Richmond County school board candidates weigh in on safety

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - With school safety on voters’ minds, and an election coming up in a little more than a month, we reached out to candidates running for school board.

We talked to them about their reactions to the current board’s vote not to suspend homecoming activities in the aftermath of two shootings at local football gatherings. We also asked how they plan to address school safety if elected.

“The community and the school system; they work side by side with each other,” said Charlie Walker Jr., Richmond County school board vice president, who represents District 7.

After Tuesday’s motion to suspend tailgating and homecoming parades, he was one of the seven defenders arguing to keep them in.

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“We don’t want the bad guys to win. Bad intentions have no time frame, and if we go ahead and start canceling or putting things on hold, all that does is put their actions on hold till a later date,” said Walker.

He says safety is a part of all the resources and plans the current school board is moving forward. He says they’re already in the process of bringing in some community groups to work together with the school system.

His opponent Brittiany Broadwater says she wants to address safety in school infrastructure.

“It’s the school board’s responsibility to ensure that we have the appropriate intervention and prevention strategies in place,” she said.

She wants to emphasize mental health and that students, parents, and teachers have a designated person they can come to with any issue.

“Build that trust among our families, and we do know here at Richmond County, one of our biggest challenges is parental and guardian engagement. I do think it’s the school board’s responsibility,” she said.

We’ve also reached out to other candidates running for Districts 2 and 9. We are still waiting to hear back.

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