Three candidates outline priorities on budget, start times, STEM and student supports at Brighton Central School District forum

A community forum hosted by the Brighton PTSA on May 20 brought three candidates for two Brighton Central School District Board of Education seats before residents to outline priorities on the school budget, bus and bell scheduling, STEM programming and academic and social-emotional supports for students.

The candidate night, moderated by Amy Thomas, executive director of the Monroe County School Boards Association, gave each candidate opening and closing remarks and a timed question-and-answer session. Monica Olange, president of the Brighton PTSA, and the district’s technology staff streamed the event to the community.

The event matters because the locally elected board holds the district’s fiscal authority and policy-making role. Candidates repeatedly tied program priorities to the board’s role in approving budgets and securing funding, and they urged voters to participate in the May 20 budget vote and school board election.

Clayton Jones, a Brighton resident for about 15 years and a professional in higher education and government relations, said his decision to run was personal: “This is about service. This is about a commitment, to giving back,” he said, citing his children’s experiences in the district. Jones said he…