BRUNSWICK COUNTY — 2024 is a presidential election year but also one that impacts numerous local boards — such as county commissioners and education districts in the tri-county region.
READ MORE: Here is who filed for the 2024 elections
Republican Rick Hessman, former principal of Belville Elementary School and current trustee at Brunswick Community College, is running for Brunswick County Board of Education. Hessman has spent 30 years in the North Carolina public school system. He is facing off against District 2 Republican candidates Catherine Cook and David Robinson in the primary election, to take place March 5.
Hessman’s stances on issues are discussed below. All answers are included in full; responses are edited only for grammar, spelling and clarity.
Port City Daily has compiled candidate questionnaires so voters can read up on contenders’ stances before heading to the polls. The paywall is dropped on profiles to help voters make informed decisions ahead of casting their ballots.
Voters will choose which candidates from their registered party they want to move forward in the formal election — or those who are registered unaffiliated can choose which party’s primary they want to vote in. After the March 5 primaries, Election Day will be Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024; a valid photo ID will be needed to cast a ballot in both.
Anyone not registered to vote can partake in same-day registration, available throughout the early voting period, Feb. 15 – Mar. 2. Check here to see if your registration is active at your current address.
Early voting in Brunswick County takes place at five locations: the Cooperative Extension at the Government center (25 Referendum Dr. in Bolivia), Leland Cultural Arts Center (1212 Magnolia Village Way), Brunswick Center at Southport (1513 N. Howe St.), Brunswick Center at Shallotte (3620 Express Dr.) and Sunset Beach Community Center (200 Station Trail).
Early voting at the Cooperative Extension is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 15-16, 19-23, and 26-Mar. 1, and on Mar. 2, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The other locations are open: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 15-16, 19-23, 26-Mar. 1, and on Saturday, Feb. 17 and 24, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., and Mar. 2, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. The locations open one Sunday, Feb. 18, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Below is a breakdown of dates to expect ahead of the primary election:
- Jan. 19, 2024: County boards of elections begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form.
- Feb. 9, 2024: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.).*
- Feb. 15, 2024: In-person early voting begins.
- Feb. 27, 2024: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.).*
- March 2, 2024: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).
- March 5, 2024: Primary Election Day.
- March 5, 2024: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.).*
Hessman’s questionnaire is below; all candidate’s opinions and statements are not a reflection of Port City Daily.
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Port City Daily (PCD): Why do you want to run for the school board?
Rick Hessman (RH): I worked 30 years in the NC Public School System, the last five years as principal at Belville Elementary School in Leland. Brunswick County Schools treated me in an awesome way. I simply want to help the school district continue its effective work with students, parents and employees. No school district is perfect, but BCS does things the right way and puts student learning first in every decision.
PCD: What is the current board of education getting right? Wrong?
RH: I think the current school board is doing a good job. Brunswick County is growing so rapidly, challenges and changes are commonplace and have to be expected. It is important that all school board members always remember that each board member has two legal duties according to NC School Law: hire and support a superintendent and set effective school board policies. That is it. Nothing more. Let the education experts do their job.
PCD: If elected, what is the top issue you want to tackle?
RH: As stated earlier, I simply want to help. During my 30-year career, I worked in eight different schools and five different school districts. It is a task of each district’s school board to help create a working climate that is positive and supportive for all employees. This includes teachers, support staff, administrators, and central office folks. When school employees are happy with their work environment, they will give our students their best effort each and every day. That is key. Identify, hire, support and retain the best teachers possible. This is key to maximizing student academic growth and social development.
PCD: In November, the board voted to review the makeup of the district’s book review committee, particularly examining more community stakeholder input. Do you agree with the way the district reviews curricular and library material? Would you change anything about the process, and if so, what?
RH: I agree that parents should know which books are available for checkout in each school’s media center. All books should be age/grade/subject-area appropriate and should focus on educational topics only, not anything politically or sexually oriented.
As a parent and grandparent, I only want books available that stimulate kindness, manners, love and appreciation of everyone, no matter their skin color, economic background, national origin or religious choice. We should make decisions about school just like we make decisions concerning our family. Always ask the question: Would I want my child or grandchild reading this? If not, then that book should not be available in schools’ media centers. There is way too much negativity and controversy in our world today.
PCD: Also in November, the board voted to review its sex education curriculum after one board member said he found some of its content “inappropriate.” Do you see any problems with the district’s sex education curriculum, and if so, what would you like to see changed?
RH: I was a physical education teacher/physical development/health teacher before I entered administration. That was 17 years ago and I’m sure the curriculum has changed some since I was talking to 9th graders about this important topic. Parents were provided a copy of the sex education curriculum that would be taught and an opt-in/opt-out for their child to participate in the class. I think that is really important and should be part of this type of education today.
The curriculum comes from Raleigh and the state education board. If any parent feels the information is inappropriate, then that parent should be given the option to remove their child from the class, for sure. I promise you, every teacher sharing this information with his/her students are following the state approved and recommended curriculum word for word.
PCD: Do you think the district is adequately staffed? What positions would you like to see prioritized and/or deprioritized, and what should the board do to create a better working environment for its employees?
