Gibson
Leslie Gibson has taken a wide variety of roles within Hiwassee Dam’s schools, from the booster club to coaching and the parent involvement committee. She now hopes to take an even bigger role as one of the two District 3 representatives on the Cherokee County Board of Education.
“I had a lot of people in the community come to me and tell me, you know a lot about the school system, you know a lot about the area, you should get involved,” Gibson said. “I’ve served on the parent involvement committee for the last seven years. I’ve met with people from Raleigh to talk about stuff that needs to be happening with the buildings.”
Gibson grew up in the area and moved back here in 2005 after living in Franklin. She and her husband have three children, including a 10-year-old still in Hiwassee Dam schools. Special needs children are an important focus for the Republican.
“I had a talk with another Realtor, and she has a grandson who’s autistic,” Gibson said. “There are not (enough) resources here (for him), and I’ve heard horror stories like that.
“I know everyone is talking about consolidation, but that is not the biggest deal to me. Getting these kids who need help, that’s the biggest deal to me.”
However, Gibson knows the issue of consolidation is unavoidable in Cherokee County. While unification of local schools would still leave them relatively small compared to other systems in the state, Gibson worries about the problems that can come with that.
“My daughter is 10, and I feel like she’s going to be exposed to things she shouldn’t be exposed to,” she said. “Of course the resources are going to be there – the equipment, the buildings – that’s going to be a lot better.
“But just because it’s financially better, does it mean that’s going to be better for our county? I don’t think so.”
Gibson would prefer to see the school system use an east-west campus strategy for consolidation.
“I do feel like we should close down one of the high schools,” Gibson said. “I feel like there should be an east and a west.”
Gibson said she thinks a similar model makes sense for the county’s elementary and middle schools, with east and west campuses, and possibly a central location as well.
No matter what is decided, she would like to see more transparency when it comes to school consolidation plans. She said she thinks many parents feel like they haven’t been given a choice whenever consolidation plans have been put on the table.
“I feel like when (Superintendent Jeana) Dr. Conley introduced the Hiwassee Dam and Ranger merger a few years ago, that was a great idea, but it just kind of pushed on people so I think that was why there was so much backlash and resistance to it,” Gibson said.
As for current schools, Gibson believes the system needs to provide more basic resources for students. She said students are sometimes penalized for not being prepared for class, when in reality they sometimes just may not have access to all the items they need.
“There was a (recent Facebook) post about a resource board that had feminine products, paper, pencils, folders and it was all for free,” she said. “And if the kids needed it, they don’t have to be called out in class because they don’t have a pencil or whatever. That’s one thing I really want to implement.”
Gibson also expressed concern that elements of Critical Race Theory could make their way into Cherokee County Schools.
“People are free to express themselves however they want, but we can’t change the DNA God gave us,” Gibson said. “And it shouldn’t be shoved down our children’s throats.”