I am married to my wife, Cindy. We have two kids and one grandchild. We are members of Antioch Baptist Church.
Bryant
I believe that I can initiate ideas to help our kids get a better education and get some real life experience. In my past on the BOE I got our kids (125) involved with building Habitat homes and we put interactive boards in every classroom also my idea .
1. In 2008, the County Commissioners, Stokes County Schools, and Forsyth Technical Community College established a partnership that resulted in the creation of a community college and a Cooperative Innovative High School in Stokes County. The Forsyth Tech Stokes County Center opened in 2010 and the campus has grown from one modular building to four structures, two modular buildings occupied by Stokes Early College High School and two brick and mortar buildings occupied by Forsyth Tech. The Early College provides a unique opportunity for Stokes County students to earn a college degree or trades certificate at little cost while in high school with a focus on first generation college students, students at risk of dropping out, and the underserved.
Since its inception, the Early College has over 450 graduates with over 70% earning a degree or trades certificate. The Forsyth Tech Stokes Center offers courses for Stokes Early College students, traditional Stokes County High School students, and general population students in the following areas: General Education College Transfer Courses, Welding, Electrical, Plumbing, and nursing classes for CNA, LPN, and RN, as well as a GED program. Other classes have been taught as well, such as Firefighting classes and American Sign Language.
How should the county continue to support and maintain these two programs that have been in existence for over 15 years and what is your vision for this partnership? What growth would you like to see at the Meadows Facility?
A: I support the Early College High School program 100% . I will continue supporting it 100% if I get elected . I have met with the President and administration of Forsyth Tech while previously serving on the BOE. I would like to see our CTE program expand and Forsyth Tech is a great option for us to do so with funding so low.
I would like for the modular buildings to be replaced with brick and mortar for safety of our kids and to be able to support more kids going there. We need to be able for our kids to go there and take a class in the trades or one needed for college even if they are not enrolled there. I want more opportunities for a better education for all our kids than they have now. We have some kids taking online classes and some kids are not good at online classes and need better instruction opportunities.
2. Have you volunteered in Stokes County Schools recently? Do you homeschool or have your children in charter or religious schools or are they in Stokes County Schools?
A: My kids are grown, 37 and 24 are their ages. I also have a five year old granddaughter who attends another school district. I see and understand that there are generational differences, so I see what we went through 50 years ago until now. I see what our kids go through with technology that we never considered before, some good and some not so good. I want to make sure that we keep as much of the bad stuff out of our kids schools and lives.
I have attended job fairs in the past and have been in and out of different schools while on the BOE for a previous term. During those times I realized that we have an awesome staff that loves our kids and and serving our kids whether they are teachers or custodial or child nutrition or bus drivers, etc.. I want to retain our quality staff and hopefully with the right commissioners we can get our supplement closer to like size counties than it is now. How many of us still remember certain teachers and staff who made an exceptional difference in our lives….. think about it.
I do understand why parents enroll their kids in other types of schools than public. I support their right to choose 100% . What I want our BOE to do is improve our educational opportunities for pre-K through 12 students and make sure some of the political mess like CRT for example is kept out of our schools. We need to educate and not indoctrinate. Our kids need reading, writing (cursive, too) and arithmetic along with life skills and training. Then if we make our schools product better hopefully all parents have another choice and come back to SCS.
3. Do you feel we need to close schools? Why or why not?
I don’t think that we need to close any schools. Our schools are pretty good right now as far as ADM. We need to see what our schools population is like in a few years county wide.
I do know that King Elementary School needs to be replaced; it is our second oldest school building and in by far the worst shape. I don’t think we need to wait 8-10 more years either . It takes 4-5 years from start to finish to build a school and if we wait 4-5 more years to get started like some of the sitting commissioners want then we will be way behind with the growth going on in King.
I don’t believe that we need to “Consolidate, Move The District Lines, and Add On To Existing Schools” to not build a new King Elementary as a group of individuals who support some other candidates want to. If we do that, we will have to redistrict every elementary in the county to put the kids in from King Elementary School when they close it .
4. Do you support the Leandro court decision? Why or why not?
A: Yes. Even though it sometimes puts a small burden on the school system; I truly believe each and every child deserves a sound basic education !!
John TurpinI am a K-12 Stokes County School Graduate and I have a Vocational Technical Degree in Surveying and Electrical. I am a former County Commissioner, and I served as Chairman for Danbury Planning Board, Chairman Stokes County Crime Stoppers, Danbury Republican Precinct Chairman and a 28 year Walnut Cove business owner.
