by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Two Sewanee area residents are running for the District Five school board seat in the Aug. 6 General Election. Early Voting is underway through Aug. 1. Read on to learn about Matt Hughes and Sarah Marhevsky, the two District Five candidates.

Among Matt Hughes’ top concerns as a candidate for the District 5 school board seat is what Hughes calls “a disconnect between what is happening in our classrooms and what is often discussed at the board level. Too often, attention is given to political disagreements instead of practical solutions.” True to his ethos, Hughes is running as an independent candidate.

Employed by the district as a part-time field trip bus driver, Hughes increasingly found himself in up-close-and-personal conversations with teachers, coaches, aides, other bus drivers, and other school employees. “Those conversations gave me a firsthand perspective on both the strengths of our schools and the challenges they face,” Hughes said. He began attending school board meetings and making himself informed about the boots-on-the-ground reality.

Hughes cites school funding as a major challenge brought into play by the Education Freedom Scholarship program leading to declining public school enrollment. “When student enrollment declines, so does state funding. The burden often shifts to local property owners to make up the difference through higher taxes. Every dollar should be spent where it has the greatest impact on student success. At the same time, we must focus on attracting and retaining students. Investing in strong academic programs, athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular opportunities makes our schools more competitive and gives families a reason to choose to remain in our district’s public schools.”

“We should be asking how we can make our schools the first choice for families,” Hughes insisted. “One idea is to expand career and technical education opportunities by partnerships with the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology. TCATs provide hands-on training in high-demand careers such as welding, HVAC, industrial maintenance, automotive technology, health care, and many other skilled trades preparing students for good-paying careers right here in our region. Every student should graduate with a clear path forward, whether that path leads to college, the military, a skilled trade, or directly into the workforce.”

Born in Bowling Green, Ky., Hughes spent most of his childhood and graduated from high school in Kingston Springs, Tenn. He met his wife Hannah Barry Hughes when they were both attending school in Knoxville. Hannah hails from a family with long Sewanee-area ties. The eighth generation of Barry’s now lives on the Barry family homestead in Midway. “As I listened to Hannah’s stories about growing up here, it became clear that this was the kind of community where we wanted to raise our own children,” Hughes said. “As a child, I moved frequently and attended six different elementary schools in six years. This is the first place that has truly felt like home. By serving on the school board, I hope to give back to the community that has given so much to my family.”

“I find it disappointing candidates are required to declare a political party to serve on the school board. School board members should be willing to listen, collaborate, and work with everyone, regardless of political affiliation. Our responsibility is to our students, not to a political party.”

“I know public education from the perspective of a student, a teacher, a parent, a community member, and a school board member,” said incumbent Sarah Marhevsky who has served on the school board since 2019. “This variety of perspectives gives me insight into the expectations and challenges each of those groups faces.” Marhevsky seeks election for a third term.

Although born and living for much of her childhood in Ohio, Marhevsky spent her high school years in Pennsylvania. “The arts, particularly band and marching band, played a big role in my school experience. My parents were the first in their families to go to college and stressed the importance of a good education.” Following in her teacher mother’s footsteps, Marhevsky earned a bachelor’s degree in English and German from Wake Forest University and a Master of Arts in teaching English from the University of Chicago. Marhevsky has either attended or worked at 11 public schools. She taught at public schools in Chicago, a suburb of Austin, and in a rural college town in Idaho. In 2010, Marhevsky moved to Sewanee with her husband Matthew Rudd when he took a position teaching math at the University. “We were most recently in Idaho, and we wanted to get closer to family as we were starting our own,” Marhevsky said. “We’ve settled in and happily made this home. I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived anywhere else.”

One of Marhevsky’s chief roles on the Franklin County School Board is serving as the board’s legislative liaison, working with the Tennessee School Board Association to keep the Board and community informed about current and upcoming legislation. She helps draft resolutions to share with legislators, creating carefully crafted statements presenting the board’s position on pending legislation and explaining why. Under Marhevsky’s guidance the board has adopted resolutions objecting to the third-grade retention law and student testing practices; requesting more funding for universal Pre-K and for teacher education, especially “grow your own” programs; and denouncing vouchers type initiatives such as the Education Freedom Act, tax credits, charter schools, and other programs that take funding away from the public schools.

Marhevsky is quick to acknowledge the state legislature’s role in the local public schools. “Among the challenges the school district faces are legislation that impacts what teachers teach and how they have to teach it, the required testing that is often the sole basis for how schools (and students) are judged, and legislation that allows public money to support private schools instead of better supporting public schools,” Marhevsky stressed. Top on Marhevsky’s wish list: “more classroom freedom to allow teachers to better meet students’ needs and more funding to support smaller class sizes and enrichment like field trips and the arts.”

Pointing to the asset of her varied background in bridging the various groups and communities she represents, Marhevsky said, “I’m an optimist and expect the best in people. I am working for the good of public education not just at the local level but at the state level, as well.”