Q&A: BoE Candidate Michelle Hinton

Note: Over the next two weeks the Ledyard Patch will run short profiles of all town candidates for council and board of education, along with their responses to three questions that we asked. Election Day is Nov. 8.

Name: Michelle Hinton

Education: Ledyard High School, Class of '84

Work Experience: Owner, Edible Arrangements, Norwich

Civic/Political Experience: Board of Education (2 years), Finance Committee Chair, Policy Committee; Former LCS PTO President (7 years); Miss Ledyard Pageants organizer (14 years); Member Greater Norwich Chamber of Commerce

Family: Married (Brian) and 2 children— Haley (LHS) and Logan (LMS)

1. Why are you running for this office?

I am running for re-election for the Ledyard BoE because I am very passionate about the educational system in Ledyard. As an alumni of LHS, I have now chosen to raise my family here. I am not afraid to ask questions or "speak my mind." As part of the current BoE, I am a member of the policy committee and the chairperson of the finance committee and I thoroughly enjoy being part of this decision making process.

2. What do you believe is the greatest challenge Ledyard faces today, and what would you do to meet this challenge?

The biggest challenge facing the Ledyard BoE is being able to maintain the high level of education in town while having to stick within a challenging budget.  I am not willing to lower our standards (staffing, class sizes, quality of education, special education or safety of buildings), just to break even with the budget.  We have learned to be very creative with our resources and the Town of Ledyard should be very thankful for the guidance and support of the Central Office administrators and our chairperson, Sharon Hightower. The current BoE has not just been looking towards the next month or even school year; we have been projecting-out for the next 3-5 years based on current needs and information. We have to think smart and plan ahead.
 
3. How would you rate the performance of the current council overall, and what, if anything, would you do differently?

This is an easy question - The current BoE operates very well with each other, Central Office and current building administrators.  The level of professionalism, communication and thoughtfulness is extremely high. I am very proud to be part of this group and I only hope that the next BoE will be as proactive and successful as the current board.