THREE FOR TWO: A trio of candidates wants to serve the final two years of an unexpired term. One of them could win it all in the primary.
By BARBARA BEHRENDT
Published August 24, 2004
The three candidates vying to complete the remaining two years of Sandra "Sam" Himmel's unexpired District 5 School Board term all claim a special affinity for children.
Bruce Bellamy has coached youth sports in the area for more than two decades.
Barbie Bogart is a former teacher who quit her job to raise her children and wants to represent a parent's perspective on the board.
Linda Powers has years of experience as a guidance counselor and community service volunteer working with children.
But only one will win the job, which became available because Himmel resigned to run for school superintendent.
A winner will be chosen if one candidate can earn 50 percent plus one vote; otherwise, the two top vote-getters will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot. The election is nonpartisan, so all voters, regardless of political affiliation, will have a chance to cast a ballot. District 5 encompasses portions of east Citrus, but School Board members are elected countywide, so all voters are eligible.
For Bellamy, the decision to run for a public office was an extension of his love for children. With 21 years coaching a variety of youth teams, he said "we need someone on the board who is looking out for kids first and foremost."
Noting that the other candidates in the race are educators, he said the board needs a different perspective. A carpenter, Bellamy said he knows many people in the community and thinks he would be a good board member.
As a coach, he always emphasized doing well in school. He said that many times, it was parents who were not concerned enough about their children's success.
Bellamy said his hope was to get rid of the "us versus them" attitude that many perceive from the school district. He said he would work to help make parents feel better about participating in their children's education.
A strong supporter of the Withlacoochee Technical Institute, Bellamy said the district must do more to promote the opportunities at that school.
Bogart said the board needs a parent's voice like hers.
"If you have children in the school system, you are following along with what's going on," she said. "I can give my full energy and commitment" to the job.
Bogart's vision is for students to get "the quality education they deserve," whether they are destined for college or not.
With the district's gloomy financial outlook, Bogart said, officials need to be sure money is not wasted. Instead of just determining that money can be saved by leaving available positions open, she said the district needs to consider alternatives such as putting teachers at the district level back into classrooms.
"They need to look right now and see if they can be more creative," she said.
Another area where the district may be able to save money could be to end the block schedule in the high schools, an idea Bogart favors.
Powers said she chose to run because this is a critical time for public education. She said that, with her years of education and community experience, she is prepared to provide the needed leadership.
Powers advocates more education and community partnerships. "It takes teamwork to do all of this," she said.
The biggest need currently, however, is better communication in the school district and between the district and parents and residents.
"This is a good school system and it can be a great school system," Powers said. "Communication is one of the greatest challenges ... we don't communicate effectively."
She said it is important that the board work together with the administration. "I think we all want children to be educated well but it is sometimes in putting that into effect where we run into problems," she said.
THE JOB
School Board members are elected by voters countywide but must live in their districts. They set policy and approve the budget for the county's public schools. The term typically is four years, although in this case the winner will serve out the final two years of Sandra "Sam" Himmel's term. They are elected on a nonpartisan basis and earn $28,800 a year.
THE CANDIDATES
BRUCE BELLAMY, 50, is a lifelong Citrus resident who works as a carpenter for A&R Construction. He attended the Citrus public schools, graduating from the Withlacoochee Technical Institute. He returned to school at the age of 40 and earned an associate's degree in business from Central Florida Community College. He has worked as a carpenter, an adult education teacher of wastewater plants operations, and as a worker at the Inverness wastewater treatment plant. Bellamy has spent 21 years coaching youth sports teams and has participated in local community theater. He has four children.
ASSETS: half-interest in his home.
LIABILITIES: none.
SOURCE OF INCOME: construction job.
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BARBIE BOGART, 33, is a Largo native who moved to Citrus in 1976. A Citrus High School graduate, she taught six years at Rock Crusher Elementary School before quitting in 1999 to raise her children. Previously, Bogart had worked in the bookkeeping department of the Bank of Inverness. She earned her associate's degree from Central Florida Community College and her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Saint Leo University. Bogart has been a PTA member since 1993 and a volunteer coach for the Inverness Little League since 2001. She is married and has four children.
ASSETS: mutual funds, checking account, savings account and annuity.
LIABILITIES: none.
SOURCE OF INCOME: none.
* * *
LINDA POWERS, 60, is a guidance counselor at Inverness Middle School. A native of Green Cove Springs, Powers came to Citrus more than 20 years ago. She worked previously as a teacher, mental health counselor and office manager for her husband, David's, medical office. She earned her bachelor's degree in English from Jacksonville University, her master's in English education from Florida State University, and her master's in guidance and counseling from Rollins College. Powers is on the Citrus County Fair Association board, and is a member of the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council and the Citrus County Family Visitation Center. She has also been involved in the Citrus County Education Foundation, the Pregnancy Crisis Center, Camp E-Nini-Hassee and the Citrus County Little League, including serving as an umpire. She is married and has three grown children.
ASSETS: home, half interest in medical office, building lots, cabin and property, stocks, retirement account.
