The Issues

Protecting Students

While some school boards are trying to cancel the School Resource Officer Program, Hall County prioritizes our law enforcement personnel.

Mark believes that Hall County Schools should be the safest place for students to learn and grow. Mark will support continued efforts to provide a safe learning and working environment for the children and staff of Hall County.

Expanding School Choice

Mark has worked to designate Hall County Schools a "District of Choice" by creating nearly 40 unique programs of choice.

Each child should have access to a program of choice that best fits his or her individual talents. By expanding programs of choice and charter schools, Hall County will better equip students by providing families the opportunity to enroll their child in a unique program that best meets their needs and enables them to take control of their future.

Supporting Teachers

Mark has provided employees with a raise or bonus each year in office, and implemented and Employee Assistance Program.

Mark believes in a bottom up, rather than a top down approach to education. Too often our teachers’ hands are tied with mandatory standardized testing and other federal and state requirements which actually reduce their time teaching. Teachers and parents know best what works in the classrooms. Mark will always support increased parental involvement and teacher discretion in the classroom.

Teaching Technical Skills

Hall County Schools has added 14 new CTAE Pathways, offering a total of 60 Pathways for students since Mark was elected.

For too long we have pushed high school graduates into four-year colleges only to watch them struggle to find employment after completing their post-secondary education. Georgia is in dire need of skilled workers, and companies are willing to pay top dollar for skilled workers. Mark wants to create more career and technical pathways in Hall County’s high schools so that our area is a friendly labor climate for industry expansion and prosperity.

Engaging the Public

Mark spearheaded the current practice to livestream Board of Education meetings so that everyone can participate in the operations of the school board.

Hall County Schools serves 28,000 students each day. Community engagement is necessary no matter how large or small our system is. Mark wants to facilitate roundtable discussions to learn more from teachers, parents and students

Enhancing Efficiency

Since taking office in 2019, Mark has led the way to reduce school taxes by nearly 10%, achieving our lowest tax rate in over a decade.

Mark knows how to make the best use of our tax dollars and increase efficiency. As a former management person for a Fortune Fifty Company, and having served on the Hall County SPLOST Citizen Review Panel, Mark will take his business experience and use it to benefit the school system and taxpayers so that everyone enjoys an efficient, responsive and world class education.

Planning for Growth

Hall County’s population now exceeds 200,000 and is expected to increase substantially. 

Planning for smart growth and maximizing the efficiency of our current facilities will be paramount during the next decade. Mark has spent countless hours working with planning commissions and municipalities to anticipate growth. Additionally, he helped craft the School District's Ten Year Facility Plan which will provide the best educational experience possible for the students of Hall County.