Observer Election 2024: Andy Patrick School Dist. 5, At Large
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Andy Patrick, owner of Attaway Printing, is a candidate for the Anderson School Dist. 5 At-Large Seat.
Patrick earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Erskine College and is a Westside High School graduate.
He said his community activities include current Board Chair for the Anderson Area YMCA, Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Anderson, T.L. Hanna High School Bass Fishing Coach, and is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Anderson. He was inducted into the Westside Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.
Patrick is a current Anderson School Dist. 5 Board member and is involved in local schools as a booster club sponsor for both T.L. Hanna and Westside, and has experience serving on PTO/PTA.
Here are his answers to the Anderson Observer’s questions:
1. What is the most important responsibility of public schools? To provide educational, athletic, and extra-curricular opportunities to all children.
2. What are the three most important duties of a public-school board member?
-To pass a balanced budget and ensure that the district is being fiscally responsible.
-To represent the people of the community and to listen to suggestions and concerns.
-To hire staff, but especially a superintendent. It is our job to equip the superintendent with everything that he/she needs and support them in running the district.
3. How is your combination of education and experience relevant to serving the duties identified in question one? As an ASD5 parent, businessman, and active community volunteer, I feel as though I understand the needs of the Anderson Community. Also, as a Westside graduate and father of two TL Hanna seniors, I understand the dynamic of the split between the two sides of town.
4. Is there a particular issue that motivates you to run for a seat on the board of education?
Making sure that all of the children in our community are provided with a quality education.
5. Please explain your understanding of how school board millage works and what you see as the top priorities for using this money.
Millage is the tax rate that citizens are paying on personal and real property, but not on their primary residence. Anderson Five has the lowest millage rate of all the districts in Anderson County, and that is something I am very proud that we have been able to accomplish. Top priority is always anything that directly can benefit our classrooms.
6. Given all the issues that arise, how can the board stay focused on student achievement?
By making sure we are putting strong principals and teachers in our schools, and giving them the tools they need to succeed.
7. How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden?
Budget priorities should always be about doing what is best for classroom instruction first and foremost. Elected officials are stewards of the public’s money - and should be held accountable to what they are choosing to spend public money on and for those results.
8. What are your thoughts on the current and the proposed budget for your school district?
The current budget did not include a millage increase, and meets all the strategic goals of the district, so I feel as if the current budget is very good.
9. As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts?
Typically, savings are made through attrition, and by looking at fluctuating areas of need. As our school population shrinks, it directly lowers the need for higher staffing numbers in certain areas.
10. Are there any areas you would not consider cutting?
Anything that would negatively impact classroom instruction is off-limits.
11. How would you determine your budget priorities?
By directly talking with our classroom teachers and our school leaders. Teachers are the ones most directly impacting the lives of our students, and I enjoy opportunities to discuss business with them and to see how I can help.
12. What changes should be made on the state and local level regarding public education?
I believe that more local control is needed. All communities are negatively impacted when decisions are being driven from Columbia or Washington DC.
13. Do you favor renewing the penny sales tax for schools when the current law expires?
The penny sales tax does a great job at offsetting costs that otherwise would fall on the backs of our local tax base. With about 35 percent of that revenue coming from those who do not live in Anderson, it allows for Anderson to keep taxes lower. The best thing is that the sales tax is voted on by the entire public, which directly allows for the community to make their choice.
14. How important are athletics and extra-curricular activities and should the school board support such endeavors for students?
Academics are the main focus of successful schools, but strong extracurricular activities and athletic programs are very important for schools. We need to give students every opportunity possible, and I am very proud of what our students are able to accomplish both in the classroom and in their extracurricular pursuits.
15. What is your understanding of separation of church and state when it comes to public schools in Anderson County?
I am a Christian, and an active member at my church, and I know that many people in our community share the same values. I also know that schools cannot promote any religion above another. My goal is to provide a welcoming and safe environment for all children in Anderson, no matter their backgrounds or beliefs.
16. Are you familiar with Moms for Liberty and/or Stop Moms for Liberty groups and how do you view their activities (positively/negatively and why)?
I have no issue with people actively supporting their school system. In some areas of the country I feel like groups have gone too far in their harassment of school officials and elected officials, but in Anderson I have never heard or seen this happening and I feel like our local group is made up of people wanting the best for their local schools.
17. How would you work to find common ground with other school board members and the superintendent on issues of disagreement?
I think anyone in business understands you are not always going to get your way, but it’s important to be able to work with others and do everything you can to make the best decision possible for your constituents. We may all have different backgrounds, but as long as board members keep their decisions focused on what is best for students I think we can all work together.
18. Could you support a board decision you did not vote in favor of? Why or why not?
Just because I do not get what I want, doesn’t mean I can’t be supportive of the direction the Board takes. I would never hope to undermine a decision made by the Board. I will be vocal about my thoughts and beliefs, but at the end of the day you have to move forward and do what is best for the entire district.
19. What is your opinion of current teachers in the district and what would you do as a board member to support them?
We have amazing teachers in our community, and I will do whatever I can to make sure they have the resources they need to be successful in their classrooms.
20. How can a school board know if its goals are being accomplished and its policies are being implemented?
First, you have to have clear goals. Then, you make sure you are taking the needed steps to accomplish those goals. You need empirical data that shows where you are, and where you are going. I think it is important to highlight your successes, but also to not run from areas of weakness. Evaluations are important, and holding district leadership accountable is critical for the success of any school district.