School Board candidates field audience questions

EAST COUNTY — Two women with different backgrounds, hometowns and perspectives on school security and other educational issues now have the same interest — earning your vote.

School District Chairwoman Julie Aranibar and District 5 seat candidate Mary Cantrell are in the final days of pre-election speeches, debates and public forums.

Aranibar, a former histologist and East County schools volunteer whose children attended school in Manatee County, and Cantrell, the former 18-year director of Manatee Technical Institute, responded to the public’s questions Oct. 24, during the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club’s luncheon.

Attendees of the event, held at the Lakewood Ranch Holiday Inn, asked about Aranibar’s stance on hiring school security officers and Cantrell’s termination from MTI, among other topics.

Below, the East County Observer shares candidates’ responses to the audience.

MARY CANTRELL
Q: When you were at MTI, is it true that there were financial issues and financial records weren’t audited?
A: Everything on MTI’s record has been audited. We’ve always had clear audits. We never missed an audit. A new accounting system was started that wasn’t running parallel to our old system. Training went off the track and auditors weren’t able to audit some of the records, and they couldn’t figure a lot of things out. I can tell you with a clean conscience, everything at MTI has been audited annually. We’ve had clear audits, and occasionally would have notes on things that could’ve been done better. We always implemented those changes. There has never been a discrepancy with money.

Q: Why were you fired from MTI?
A: There were reasons why my contract wasn’t renewed. There was a situation where one of my employees had her car worked on at the school. When they worked on the car, they told her that her tires weren’t safe; she couldn’t be driving on them. The (repair) would cost $600, and she didn’t have the money. The assistant director tried to work out a payment plan with her that I didn’t know about. I knew an employee had financial troubles and I took out my checkbook and wrote a check. There were other episodes, but I accept the consequences of my actions.

Q: Do you live in Lakewood Ranch?
A: Yes, I live in Lakewood Ranch. I rent the whole house. It’s not my intention to be a renter. When I’m elected, I will purchase vacant land for a house.

Q: Why should voters fire the incumbent?
A: Manatee Technical Institute is in this district, so I’ve had a lot of dealings with the school district over my 18 years there. There’s a climate for change. I have a can-do attitude and I believe I can handle whatever you put in front of me. That’s the way I’ve lived my life. MTI was crumbling when I got there, and I said I wanted it to be a nationally recognized school, and that’s what we’ve done. That’s what I want to do for the school board.

A: Is this race more of referendum on the job Rick Mills has done?
Q: I hope not. I hope people see this as a race between Julie Aranibar and Mary Cantrell. I have no axe to grind. I’ve been accused of running a vindictive race. But, I believe in giving everyone a second chance. The superintendent has nothing to fear from Mary Cantrell. I’m running to serve this county and that’s what I’ll do.

Julie Aranibar
Q: If there were to be a vote tonight, would you vote the same way on the schools security contract?
A: I wouldn’t have to because what came out of all that was an understanding that all partners need to come together. As far as the contract being rushed, if you go back to the audit investigation, it was cited that our elementary schools have security weaknesses. The issue has to do with campuses and how we lock our doors. You haven’t heard from principals and parents on their feelings on security; you’ve heard from a minority group that didn’t like the contract. It was in our strategic plan. It won’t come forward the same way again. You’ll see an agreement where we all work together, which is how we should work for our children.

Q: Should Manatee County have a true vocational technical school?
A: Yes, we should have a dedicated true vocational tech high school. This issue is very personal to me. I went to a vocational high school. I didn’t have money to go to college on my own. Technical school saved my life. It started me on a career pathway. It wasn’t like MTI, where the average student is 28 years old. If a student can’t read by third grade, they’re floundering in middle school, and we’re baby-sitting them in high school. Technical schools in Sarasota County have a 10% to 15% higher graduation rate than we do here. I’ll take that any day. I full-heartedly want that type of school here.

Q: Why should you be re-elected?
A: I’m a pretty good bang for your buck. I know what my role is; it’s not to be a teacher. My role is to make sure the classrooms are taken care of properly and our children are safe. Somehow, we’ve lost focus of the big picture — students need an education. I’ve been dedicated to that cause for 20 years. You have me on the line for the next four years to make sure the budget and other things get done right. It’s important to remember the history of how we got here and how we get out of here. You already know what you got the last four years. I don’t need a big pension, and I don’t want one.

Q: What is your background?
A: I had a full scholarship that I had to forfeit and I ended up putting myself through school. I was a lab assistant and went to community college. It took me 12 years to get a bachelor’s degree. I worked nights at restaurants and later became a histologist. I’ve lived in Lakewood Ranch since 1998, when the first light was down by Lockwood Ridge Road. My son, who is now a man, was 3 years old. Now, he’s in college. I volunteered my time in this community and was a part of what was built out here in Lakewood Ranch. I was a room mom, PTO mom and was on the sales-tax committee.