Turpin
1. In 2008, the County Commissioners, Stokes County Schools, and Forsyth Technical Community College established a partnership that resulted in the creation of a community college and a Cooperative Innovative High School in Stokes County. The Forsyth Tech Stokes County Center opened in 2010 and the campus has grown from one modular building to four structures, two modular buildings occupied by Stokes Early College High School and two brick and mortar buildings occupied by Forsyth Tech. The Early College provides a unique opportunity for Stokes County students to earn a college degree or trades certificate at little cost while in high school with a focus on first generation college students, students at risk of dropping out, and the underserved.
Since its inception, the Early College has over 450 graduates with over 70% earning a degree or trades certificate. The Forsyth Tech Stokes Center offers courses for Stokes Early College students, traditional Stokes County High School students, and general population students in the following areas: General Education College Transfer Courses, Welding, Electrical, Plumbing, and nursing classes for CNA, LPN, and RN, as well as a GED program. Other classes have been taught as well, such as Firefighting classes and American Sign Language.
How should the county continue to support and maintain these two programs that have been in existence for over 15 years and what is your vision for this partnership? What growth would you like to see at the Meadows Facility?
A: We have had great success with the partnership with Forsyth Tech. One indicator is our high graduation rate as well as our school grade of an A. I would like to continue this relationship with Forsyth Tech by increasing Work Force readiness, and offering appropriate courses to support the growing industry. A way to improve upon workforce readiness is to help our three new businesses moving in the county. Businesses we have coming into the county are Novant, The Data Center and Carrollwood Farms. We can partner with Forsyth Tech to address the skill set needed to support these businesses, and a goal of obtaining a trades certificate. Whether it be specific healthcare patient care skills, AI and computer technology or hospitality skills. Each industry will create a substantial amount of jobs that will need filling here locally. We can grow our partnership to encompass these new upcoming industries within Stokes County and facilitate the opportunity for local well paying jobs. Growth I would like to see at the Meadows Facility would include increased course offerings for our new businesses and the expansion of Skilled Vocational courses. These work skills are needed because all of our trades being plumbers, carpenters and electricians are aging out of their career field, which are high demand, high paying jobs.
2. Have you volunteered in Stokes County Schools recently? Do you homeschool or have your children in charter or religious schools or are they in Stokes County Schools?
A: I have volunteered with students who are the children of friends and family members to better understand the modern curriculum. I have seen how our youth are struggling with some of the basic foundations of education. While I know many youth that love Stokes County Schools and all it has to offer. I will work to continuously improve education for the 5,500 students in Stokes County Schools, and be responsible for each student’s success. I do not have any conflicts or preference toward one area of the county. I will represent all areas of the county equally and I want each student to have equal opportunity to education regardless of their zip code.
3. Do you feel we need to close schools? Why or why not?
A: We do NOT need to close schools. So far, some of the current board with the help of Dwayne Bryant closed two schools, Lawsonville, and Pine Hall. These schools were not required to even be closed until a grant was obtained. The board closed the schools before the grant was even submitted and went against the suggestion of the county commissioners who in a joint meeting between the school board and the commissioners on Nov. 2, 2023 urged the school board NOT to close the schools until a plan with public buy-in was obtained. The main argument is that the school board would have obtained the grant the first time if the commissioners would have approved their non-qualifying plan. Truth be told, one of the main criteria of the grant, labeled “ Facility Replacement”, states “Projects that will consolidate two or more schools into one new facility. So the two closed schools would have had to have been combined into one new school which did not happen. They were not even located near one another. The school closures did not save the school system any money and only displaced families, students and staff. Also creating longer bus rides for students having to travel from King all the way to Lawsonville.
4. Do you support the Leandro court decision? Why or why not?
A: Leandro v. State of North Carolina (1997) established that our state constitution guarantees every child the right to a “sound basic education” and that the responsibility for ensuring that standard ultimately rests with the state, not solely with local school districts. As a school board candidate, I recognize that while local boards manage and oversee our schools, the constitutional responsibility defined in Leandro belongs to the state and I do not support any liberal woke curriculums forced on us through this potential change. Yes each county needs adequate equal support but not when it comes at the cost of a San Francisco based assessment. Lets be sure these decisions are being made more local and by leaders who share our conservative values. As a school board candidate, our role, locally, is to use the resources we receive wisely, advocate for our students and ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed. I will maximize school funds to the classroom, not bureaucracy.
Thomas Sands
My name is Thomas Sands. I am a lifelong Republican and resident of Stokes County. I have a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology and a Masters in Construction and Facilities Management from UNC Charlotte. My wife, Abigail, and I chose Stokes County to raise our three young children. We attend Chestnut Grove Church, I am currently serving on the board for Stokes County Habitat for Humanity, and I regularly volunteer to give back to our community.
