Meet the candidates: Brunswick County Board of Education, District 3, Republican primary

Two Republicans have put their names in as candidates for District 3 of the Brunswick County Board of Education

The race includes the current incumbent of the District 3 seat and a newcomer seeking out the nomination as the Republican candidate for the district.

Primary elections are scheduled for May 17. One-Stop early voting will begin on Thursday, April 28. The winner in the primary will face William Flythe, the only Democrat who filed as a candidate for the race.

Todd Coring

• Age: 48

• Occupation: Law enforcement officer

• Family: Wife, Angela; daughter, Emily, and son-in-law, Nathan

• Education: Attended Brunswick County Schools throughout grade school, then graduated from Brunswick County Community College

• Political affiliation: Republican

Robin Moffitt

• Age: Did not provide

• Occupation: Vice president of Moffitt Builders, Inc.

• Family: Husband, Randy, three children

• Education: Bachelor's degree in elementary education with a minor in psychology from Appalachian State University

• Political affiliation: Republican

What are some top issues you want to address and why?

Coring: Safe schools: we have to adapt and grow school safety measures to assure the safest environment for our students and our staff. Employee support: providing the very best for our employees is of great importance. This includes competitive pay for all staff, teachers, teachers’ assistants, bus drivers, custodial staff - all those who enrich our students’ lives and education. Not only does this help our students, but assists with recruiting and retention. Attention to infrastructure: meeting the needs of a growing infrastructure is key. Students and staff deserve the very best learning environment. Our facilities must meet the needs of our growing resident and student populations.

Moffitt: I believe learning losses experienced by the students from the pandemic needs to be addressed. This is a very serious issue. I believe we should use every tool available to remediate students and bring them up to grade level as much as possible. Many students fell behind and it is imperative that we address this in our county. Another issue that needs to be addressed is the recruiting and retention of teachers. Brunswick County has worked hard to increase teacher supplements and offer signing bonuses for critical teaching areas such as math, exceptional children, and career and technical education classes.

What involvement have you had in the district and why would you be a good representative of your community?

Coring: I first served with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years, rising through the ranks to Lieutenant, then eight years as a school resource officer. I am currently serving as the chief of police for the city of Southport. I have also served the city as an Alderman of Southport for two terms; I resigned the position in 2018 when hired as chief of police. Recently, I was recognized as the Police Chief of the Year, local and statewide, by the American Legion. Since 1991, I have served as a volunteer firefighter with the Southport Fire Department. Since filing, I have been attending school board meetings to better educate myself on the current status of our schools. I feel I have a unique combination of experience that would help me as a school board member.

Moffitt: I currently serve on the Brunswick County Board of Education for District 3. While serving on the board, it has allowed me to gain experience in board policy, curriculum, operations and maintenance, personnel issues, funding and finances, and demographic studies in the growth of our county. I am also a parent of two Brunswick County graduates, and I currently have a sophomore at South Brunswick High School. I have always been involved in the school system, through the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization), the PAC (Parent Advisory Committee) the Booster Club, and volunteering wherever needed.

What do you think schools should do to make up for instructional time lost during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Coring: I think schools should increase partnerships with groups such as Communities in Schools, voluntary summer school programs, small group learning sessions, and intervention programs. There are also clubs such as the Kiwanis and Lions Clubs that may have ideas and volunteers ready to help. It’s also important to engage staff, parents, and administration to assure all are heard and their ideas being brought forth.

Moffitt: I believe we should use every tool available to remediate students, tutor students, and also offer summer help programs. Now that the pandemic is behind us, I believe we need to focus and come up with ways to remediate our students. Areas of focus should be in math and reading especially.

What would you like to see done to address the teacher shortage and burnout school staff are experiencing?

Coring: I think that teachers need to be valued as the hardworking professionals that they are. Unfortunately, they do not always feel that way. We need to ensure that we look for ways to recruit, retain, and support our teachers: pay incentives, supportive administrators, and a responsive school board. I would like to see a serious conversation started with the board and administrators to address this very serious issue.

Moffitt: Brunswick County has worked hard to increase teacher supplements, and the county has also given a bonus to staff for all the effort they put towards educating our students during COVID. Our teacher advisory committee works hard to address issues and concerns among staff and reports to the board monthly. I want to hear the concerns coming from the staff so that the needs of students can better be addressed. I believe it is important to also create a positive culture within our school system so that teachers feel supported, students are excited about learning, and schools are a positive place to be.

How do you plan to promote cooperation and communication between the school board, district and constituents?

Coring: Communications is key. Board members have many responsibilities, and some of the most important include listening to the community and collaborating with all stakeholders. Being responsive and approachable to these stakeholders is key.

Moffitt: It is important to be available to parents in our community. Open lines of communication are very important when addressing issues. While serving on the Board, I feel I have always been available through email and by phone. It is important to be a good listener and participate in discussions during meetings. I am passionate about bridging the lines of communication among parents, the board and the staff. It has been a pleasure to work with so many great principals and the central office staff during my tenure on the Board.

Reporter Sydney Hoover can be reached at 910-343-2339 or shoover@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Brunswick County Board of Education Republican candidates, District 3