the Frankton-Lapel school system, Garber said he believes he has a good handle on what's happening because he has children in three buildings.

"I think it's really important for us to have students in the district so we have a finger on the pulse of what is going on," he said.

"I think we have done a good job, and I would like to continue to do that."

An engineer, Garber, 43, has lived in Lapel for more than 20 years.

"I would like to continue the good work our board has done," he said. "I would fight for everybody's kids, not just my own."

However, one area Garber said needs improvement is transparency.

"I think parents and the community need to know what votes are coming up and make their wishes known," he said. "There are a lot of issues important to me, but I certainly believe transparency will fix a lot of them."

Garber describes himself as "conservative as you get." To that end, he said he wants to keep critical race theory out of the schools.

CRT, which examines the effects of race and ethnicity on law, social and political movements, has become controversial over the past couple of years because of a false narrative that it is offered in K-12 education. None of the districts in Madison County offers or plans to offer CRT.

"That should be taught at home, if they desire," he said. "I think that's divisive for our students. I think it's harmful for their growth."

Though Hall, 34, has never run for office, as chief deputy of the Madison County Clerk's Office, she certainly knows many who have.

"I've seen the division in government get worse," she said. "I have seen children used in politics in other school districts. It's alarming. I haven't seen it in Frankton-Lapel schools, and I want to make sure that doesn't happen."

Hall said she believes her 15 years of government experience, which includes finance, human resources and communication, makes her uniquely suited to be a member of the school board.

"I know how government operates. I'm not deeply rooted in the local politics. I'm more concerned about the children."

Unlike the other candidates, Hall's children attend Indiana Christian Academy rather than Frankton-Lapel schools.

"I will move them, but I would like them to have a conservative upbringing before I move them. I will move them in middle school."

The issue most on Hall's mind is the state's voucher program that allows tax money to be diverted from public education so parents can send their children to the private schools of their choice.

"Children like mine can leave the district. I know there are a lot of people who want to be in the district, but there are also other people looking around for another curriculum."

A lifelong resident of Frankton, Harrison, 45, is the only at-large candidate with prior campaign experience, following an unsuccessful run for the school board in 2020.

"I want to help make decisions that are good for our students. I want to make decisions that are good for our teachers and help them succeed," said the father of two Frankton-Lapel graduates and two current students.

Ensuring Frankton-Lapel schools remain desirable means limiting class sizes, said Harrison, blood bank supervisor at Community Hospital Anderson.

That could mean looking at the number of transfer students from other nearby districts and limiting them to reduce population pressure, which can put additional pressure on teachers and decrease the quality of education. he said.

"I know that helps because it brings money into the district, which is a great thing, but we want to make sure we can maintain the quality of education."

Some board members also have discussed the construction of a new high school in Frankton, though former Superintendent Bobby Fields denied anything was in the works.

Still, the possibility of add-ons and new construction at one or more buildings is a possibility, Harrison said.

"I want to make sure we are making decisions our taxpayers want."

Follow Rebecca R. Bibbs on Twitter at @RebeccaB_THB, or call 765-640-4883.