Sands
I am running for Board of Education because we need leadership that can bring a fresh perspective while making sure we do not lose what makes Stokes County Schools strong: close-knit, supportive communities, parental involvement, and placing students first. I believe we can build on and expand opportunities Stokes County Schools can provide every student to help them become productive, contributing citizens of Stokes County for generations to come.
1. In 2008, the County Commissioners, Stokes County Schools, and Forsyth Technical Community College established a partnership that resulted in the creation of a community college and a Cooperative Innovative High School in Stokes County. The Forsyth Tech Stokes County Center opened in 2010 and the campus has grown from one modular building to four structures, two modular buildings occupied by Stokes Early College High School and two brick and mortar buildings occupied by Forsyth Tech. The Early College provides a unique opportunity for Stokes County students to earn a college degree or trades certificate at little cost while in high school with a focus on first generation college students, students at risk of dropping out, and the underserved.
Since its inception, the Early College has over 450 graduates with over 70% earning a degree or trades certificate. The Forsyth Tech Stokes Center offers courses for Stokes Early College students, traditional Stokes County High School students, and general population students in the following areas: General Education College Transfer Courses, Welding, Electrical, Plumbing, and nursing classes for CNA, LPN, and RN, as well as a GED program. Other classes have been taught as well, such as Firefighting classes and American Sign Language.
How should the county continue to support and maintain these two programs that have been in existence for over 15 years and what is your vision for this partnership? What growth would you like to see at the Meadows Facility?
A: We should be incredibly proud of the alumni from Stokes Early College. By focusing on first-generation college students and other applicants who, for a variety of reasons, benefit from a non-traditional setting, this program has not just educated students; it has changed family trajectories and strengthened our local workforce in critical areas like nursing, welding, and the trades.
However, this is not the time to be satisfied with the status quo, this is a foundation to build upon. After 15 years, we must ask: How do we maximize the potential of the campus that has been established?
My vision for the next phase of this partnership is to transform the facilities at the Stokes Early College/Forsyth Tech Stokes Center into a bustling hub of advanced learning throughout the entire school day, specifically targeting the “scheduling gaps” that many high school upperclassmen experience.
We have state-of-the-art facilities that should never sit empty. Here is the plan to drive this growth. Many juniors and seniors in our traditional high schools often have gaps in their schedules, periods where they have exhausted basic electives or have free blocks. We should utilize the existing infrastructure at the SEC/FTSC campus to offer advanced, college-level courses and certificates during these specific windows. To make this accessible for families, I would challenge the administration to come up with a plan to sort out the logistical hurdles for Stokes County Schools to provide transportation. We can implement a busing schedule designed to pick up upperclassmen during their schedule gaps, transport them to that campus for an advanced lab or lecture, and return them to their home high school. This removes the barrier of travel and/or evening classes and ensures equity for students regardless of whether they have a personal vehicle.
While our current trade and general education classes are excellent, we can use this new influx of daytime students to expand higher-level coursework offerings at the SEC/FTSC, while providing more introductory level classes at our traditional campuses, taught by current Stokes County Schools CTE teachers. This model could also be utilized for students without access to CCP (Career College Promise) courses at their home schools with minimal impact on per-pupil funding at traditional high schools.
To support and maintain these programs, we should view this under-utilized facility not just as a destination for Early College students, but as a centralized resource for every high school student in the county. By using the existing buildings for these classes and programs (including the trades), we increase the return on investment for the taxpayers, and most importantly, give our students opportunities for new skills and possibly a head start on their careers — without them ever having to leave the county.
2. Have you volunteered in Stokes County Schools recently? Do you homeschool or have your children in charter or religious schools or are they in Stokes County Schools?
A: I am an active volunteer and have a strong record of being committed to our public school system. I have volunteered at both Walnut Cove and Germanton Elementary for their science days. I have also stepped in to drive a school bus for morning routes for multiple schools and an activity bus for West Stokes band. I have helped cover various field trips when drivers and chaperones could not be found to ensure our students didn’t miss out on these experiences.
One of my three children is currently a student in the district, another receives essential physical, occupational, and speech therapies through the school system and will begin Pre-K in the fall, and my youngest will join them in the next few years.
My family is fully invested in Stokes County Schools and we do not utilize charter, religious, or homeschool options. I understand these are good options for many families and they should be available for them to choose from. Every parent has the right to do what they feel is best for their children.
