Higher Graduation Rates, Smart Spending Are Goals For District 1 School Board Candidate

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Patch invited every candidate running for the Anne Arundel County Board of Education to complete a questionnaire on their campaign priorities. We are posting stories with their unedited, verbatim responses.

Get to know District 1 candidate Hunter Voss below.

Voters can check what district they live in at this link. Early voting runs from May 2 through May 9. The primary election is on May 14. The General Election is on Nov. 5. More information on voting locations, registration, mail-in ballots and dropbox ballots is posted here.

Name: Hunter Voss (Newcomer)

District: 1

Hometown: Linthicum

Age On General Election Day: 24

Profession: Economist

Campaign Website: HunterVoss4BOE.com

1. What are your three biggest policy priorities?

The three major tenets of my campaign are superior academics, safe schools, and restoring power to parents. Anne Arundel was once ranked in the top 5 school systems in this state, we are now in the bottom 50 percent. In Anne Arundel County 2/3 children cannot read and write at grade level. Fights and gang violence are breaking out in our schools, and the current board is allowing this by not implementing safety measures and not supporting our school resource officers. Parents are being shut out of their children's education. Parents have lost control over the curriculum while there is no transparency or accountability from our school system.

2. What is the biggest educational issue in Anne Arundel County?

The biggest educational issue Anne Arundel is facing is faltering academics. Prior to COVID AACPS was ranked as one of the top 5 school districts in the state. We are now in the bottom 50 percent. When only 1/3 children can read at grade level, the majority who cannot are on a path to failure. The effects of illiteracy impact both the individual and the community. Those who cannot read and write by the third grade are less likely to graduate high school, less likely to attend college, have poor career success, and have a significantly higher probability of engaging in criminal behavior on your streets.

3. What is the biggest educational issue in your district specifically?

It cannot be said enough, poor quality academics are the biggest problem in my district. Ten percent of kids who attend North County high school will not graduate, a graduation rate significantly lower than most high schools in Anne Arundel. District 1 has some of the lowest test scores in the county. The board needs to keep their eye on the ball and focus on what they are charged with doing, providing a quality education.

4. How will you address the teacher shortage?

The Blueprint for Education placed undue mandates on school systems but we will overcome these challenges. I will look not just to educators but procure talent from various professions and sectors and give them an easy path to obtaining their teaching certificate.

5. How will you approach balancing the budget?

As it stands 80 percent of the school budget goes toward paying teachers and administrators. With underfunded mandates from the State Blueprint for education we will have to hire significantly more teachers which will lead to immediate and downstream budgetary problems including unfunded pension liabilities. I will not cut programs that are helpful to children, I will not let our facilities rot, and I will support the teachers in the classroom. There will be significant cuts to administration as they have not produced results and make up the bloat of our budget.

6. How will the end of pandemic-era funding affect your budgetary decisions?

We are going to make spending cuts to administration. The board is currently dumping more and more of your money into administration of schools, and the only result they can produce is poor test scores. Time has proven more money will not solve the problems our schools are facing.

7. How will you approach school redistricting? If your district is part of this redistricting, what are some of your priorities?

Redistricting is a challenging issue and a personal issue to those involved. I will do what I can to minimize displacing kids from their current school, and children will attend schools that are within their community.

8. If you are an incumbent, why do you deserve another term? If you are a challenger, why are you the best candidate?

Unfortunately, the incumbent has not produced results. Under Ms. Dent's term in office we saw test scores fall, violence break out in schools at unprecedented rates, a focus on divisive social issues unrelated to education, and by her own admission, no plan to fix it. The incumbent was not elected, she was appointed and has failed our school system. She lacks the accountability I will bring to the board. I will put academics first, and I will be accountable to you.

9. How will you handle LGBTQ+ and racial issues brought before the school board?

School is a place for learning. While delivering education I will not tolerate any type of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation. There is a time and a place for political issues, and it is not in school. Children should not be forced to learn about LGBT issues if it goes against the child or parent's wishes. Under our next term we will successfully implement a one flag policy as a teachers political views, whether liberal or conservative, should not be displayed in a place of learning.

10. How will you handle book-banning issues brought before the school board?

While I am reluctant to remove a book from a school library, some of the content has crossed the line into obscenity and is not appropriate for children. Children should not be exposed to material that is not age appropriate. For full transparency I will have every school publish a catalog of all books available at their libraries.

11. Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Hunter Voss, I am a lifelong resident of Anne Arundel County. I graduated from Penn State with a Bachelors degree in Economics. Since leaving Anne Arundel County schools I have seen the system go into decay. As a political outsider with a non-education background I can bring a unique perspective to the board and tackle many of the educational and budgetary issues we are facing today.

12. Is there anything else we should know?

The primary election is May 14th, I humbly ask that you vote Hunter Voss for Board of Education.