District 1 School Board Candidates respond to questions: Lentz and Martin

July 29, 2018 11:00 p.m.

Editor’s Note: Every year the Fernandina Observer presents questions to candidates in order to help our readers be informed voters.  We have disabled the ability  to offer comments on this post.  Thank you candidates for responding to our request and for running for office.  This article features responses from District 1 School Board Candidates Robin Lentz (pictured below left) and Donna Martin (pictured below right).

Robin C. Lentz
Nassau County School Board Candidate
District 1

To view announcement of Lentz candidacy,  click here.

Robin C. Letnz

1. What key educational elements do you believe are necessary to develop well educated youth?
There are many educational elements we must help students develop to be well educated and productive adults. I believe it is important for us to instill, model and teach critical thinking and problem solving skills. The current trend in education is teaching in collaborative groups, and I feel teaching students how to work with other people is needed, but we must also recognize students need the opportunity to become independent thinkers. It should always be our priority to foster an environment where children develop their curiosity and desire to learn more.

2. What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
The district’s greatest capital needs right now are meeting the new safety demands mandated by state legislation of having a school resource officer on every campus and the hardening of our older campuses. Our other capital need is having enough space in our schools to accommodate the booming growth, particularly in the Yulee area. The current formula dictated by the state requires the students to be in the school count, present before additional classrooms and/or a new school to be approved. By the time the district is approved and additions are made, the school has grown even more. For example, Wildlight Elementary School is already over capacity in its first year before the surrounding Wildlight neighborhood completed its first of thousands of planned homes. I feel as a board member, we would need to plan strategically and work with our local representatives of securing more state funds and working to change the current calculation formula to be based on issued housing permits verses students present.

3. How would you respond to concerns that vocational training today is inadequate to meeting local workforce needs?
As a school counselor in for Nassau County School District, I have made many observations of vocational training for our students. First, our district is working hard to offer technology-based certification opportunities to our students (i.e. Microsoft, Adobe certifications), but we are lacking in more skilled-labor training. Different high schools offer courses in automotive, building construction, and culinary, but not every student has access to those programs because they are not the same on every campus. Students can take course at FSCJ for heating and air, EMT, culinary, and more but there are several barriers for students to access these programs such as transportation and timing to complete with their other graduation requirements. I think our district needs to gather a committee of school counselors and other professionals to seek recommendations for other paths to graduation and consider the centralization of these programs so all students can have access. I also believe a strong partnership with our large local employers is essential in trying to develop students for our workforce.

4. Where could you see the School District saving money by partnering with Nassau County or county municipalities?
The Nassau County School District is like its own county/municipality. It provides a service to residents through hiring employees and having to maintain property, all funded by levying taxes. The NCSD is looking for opportunities to purchase land for new schools, and this could be an area of partnering with the county to consider land swaps or acquiring land together for stronger buying power. I also feel there is an opportunity for Nassau County to partner with the schools in creating better and more recreation area for everyone to enjoy. A current example of how this works is the school board owned property on Hickory Street is maintained by the City of Fernandina Beach’s Parks and Recreation Department (mowing, watering, maintain soccer goals) and the schools use it for football and soccer practice, but the community sports use it as well. I see this type of partnership for the central and west side of Nassau County where there is little to no recreational parks.

Editor’s Note: Robin Letnz faces  Incumbent Donna Martin for the District 1 seat. All voters, will be eligible to vote in this race which will be decided on August 28.

 

Incumbent Donna Martin
Candidate for Nassau County School Board
District 1

To View Announcement of Candidacy click here.

Donna Martin, Incumbent Candidate for Nassau County School Board, District 1


1. What key educational elements do you believe are necessary to develop well educated youth?

I believe education is a partnership between school and community. There needs to be an integrated focus on academics and teacher quality, youth development, family support, health, social services, and community development.
In the Nassau County School District, “Our mission is to develop each student as an inspired life-long learner and problem-solver with the strength of character to serve as a productive member of society.”
I believe we are accomplishing this in Nassau County. Our District is “A” rated and ranked in the top ten in the state. Our graduation rate is 91%, ranked in the top three in the state.
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, physicist

2. What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
The District’s greatest capital needs will stem from the tremendous growth we are experiencing in Nassau County. As population increases, I believe it is vitally important that the School District monitors growth, plans accordingly to improve and expand our existing schools, and budgets properly for the construction of new schools to meet the demands of a large influx of school age children. The District has formed a land/growth committee to prepare for the growth ahead. They are tracking the data and planning five years in advance. We are reserving capital funds to be ready to build new schools or add on to existing schools when called upon to do so.

3. How would you respond to concerns that vocational training today is inadequate to meeting local workforce needs?
It is our responsibility to ensure that the children of this County continue to be given every opportunity to learn and grow into productive citizens, fully prepared for the challenges they will face as adults. In my opinion, we need to not only encourage students to stay in school, but also to continue in their choice of tracks whether it is vocational training or higher education.
Career Education is alive and well in Nassau County. Here is a list of programs. Each program comes with one or more credentialing opportunities for our students.
• Administrative Office Specialist (Microsoft)
• Aerospace Technologies
• Agritechnology (Agricultural Technology)
• Allied Health Assisting
• Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair
• Biotechnology and Aquaponics
• Building Construction
• Culinary Arts
• VyStar Academy of Business and Finance/Accounting
• Digital Media Foundations
• Drafting
• Emergency Medical Technician
• HVAC/Electricity
• Java Development
• Machining
• Nursing Assisting
• Robotics
• Television Production
• Video Game Programming/Simulation
• Web Development
For this coming school year, we will be adding an Entrepreneurship Program.

4. Where could you see the School District saving money by partnering with Nassau County or county municipalities?
This past year, the Nassau County School Board has participated in collaborative meetings with the Nassau County Commission, Fernandina Beach City Commission, Callahan Town Council, and Hilliard Town Council. I believe we should continue to look to identify opportunities to partner. Perhaps fuel, insurance, supplies, and land use to name a few. The School District also partners with state and national organizations to take advantage of money saving opportunities.

Editor’s Note: Incumbent Donna Martin faces challenger Robin Lentz for the District 1 seat. All voters, will be eligible to vote in this race which will be decided on August 28.