Mark Lane, 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: Mark Lane
Political party: Republican
Age on election night: 63
Website: marklaneforschoolboard.com
Occupation: Small business owner, landscape maintenance
Education: N.C. State University Horticulture
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought) Ran for Johnston County School Board in 2020. I lost by 99 votes in the primary.
Civic involvement: Retired volunteer firefighter serving 26 years with the Smithfield Fire Department. Vice Chairman, Smithfield Planning Board. Vice Chairman, Smithfield Board of Adjustment. Chairman, Smithfield Rural Fire Tax Committee. Past member of South Smithfield Parent Advisory Committee.
Why do you want to serve on the Johnston County Board of Education?
I’m not satisfied with the route our school system is taking. I have four grandchildren that attend the JCPS today. I want my grandchildren to receive the best education possible. I am a lifelong citizen of Johnston County and a graduate of the local high school, Smithfield Selma. I am not a politician but an average citizen with a servant’s heart that wants to be a part of making our school system great again. I’m indebted to the Johnston County School System. It taught me how to be confident when times in life are bad and also how to be humble when life is good. I plan to repay my debt by working with great pride and working the hardest of any board member to put Johnston County Schools back at the top of the list in the state of North Carolina!
What are the Johnston County Public Schools doing well?
Even though our test scores are not at the level we all think they should be our students are still getting a great education. We have several high school options for students other than the traditional setting. These high school programs have smaller class sizes and support for students who are interested in pursuing specific careers or a more rigorous curriculum. Academic Programs include the AP Capstone, Avid, and the IB program. Cooperative Innovative Programs include the Johnston County Career and Technical Leadership Academy and the Johnston County Early College Academy. Dual Enrollment Programs include the Fire Science Program, The Ideal Academy, and JOCO Teach. These are just a few things that JCPS is doing well.
What are the most pressing challenges facing the school district?
The most pressing challenge the school district is facing is having adequate facilities for our students and staff. Right now, Johnston County has 19,000 lots that have been approved for construction. If we have one student for every two homes that equals 9,500 additional students in the near future. New charter schools or private schools may be built but if one-third of those 9,500 students went to private/ charter schools that still leaves a need for 6,300 more seats for students. The system needs a high school built in the Wilson Mills area to relieve overcrowding at Corinth, Clayton, Cleveland, North Johnston and Smithfield Selma. We need a new school in the Swift Creek area to relieve overcrowding at Polenta which now has 17 mobile units. Growth is money for our county but the stress it puts on our school system must be considered. We need to strategically place the new schools in areas that will relieve as much overcrowding as possible. Also, we must ask county commissioners to purchase land now for future schools.
What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.
My three priorities will be accountability in our school leaders, adequate school facilities, and retaining our teachers. Although our teachers went into the teaching profession for the love of teaching and not to get rich, they still need to be rewarded. First, we must match Wake County’s teacher’s supplement. We have a lot of teachers leaving our school system and going to Wake County. Matching the teacher supplement would stop that mass exodus and draw teachers from surrounding counties to our school system. Teachers should be given a bonus based on student growth and not proficiency. Training for programs that support our curriculum must be spread out over years instead of expecting a teacher to accomplish all programs in one year. We must let the teacher teach and furnish adequate facilities and adequate supplies to teach our children.
How should JCPS address issues of diversity and inclusion among staff and students?
We must be sure every student is given the same chance of learning as any other student and put on a level playing field. We must be sure that every student is treated equally also. The same goes for staff. Each staff member is on a level playing field and all given the same opportunities for advancement and rewards. How do we do this? By having an open line to all teachers and listen to what they have to say. Then we must take action of what is being told to be sure every staff member is treated equal. Communication is a must in these situations.
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 7:02 AM.