Professional and personal
Vice President Sales/Owner Eagle Home Medical Corportaion.
Born and raised in Pender County, attended Burgaw High School.
1978 Graduate NC State University, BS in Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Halifax County resident thirty plus years.
Married to Pam Peedin for 24 years
Children: Jeffrey Peedin II, employed at Eagle Home Medical; Bobby Peedin, Freshman UNC Chapel Hill, Graduate of KIPP Pride High; Taylor Peedin, Graduating Senior KIPP, attending UNC Chapel Hill or Meredith College in the fall; Pete Peedin, 10th grade KIPP
1. Why are you running?
Halifax Board of Education is the most important board in Halifax County. All aspects of life in Halifax County are affected by the success or failure of the high school graduates. This includes economic development, self-reliance of our citizens, poverty rate, government dependency, median income, entrepreneurship, and the success of future generations. Preparing our students for the future is the most important job we have as citizens. Everything about the welfare of the county depends on the job the Board of Education does educating our children. To date we have failed to educate our students and thus our economic development has suffered, unemployment rate is high, and government dependency is high. We have to break the cycle of failed graduating classes.
2. Why do you feel you are qualified to run?
My kids go to KIPP. I’ve seen first-hand how you can take students who would have marginally succeeded in the public schools and with the right atmosphere, are now going to great colleges and are successful. This is regardless of the child’s race or economic background. They are all succeeding. What our students need is discipline, involved parents, expectations for success, and quality teachers. In addition, I have lived in Halifax County for 32 years, own a successful business, graduated from NC State University, and have served on several economic/business development boards in the county. The common theme for over 30 years is we do not have a well-educated work force. That is my goal, to bring Halifax County Schools to a point where we are producing successful well-educated graduates.
3. Do you support school merger? If so, please explain why. If not, please explain why?
The short answer is no, not the way it is being proposed by some factions in the county. If we slam the school systems together we will only get divisiveness and our county will have to come up with millions to cover the cost of educating the students. That cost has to come from somewhere and the most likely source is higher taxes. I am, however, open to talking with the other school boards about merger. First we would have to see if there is a way to get the school systems in line financially and academically. This needs to be done regardless or the outcome of this election, i.e. whether merger occurs or not. At that point discussions could move into merging/consolidating the schools so that all students in the county are marketable to industry as a well-educated work force.
4. How much will merger cost the taxpayers of Halifax County. Please elaborate.
Per pupil/student cost per year for 2012-2013: Roanoke Rapids Graded $8,516.00/pupil, Halifax County Schools $11,462.00/pupil, and Weldon City $12,756.00/pupil. 2013-2014 budgets are even higher. The law states that if the schools are merged by a County Commission the per pupil expense has to be set at the highest level of all the districts merged, i.e. Weldon at $12,756.00. Total number of students for all districts combined 2012-2013 was 7,396. 2012-2013 budget is $76,581,282.00 for all districts combined. If the school systems merge the budget would be 7396 X $12,756.00/pupil=$94,343,376.00. $94,343,376.00 minus $76,581,282.00=$17,762,094.00. So the county will have to come up with $17,762,094.00 (17 million dollars) most likely through higher taxes. Current figures range from $8 million to $12 million per year that the county is going to have to pay the merged county school system. On the other hand, if we could get all systems in line with the state average of $8,500.00/pupil, the total budget for a merged system using the same figures would be $7396 X $8,500 .00=$62,866,000.00, i.e. a savings to the tax payers of $14 million ($76 million minus $62 million). (Source: NC Public Schools Financial and Business Services)
5. What are the alternatives to merger? Would you support the sharing of resources with Weldon and Roanoke Rapids as an alternative to merger?
The alternative is as stated above. Merge the schools over time after the systems are brought in line financially and academically. Possibly a first step could be to merge the city schools first, but that decision should be a school board choice and not a state legislative or county commissioner decision. Right now the focus of the Halifax County School Board should be to get our students educated and not get side tracked by merger. (see “Elect Jeff Peedin” on Facebook).
6. What are the immediate academic needs of students within the Halifax County School System? How do you go about seeing these needs are met?
Management, Management, Management. We have to put in place managers that will get the job done, period. As stated before, give the students discipline, involved parents, expectations, and quality teachers and academics will take care of itself. I’d like to see different pathways for students. All students do not want or are not able to go to college. I think all kids who desire to go to college should go to college. It seems the main focus of the State and Federal government is to push all students into a college prep curriculum, whether they have the ability or not. I’d like to see more focus on learning the basics such as math, reading, writing, and history and then, based on those outcomes, give the students pathway choices, i.e. carpentry, masonry, welding, heavy equipment, automotive, computers, agriculture, etc., and of course college. At the bare minimum our graduates should be able to read, write, do basic math, and have some exposure to a trade or skill that will make him or her marketable for employment. Too many Halifax County graduates do not have these skill sets.
7. What does the Halifax County School System have to do to regain the trust of the county commissioners?
Get the job done both fiscally and academically. In other words account for the money, spend the money wisely, and give our students a quality education.
8. What are the biggest facility needs within the school system?
We need to focus on providing early grade schools located closer to the parents. My thoughts are to have a K-8 school located in Hobgood/Scotland Neck, Enfield, Hollister, Littleton and Davie Area. We need an alternative school that can motivate and educate our disruptive students. We are always going to have disruptive students, the trick is to turn them around and make them productive citizens. We also need to get rid of the facilities that the board has no plans of using now or in the future.
9. How does the school system prevent the loss of students to the new KIPP Halifax school?
The Halifax County School should work to compliment the KIPP system. KIPP is successful and is not going to go away. We all have to work together for the common good of our students. Competition between the schools is good. If the County can’t compete then maybe we shouldn’t be in the education business. We can compete if we have a common goal and work together.
10. At this moment, what is the financial picture of the county school system. What improvements need to be made?
Start by following the guidelines set out in the Evergreen study. There is still money unaccounted for. The State Auditor should be called in to find the funds and to find out where they went. If need be prosecute those responsible if laws were broken. Become more efficient and strive to get funding per pupil close to state averages. Create a budget process that will assist in cutting waste and in cutting costs.
