Derby school-board candidates debate budget, curriculum, special education and pay at candidate forum

Seven candidates for the Derby Board of Education appeared at a candidate forum hosted by the Derby National Education Association to discuss district priorities including budget decisions, curriculum review, special-education funding and teacher and staff retention. Organizers reminded attendees to vote Nov. 4.

Candidates and incumbents framed most budget decisions around the district's state-mandated needs assessment, saying that principals' lists of building needs should drive spending. "We have a state mandated requirement tool put in place called the needs assessment," said Robin Pearman, the board president, describing how principals present prioritized needs to guide budget choices. Multiple candidates said they would protect teacher pay from cuts and weigh other reductions through committee deliberations rather than unilateral board action.

Candidates differed mainly on emphasis. Jennifer Neal, a current board member and family nurse practitioner, said "every dollar we spend must directly benefit students," and highlighted recent board actions she credited with raising teacher pay and lowering health-care premiums. Michael Blankenship, also an incumbent, described the needs-assessment process as central and said the district relies on building-level administrators to define priorities. Candidate James Hanford described a systematic approach to budgeting he compared to military planning: decide on goals, assess progress and "look outside" to match reality to plans.

On curriculum, candidates said materials should meet state standards, involve teachers and be opened for public review before adoption. Neal described a district practice of previewing materials and piloting resources and urged community review: "If we're gonna put teachers through the pilot process, let's make sure that it's something that we can afford and hits those marks too." Several candidates, including Anne Phillips and James Hanford, emphasized teacher expertise and departmental endorsement as a key part of vetting curriculum.

Special education drew detailed attention. Michael Blankenship said the district served roughly 1,500 students with individualized education programs last year, "I think that was almost 20%," and described the workload as significant for staff. Candidates noted that federal requirements constrain local choices and that state funding for excess costs is inconsistent. "These are driven from federal mandates," said Anne Phillips; she and others suggested pursuing grants and state advocacy while using the needs-assessment process to allocate limited resources. Several candidates flagged substitute and paraprofessional shortages as operational problems that reduce service continuity.

Teacher and staff retention was another recurring theme. Candidates and incumbents credited recent contract changes and benefits adjustments with improving recruitment and retention, citing raises and reductions in employee health premiums. Neal said the district's recent contract changes included a 4.62% increase and a significant cut to premiums; Michael Blankenship described steps such as maternity leave, lower premium caps and base-pay increases that he said had boosted competitiveness. Candidates also stressed nonfinancial factors: school culture, safety and manageable class sizes.

The forum closed with brief candidate remarks reiterating priorities and a reminder to vote on Nov. 4. The formal meeting-adoption and adjournment motions recorded during the session passed unanimously (6-0).