Local & State Headlines

Calhoun to run for school board

• A Dougherty county resident announces her intention to run for the county school board Tuesday.

Joshua Brown

ALBANY — It’s Laura Calhoun’s eight years as a parent of two Dougherty County School System students that qualifies her for the school board’s District 1 seat, which she says gives her a vested interest in the quality of the school system.

“I’ve spent so much time in the schools,” she said Tuesday after announcing her candidacy for the seat. “I have a pulse of what’s going on in the schools on a daily basis.”

Calhoun, a Republican, is challenging incumbent David Maschke, also a Republican, for the chance to run during the general election. Maschke has served in the position for eight years. Democrat Judith Corbett has also qualified to run for the position.

Calhoun said the focus of the school board should be on the welfare of the system’s students.

“It’s imperative that the students are first — that we are increasing test scores, graduation rates and retention rates,” she said. “There are challenges not unique to Dougherty County, but there’s so many different things going on that need to be dealt with.”

After she began thinking of running for the seat earlier this year, Calhoun consulted with several people, including her sister (who served on a school board in North Carolina), Maschke, School System Superintendent Sally Whatley and Executive Director of Finance & Accounting Robert Lloyd.

When asked why she decided to run against Maschke, Calhoun said, “I’m really not running against Mr. Maschke. I’m running for the school board.”

“He’s passionate about what he does,” she said after pointing out that his child attends a private school. “But I can do what he does and also bring a parent’s perspective.”

While Maschke didn’t have any comment on Calhoun’s decision to run for the seat, he did point out that as a taxpayer whose taxes go to pay for public education, he had a right to sit on the board.

“I think my response to that would simply be that education for all children in Dougherty County is the concern of all taxpaying citizens, and people have the right to choose what they think is best in their personal case,” he said.

“I think the work I have done on the board for last eight years and work I have done before that shows my commitment to the community and the children of this community.”

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