RH: I think my main objective, if elected to school board, would be to help find ways to make the working environment better for all Brunswick County schools employees. School is hard, no matter where an educator or support staff person works. School boards should work hard to improve working conditions.
That happens in various ways: finding additional funding to hire teacher assistants. Teacher assistants play a vital role in the educational learning process at the elementary level and in area of special education. More TAs at the middle- and high-school levels would benefit those students also. Simply being able to hire bus drivers. This is a need at every school. Limiting personnel in the central office and using extra funding to hire and support classroom teachers is a strategy that works. The smaller the class size, the greater chance teachers have in motivating and inspiring each and every student.
When I was a teacher, I tried to treat every student the way I wanted my own child to be treated. When I was an administrator, I tried to support every employee the way I wanted to be supported when I was a classroom teacher. And if I become a school board member, I will respectively and positively interact with all school employees. The same way I wanted to be appreciated when I was working as a building principal.
PCD: Since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, many school districts have been grappling with a return to more rigid and, in some views, inadequate processes highlighted by pandemic flexibility. These issues — calendar law, budget cycle, allotment funding — often stem from the state level. What is your view on these topics? Do you think they should be changed and how would you plan to do so?
RH: Brunswick County schools have done an excellent job in increasing technology for students and teachers. BCS has devoted endless staff development hours and funding allotted to technology and remote learning during the past three years, far more than any of the other four counties in which I worked before. Because of this, Brunswick County schools has the ability to teach effectively when students are sitting in classrooms or being at home due to inclement weather.
This capability allows teachers to educate each and every day. Many students reach their educational capabilities by using technology. A teacher has the responsibility to figure out how each student learns best. Once this is determined and executed, the teacher should hold that student accountable for doing his/her part to maximize their learning process. When students are challenged, after being correctly prepared, great things happen in a classroom.
PCD: At a legislative luncheon in December, Superintendent Dale Cole said the district is focusing on providing students with education and connections with CTE and trade careers. Do you agree with a focus in this direction, and how do you think the board and district should promote these pathways, while also still providing support for students seeking higher education post-graduation?
RH: I currently serve on the Brunswick Community College Board of Trustees. I am a huge believer and supporter of community college/CTE education and opportunities for high school students. Four-year college education is not for everyone, less than 30% of all graduating seniors will attend a four-year college/university. That means greater than 70% of our high school graduates will pursue another path as they enter adulthood. Many will join the workforce, which is very much needed in our county. Some will join the military, and I hope those numbers increase moving forward because our national military enrollment numbers are at an all-time low right now. But many graduates are still struggling to find “their way” after leaving high school.
Community colleges provide numerous opportunities to learn a skill/trade and earn a profitable living at a young age. BCC President Dr. Gene Smith and his staff have done an outstanding job communicating with high school students about the opportunities that are available at the community college. Those opportunities continue to increase as BCC offers more areas of certification, licensure, and transfer classes.
Enrollment at the community college continues to increase. More and more students are taking advantage of the Brunswick Promise, free tuition at BCC for all graduating seniors. The partnership between BCC and BCS should continue to strengthen. As this happens, everyone in our county will benefit from a larger and smarter workforce. And we will still see many of our high graduates go on to attend universities and colleges and find “their way” using a different path to do so.
PCD: Brunswick County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state and nation. Do you think the district is in a good position to accommodate the county’s growth as far as staffing, capital needs and infrastructure? What else can be done to prepare for additional students?
RH: The growth that has occurred and continues to happen in Brunswick County presents positives and negatives for our school district. Our tax base continues to increase, which in turn provides more funding opportunities for all schools in the system. The challenge is keeping up with student enrollment increasing at a shocking number, especially in the northern end of Brunswick County.
Belville, Lincoln and Town Creek Elementary Schools will not be able to efficiently house all of the students living in their assigned districts. Mobile units being brought in and additional wings being built only provide a Band Aid to the issues of increased student enrollment numbers. These large enrollment numbers are now impacting Leland Middle, Town Creek Middle and North Brunswick High Schools.
Planning needs to be underway now for a new elementary school to be built in the northern end. Finding land and funding for a new school is difficult but is needed. The population growth in Brunswick County is not stopping any time soon. The school district needs to stay ahead of these challenges with proposed options and solutions. That easier said than done for sure.
PCD: Many school districts are seeing an influx of issues related to parents rights, and the state has passed legislation, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, to promote better communication and more parental control over public education. Where do you think the balance lies between parent and school staff responsibility over a student’s education?
RH: I think every parent has a right to know what is being taught and how this information is being shared with his/her child. An important responsibility each teacher has when planning and executing a lesson plan is parent communication. Teachers must have updated websites with curriculum schedules, lesson plans and topics that will be taught in their classroom. Parent communication should be a constant, whether that communication occurs because of something negative or positive involving their child.
School is about relationship building: teachers with their students and parents, administrators with their teachers, central office personnel with folks in each school building. A big part of relationship-building is trust. Trust must be developed and nurtured among all school stakeholders. When trust is established between these stakeholders, great things occur in our classrooms. Trust doesn’t mean we all agree all of the time. Trust does include a believe and assurance that what is happening in classrooms is best for our students’ academic and social development.
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