Lindsay Mahaffey, candidate for Wake County school board District 8, answers our questions
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Candidates for Wake County Board of Education District 8
Elizabeth McDuffie is running against incumbent Lindsay Mahaffey. District 8 includes parts of Apex, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina. Get to know the candidates with our 2024 NC Voter Guide.
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To help inform voters in the Nov. 5, 2024, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Name: Lindsay Mahaffey
District/seat: Wake County Board of Education, District 8
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 42
Campaign website: electlindsay.com
Current occupation: Mom and School Board Member
Professional experience: Teacher for eight years, Board Member, Co-Chair School Accreditation Team
Education: Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and French, Master of Arts in Teaching Social Science
Please list any notable government or civic involvement:. Wake County Board of Education, PTA member at various schools
What would be your top priority if elected?
Academic excellence and student success. This is laid out in WCPSS’ current strategic plan. WCPSS has its highest-ever graduation rate at 91.3% this past year, and we have more work to do in helping all students get across the stage. Having restored master’s pay, raising staff pay and promoting student well-being all plays a factor into making sure WCPSS students have access to the best educators and are ready to learn in the classroom. I hope to see our numbers grow if reelected to this board.
What specific strategies would you promote to improve academic achievement for Wake County students?
Teacher recruitment and retention efforts should continue. Students need a highly qualified teacher leading their class. I would continue to ensure Wake has one of the highest teacher supplements in the state. Continuing to increase the number of counselors and social workers to promote student mental health and well-being. Increasing the amount of schools that have access to free meals so that students are able to learn without the distraction of hunger. More funding for HVAC updates.
How should Wake County respond to the Biden administration’s new Title IX rules involving transgender students?
As in years past when Title IX changes were made, the board adopted the relevant changes into policy. To not adopt the changes by the deadline would be to put the district at risk of losing federal funding. Should the Title IX rules change, I’m sure the policy would be changed in accordance to the new rules.
Do you think the legislature should fund about $500 million for private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program? Why or why not?
No. The legislature has a constitutional obligation to fund the operating budget for our public school system. It’s estimated that WCPSS is owed over $170 million from the state to help fulfill this obligation This could be going towards teacher pay, professional development, instructional materials like textbooks. I also have a strong belief that public dollars should be publicly accountable; currently there is no oversight for private schools that accept voucher money from the legislature.
What is your view on installing weapons detectors at every school as a security measure?
Our school security should be layered. We have to have safe storage of firearms to help keep our students safe. We need to ensure physical safety in our schools without making our schools fortresses. They should be welcoming to students, their families, visitors and volunteers. We have a strong relationship with law enforcement within and outside of the SRO program. Weapons detectors are one layer but that cannot be the only safety measure that we rely on.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Lindsay Mahaffey, candidate for Wake County school board District 8, answers our questions."
