The write-in only race for Rabun County’s Board of Education District 5 will see three qualified candidates vying for the seat.
Rick Story, who was appointed to the position after Incumbent Molly Lima moved out of state, is one of the three candidates.
“I know school safety has become such an issue, and we’re currently going through a safety review and looking at protocols,” Story said.
Story also said his experience working with Nathan Deal while he was a congressman and governor allowed him to see education policy at the state and federal level.
Eric Thurmond is another candidate in the race who said that he offers a unique perspective as a parent of active students.
“It’s important to not only have the input of the community in general, but also parents as well,” Thurmond said. “I have a child in each of the four Rabun County schools.”
Thurmond also added that he has kids in the gifted program and a kid in the special needs program.
Jason Streetman is a former middle school teacher who has also worked in local government with kids in the school system.
“If you ever look at your tax bill, you probably pay more in education tax than you do to your local government,” Streetman said. “That’s not lost on me, and … if the citizens of Rabun County would be honored to give me their support, I will be a good steward and a good representative.”
Story also said that he went to North Georgia Technical College as vice president of economic development and now he works with all three area high schools through a youth leadership program.
At Tallulah Falls School, he was a trustee getting exposure to the private education field.
“My mom taught elementary school for over 32 years. My dad was a bioscience teacher and junior varsity coach,” Story said. “So … I guess as we say up here in the mountains, I kind of have it in my blood.”
Thurmond said that his experience being a mental health professional could also be beneficial. He thinks that being proactive instead of reactive is the best way to deal with a potential concern with school safety.
“We need to make sure that our schools are not soft targets, and we do a great job of screening out any individuals that may be a concern,” Thurmond said.
Streetman agrees, thinking that the relationship between the sheriff’s office and the school system is paramount.
“I would want to just continue to make that relationship even better, make sure that the resources are there,” Streetman said.
When asked to say one thing to Rabun County voters, Story said he wanted to give back to the school system that educated him.
“First and foremost, I want to say thank you,” Story said. “If there’s anything that I can give back, I want to do that.”
Thurmond said that he has a vested interest in the long-term success of the school system.
“They can be rest assured that … having a vested interest in the school system with my own children that that clearly is going to carry over into the well-being of the kids in our community in general,” Thurmond said.
Streetman said that he’s doing it for the kids.
“I’m doing this for the kids, not just my kids, but for all the kids,” Streetman said. “It’s that simple.”
Early voting is already underway, and the general election is on Nov. 5. Residents will have to write-in one of the three candidates to get their vote to count.
