Manatee School Board District 3: Mary Foreman

These questionnaire responses were originally published in July for the primary election.

Name: Mary Foreman

Age: 65

Family: Married 45 years with two children, Kate and John

Bio: Foreman has lived in Bradenton since 2001. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from  Florida Atlantic University and worked as a CPA until retirement in 2019. 

She has served on the Manatee County School Board’s Audit Committee since its inception in 2013, including time as chair and was a member of the Manatee County High School SAC for 2001 through 2005 and served as its treasurer for three years.

Why are you running for office?

As a member of the Audit Committee, I have reviewed the work of the district’s auditors and participated in recommendations to the school board based on those reports. During my tenure, I have seen the board:

• Vote for spending more than three times the original $9 million budget for the ERP computer system;
• Approve monthly financial statements for which the bank accounts have not been reconciled for nine months in 2017 (and again for 18 months in 2019);
• Approve a referendum to increase property tax millage without any prior planning for the amount required and the plans for spending;
• Increase administrative personnel by 72% while increasing instructional personnel by only 24%;
• Ignore the 2014-2019 strategic plan, which is the guidebook for the priorities and the goals of the district; and
• Vote to borrow against sales tax revenue for capital projects well before the projects were ready to begin resulting in unnecessary interest charges.

 The board continually demonstrates that it lacks the ability to manage the district’s $851 million budget. As a member of the board, I would have the ability to make decisions rather than merely make recommendations that are sometimes ignored.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities during your term? 

• Forty-nine percent of our third grade students cannot read at grade level. This is unacceptable. My priority will be to help these students by devoting more resources to early reading initiatives. 
• The administration and the board have taken actions to stifle transparency and public input. Policies for public comments, citizens’ oversight committees and publishing information on the district’s website need critical changes. 
• Finally, the decisions for the district’s operations during the coronavirus move to the forefront. The district must protect the health of its teachers, students and employees. This runs counter to opening a brick-and-mortar school system for five days a week for all students. It should employ strategies to improve the quality of distance learning, serve the needs of the most vulnerable students and allow teachers and students’ families the flexibility to choose the best options for their situations.

What is your position on charter schools?

There are some excellent charter schools in Manatee County that provide quality education and services to students who might not be able to have their needs met by our school district. Although charter schools are required to be nonprofit, many are paying fees and expenses to their for-profit partners. There needs to be more accountability and transparency to enable the families to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, much of that reform needs to occur at the state level.

What is your position on the state’s recently expanded voucher-scholarship program?

The voucher program has encouraged an increase in schools that do not have to meet the same educational and accountability standards as public and charter schools. Consequently, our tax dollars are financing schools that might not be accredited, might not employ qualified teachers or be able to measure academic achievement. The state of Florida needs to implement requirements for schools receiving the vouchers to meet the same standards as public and charter schools.

Do you feel district leadership is taking the district in the right direction?

No, I do not. Increased spending has not resulted in any significant increase in student achievement. In the past four years, the number of students who can read at gain level increased by 3%. For that same period, the district’s budget increased by more than 41%. Obviously, the resources are not going where they belong — the classroom.

Do you feel single-member representation is working well for the school board races?

This will be the last election where the school board member from each district will be elected by the voters of the entire county. That has been an effective model because all board members have felt the responsibility to represent all students in the district. I am concerned that voting for a representative by each district might lead to division on the board because of members advocating for special interests of his/her district.

What would you recommend to help Manatee public schools attract the most qualified teachers?

In 2018, the county approved a referendum to increase property taxes for which a portion was designated to increase teacher compensation. Unfortunately, this referendum expires in two years and will have to be approved by the voters for it to continue. Should the voters lose confidence in the board’s ability to manage its finances, the referendum could very well fail. If that occurs, the teachers will see a significant decrease in their compensation. It is impossible to attract qualified teachers under this scenario. It is essential that compensation be paid from the core budget and not rely on an increase in property taxes every four years. The only way to achieve that is to elect members to the board who are fiscally conservative and who understand the budget and will hold the superintendent accountable.

What is your position on school impact fees?

The growth of Manatee County creates a need for additional schools. Last year, the district opened three new schools. The impact fees paid only a portion of the cost of those schools; most was paid by the sales surtax revenue. The district will never recover the lost revenue from the period when growth continued yet there was a moratorium on impact fees. The amount of impact fees is recommended through an independent study. The district should adopt a policy to launch a new study every five years and adjust the impact fees accordingly.

Where do you stand on term limits for school board members?

I believe this is a good idea. Longtime board members tend to become complacent and accept whatever information is provided by the administration.