School Board candidate makes pitch to voters

To the Editor:

The May primaries are right around the corner, and I would like to take time to introduce myself to voters.

My name is Cody Ray Barnard and I'm running for the position of Clay Community School Board Trustee of the Fourth District, which includes all of Harrison Township, Perry Township and Posey Township.

I ran two years ago for an at-large position on the Clay Community School Board, after receiving a lot of support from teachers and parents in the community. I missed the victory by just a couple hundred votes. I originally had no plans to run this time around, but once again, several teachers gave me encouragement. Since I support the teachers in everything they do and ultimately support the kids as well, I have decided to run a second time.

I am a life-long resident of Clay County. I graduated from Northview High School in 2002. I attended Vincennes University and graduated with an Associate's degree in Broadcasting in 2003. I am currently employed at WTWO-TV in Farmersburg as a Producer/Photographer.

In addition to my full-time work, I also volunteer most of my time as a member of the Posey Township Volunteer Fire Department in Staunton. Volunteering is one of my passions. I love to help others and hope by serving as a board member, I will be able to help our schools, our teachers, the citizens of Clay County and ultimately our students.

I recently served as a substitute teacher for Clay Community Schools, where I enjoyed interacting with students and teachers. In addition to all of that, I am a licensed Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) wrestling official.

I personally feel there needs to be some changes and new ideas on the school board, as well as younger and more energetic people. If elected, I have three main goals I would like to accomplish. The first is to see the completion of the corporation's renovation project. Two years ago, all the talk was about the teacher's contract. Now, it's this project. To be honest, I had mixed feelings at first. Then, I starting thinking about the modular classrooms at the elementary schools and how unsafe they are. I was able to hear several concerns and issues from the teachers and now I'm convinced this is a project that is long overdue.

I'm a taxpayer, just like the rest of you, and while I don't want to pay more taxes, I can't think of one thing I would rather spend money on than the safety of our kids. Security is a big issue nowadays.

My second goal is to form a partnership with local law enforcement and be able to designate one or two officers to patrol every school in the county.

Finally, I would like to implement a Drug Testing/Substance Abuse policy for all Clay County School Corporation employees.

In closing, if you would like to have a young, energetic individual who is not afraid of change, then I'm your choice to represent the fourth district. I have served as a leader in many capacities and believe I have what it takes to be a good leader on the school board. I am not afraid to admit when I have made a mistake and I follow through to ensure that corrections are made. If you live in Harrison, Perry or Posey Township and you would like to see changes, I'm asking for your vote on May 6.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me at codyposey22@yahoo.com. I truly believe that we can make a difference.

Cody Barnard,

Clay Community School Board Trustee District 4 Candidate