The current District 3 board member, Sarah Rockwell, is seeking re-election. She faces one challenger, Gregory Pelham. As it’s a non-partisan race, it will be open to all voters on the August primary ballot.
News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.
Recommended Videos
Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.
| NON-PARTISAN CANDIDATES |
Gregory Pelham
Occupation: Retired from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office after 16 years of service as a Case Manager for Teen Court, Pastor, and 40 years in Ministry
Age: (No response)
Family: Married to Valerie Jones-Pelham, we have 7 children, 12 grandchildren, I have done a great job spoiling them. I am blessed to have 2 sisters and one brother and over 70 nieces, and nephews who have children of their own.
Education: Continuing Education
Political experience: (No response)
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Finance and Budget, Student Academics, Truancy and Vocational Ed., Teacher Pay, School Closings.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I have over 30 years’ experience in the Education Field, from community involvement to working in schools, participating on many boards working directly with students and staff to facilitate a structure that assists our students to be successful in their future endeavors no matter what their current situation may be.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
Being an advocate for Parents, Students, and Community concerns, to always listen to the concerns that are presented.
Campaign website: None given
Campaign social media: Facebook
Sarah Rockwell
Occupation: I do not have a job outside serving as a school board member. Our school district has my complete focus. Previously, I have worked as a teacher, educational consultant for a DOE grant, adjunct professor, and academic advisor.
Age: 44
Family: My husband, Alex Rockwell, and I have two children. Devin is 16 and starting full time dual enrollment at Santa Fe College. Charlotte is 12 and attending Lincoln Middle School. Both of oir children have disabilities.
Education: I have bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Special Education from the University of Florida, concentrating on early childhood disabilities, reading disabilities, and Autism.
Political experience: I am currently serving on the Alachua County School Board for District 3. Prior to running for school board, I was involved in research, community service, and advocacy, working with Indivisible Gainesville, Babywearing International, and the Council for Exceptional Children.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
My top issue is improving academic achievement. Alachua county has very high racial and disability achievement gaps. We have made strides to narrow these gaps by introducing a science of reading based phonics program in grades K-2 and hiring reading and math specialists to support teachers. We need to continue this work, strengthening our classroom instruction and intervention programs.
Fiscal responsibility is also a critical issue. Increases to public education funding have not kept pace with inflation. In order to invest in students and the staff that directly support them, we must become more efficient and make tough choices. So far, we have saved approximately $2M per year by improving transportation efficiency and rezoning schools. We expect that number to increase to approximately $4M if planned changes continue over the next two years.
Finally, I am focused on advocating for strategic operations. Alachua County Public Schools serves about 25,000 students with a total budget of over half a million dollars. We are not a small district, and we need to stop operating like we are. When I joined the board, the majority of departments lacked standard operating procedures and there was no mechanism to ensure that district-wide initiatives were implemented at every school. In the last year, we have made significant improvements, including developing a district-wide multi-tiered system of supports to identify struggling students and provide them supports in a timely manner. I am committed to continuing this work.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I have a proven track record of increasing the number of A and B schools, decreasing the number of failing schools, and narrowing the racial achievement gap. I am committed to investing $100M into capital improvements in East Gainesville, including Citizen’s Field and Lincoln. My opponent has stated that he is against these projects. I am also willing to make tough choices to direct more of our general fund budget to staff and students.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I want to be remembered as a board member who invested in improving previously neglected rural and East Gainesville facilities. I also want to be remembered as someone who helped close achievement gaps and brought Alachua County back to being an A rated district.
Campaign website: drsarahforschools.com
Campaign social media: Facebook