3. Do you feel we need to close schools? Why or why not?
No, we do not need to close any more schools at this time. Our students, staff, and families are just now settling into the new layout of the district, and providing a period of stability is essential for fostering a productive learning environment. We should take this time to look inward and identify opportunities to modernize and improve the facilities we currently have. By investing in our existing infrastructure and refining our district policies to better serve our communities, we can actively encourage families to choose Stokes County Schools over other options. Our focus should be on driving enrollment growth and implementing recruitment strategies that allow us to utilize every one of our schools to its full potential, ensuring that our rural communities remain vibrant and our students have local access to high-quality education.
The question of the Leandro decision is complex, but from a perspective that values both conservative principles and the survival of our rural public schools, my answer is: We can support the constitutional goal of Leandroby remaining vigilant in faithfully serving every student’s needs until there is legislative and judicial resolution.
Leandro is about a promise made in the North Carolina Constitution: that every child, regardless of where they live, has the right to a “sound basic education.” For those of us in rural, underfunded areas like Stokes County, this is a matter of basic fairness. We pay our taxes and work hard, yet our schools often lack the same level of resources, advanced courses, special needs programs and staff, as well as facility funding that wealthy urban districts take for granted. Our local tax base simply isn’t as large. Supporting the intent of this court case means advocating for a state funding formula that accounts for this reality while ensuring that a child’s zip code doesn’t determine their future.
However, as a Republican and constitutionalist, we must be wary of overreach. The power to tax and spend belongs to the people’s elected representatives in the General Assembly, not to an unelected expert or appointed consulting firm. Supporting Leandro shouldn’t mean handing over the state’s checkbook to the courts. Instead, the focus should be on our legislature taking the lead to honor its constitutional duty by creating a fair, student-centered funding model. This model should prioritize rural districts where the public school is not just an option, but the heartbeat of the community and the primary engine for our local workforce and economy. We don’t need a one-size-fits-all plan mandated from Raleigh; we need a system that treats rural students fairly and gives local boards the flexibility to use those funds where they are needed most.
Leslie Moore GhoslinI have been married to my husband, Jonathan Ghoslin for almost 13 years. We have 3 children. Our oldest son is 12 years old, our daughter is 11 years old, and our youngest son is almost 9 years old. I have an Associates and Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education, and a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. We are members of High Point Baptist Church in Stuart, VA, as well as members of the Lawsonville Ruritans Club.
Ghoslin
I am running for the Stokes County Board of Education because I believe Stokes County Schools is in need of a positive change and that our students, staff, parents, and members of our community deserve better.
1. In 2008, the County Commissioners, Stokes County Schools, and Forsyth Technical Community College established a partnership that resulted in the creation of a community college and a Cooperative Innovative High School in Stokes County. The Forsyth Tech Stokes County Center opened in 2010 and the campus has grown from one modular building to four structures, two modular buildings occupied by Stokes Early College High School and two brick and mortar buildings occupied by Forsyth Tech. The Early College provides a unique opportunity for Stokes County students to earn a college degree or trades certificate at little cost while in high school with a focus on first generation college students, students at risk of dropping out, and the underserved.
Since its inception, the Early College has over 450 graduates with over 70% earning a degree or trades certificate. The Forsyth Tech Stokes Center offers courses for Stokes Early College students, traditional Stokes County High School students, and general population students in the following areas: General Education College Transfer Courses, Welding, Electrical, Plumbing, and nursing classes for CNA, LPN, and RN, as well as a GED program. Other classes have been taught as well, such as Firefighting classes and American Sign Language.
How should the county continue to support and maintain these two programs that have been in existence for over 15 years and what is your vision for this partnership? What growth would you like to see at the Meadows Facility?
A: I believe the Forsyth Tech Center and the Early College are both great programs that Stokes County offers our youth. I would have loved to had a program like this while I was in school. I believe if the funding keeps coming in to have these programs, then we should keep utilizing them. Both programs are a great way for youth to kick start their careers after graduation. These programs open up many doors and opportunities for students to benefit from. I would like to see this partnership grow by possibly adding more variety of opportunities for students to consider.
2. Have you volunteered in Stokes County Schools recently? Do you homeschool or have your children in charter or religious schools or are they in Stokes County Schools?
A: I have not volunteered in Stokes County Schools. I did work for Stokes County Schools 9 months ago. I do attend all functions at my children’s school. My three children all attend Stokes County Schools.
3. Do you feel we need to close schools? Why or why not?
A: No I don’t believe that we should be closing schools. It is not fair to students to have to leave their school, go to a new school, have possible longer travel times to and from school, and have to start over at a new school. I believe there are ways that we can prevent this from happening.
4. Do you support the Leandro court decision? Why or why not?
A: Yes I support the Leandro Court Case. I believe that by increasing funding for rural, low income areas, these schools could have better resources (which is a must in education) and that it could improve student success.