Joe Preston, candidate for Johnston County Board of Education
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Candidates for Johnston County school board
A total of 13 candidates are running to fill three seats on the Johnston County Board of Education in the nonpartisan primary. Get to know the candidates with the 2022 Voter Guide.
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Name: Joe Preston
Political party: Republican - Conservative
Age on election night: 44
Website: jp4boe.com
Occupation: Mortgage Lender
Education: Bachelors Degree from Miami University (OH)
Have you run for elected office before? No.
Civic involvement: I’ve served on planning boards such as Parks & Rec but more than anything I’m a volunteer. I’ve been in multiple church bands, I help neighbors and people in need. I don’t focus on the civic organizations per se as I prefer to go right to the person that needs help.
Why do you want to serve on the Johnston County Board of Education?
There is no representation for the entire county or all students, parents and staff. There is no communication or transparency with the current board members. We need transparent and open people serving that represent all parts of the county.
What are the Johnston County Public Schools doing well?
As an organization I can’t really say much but from a people perspective I think the staff that are in the trenches are doing amazing. They are being asked to do so much and it isn’t fair but they’re still doing the best that they can. We have great people working for our schools.
What are the most pressing challenges facing the school district?
Representation and communication is No. 1 for me. Without that it doesn’t matter what problems we have. We need to break up the district into smaller individual districts. Seven people can’t run 45 schools, 37,000 students or 4,500 staff. That’s why we have almost 500 job openings.
What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.
Representation, communication and merit-based pay. We need to break up the district into smaller individual districts. Seven people can’t run 45 schools, 37,000 students or 4,500 staff. That’s why we have almost 500 job openings.
How should JCPS address issues of diversity and inclusion among staff and students?
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” - MLK Jr. This should apply in our school system as well.
This story was originally published April 26, 2022 at 10:34 AM.