The Nov. 5 election is over and Republican Diane Basham will be sworn in in a few weeks as the District 4 representative on the Fayette County Board of Education. Basham was asked to respond to several questions pertaining to her candidacy and her view of the charge and responsibility of a school board member.
Basham, as a retiree from the Fayette school system, said she ran because she is still committed and passionate about education. Basham logged 27 years as a teacher.
“Having a teacher who recently left the classroom is a perspective needed on the school board,” said Basham who retired last year. “I taught economics for 25 years so I know the importance of fiscal responsibility.”
Basham also spent 15 years in the private sector which gave her experience in finance management.
“We need a cost-benefit analysis when spending the taxpayers’ money,” Basham said of her fiscal outlook on the school board which levies the majority of property taxes pay by Fayette County residents. “We need adequate fact-finding before we’re asked to spend money.”
While many issues arise with school boards across the state, the primary job of a board of education is to adopt the budget, hire and supervise the superintendent and set policy. Commenting on her role as a board member, Basham on several occasions stressed her belief that data must be available and utilized when making board decisions.
“My decisions (will be) data-driven,” said Basham, adding that it is her intention to “get all the information possible before I vote on a policy or a proposal and to see if this is something we need to do as a school system.”
Unlike most of her former colleagues and nearly all in the community, Basham has attended school board meetings on a relatively regular basis since 2008.
She said that, in terms of proposals and initiatives, the school board needs to get all stakeholders involved in the decision-making process before a vote is taken. Stakeholders, said Basham, include staff, students, parents and the community.
Another thing that should come before a vote is a needs-assessment, Basham emphasized. That assessment includes participation from elementary, middle and high school teachers.
Referencing the Centers of Innovation grant application which was recently turned down by the board, Basham said, “The board did an adequate job in voting it down. That said, I’m a firm believer in Centers of Innovation, but we need to know the full circumstances involved in the proposal.”
Basham in previous comments spoke like a person who is fiscally conservative. The Citizen asked if that is the case.
“The economy is turning around. But we’re funded with tax dollars, and knowing that another recession is inevitable, we need to make sure that we’re not committing to something that’s not financially sustainable into the future,” she said.
Basham also spoke on the future of education from the classroom perspective.
“We need to get back to the point where we’re recruiting and retaining quality personnel,” Basham said. The school system lost a number of quality staff due to issues with pay and benefits during and after the Great Recession.
First-time District 4 school board candidate Basham (R) took 64 percent of the vote in the Nov. 5 election contest with Ogechi Oparah (D), also a first-time candidate.
