Four candidates are competing for the Bay County School Board District 3 seat in a race shaped by debates over government transparency, district budget shortfalls and declining enrollment. Incumbent Chris Moore is seeking a second term against challengers John Haley, Glenn Manley and Colleen Koch.
Moore is a lifelong Bay County resident, a graduate of Bay schools, and a Navy veteran with a 24+year service career.
First elected to Bay County School Board in 2022, Moore currently trails all of his challengers in fundraising, having raised only $7,200 for his reelection campaign. That’s about half of what Colleen Kock has raised, and less than a third of what Glenn Manley and John Haley have amassed.
A decision to cut audio/video during school board meetings has drawn the ire of local residents and has become a campaign flashpoint in this election cycle.
“I oppose turning off the microphone at that time. I think if you’re going to participate in the meeting virtually, you need to get 100% of that meeting and those three minutes of comment should be heard and they should know what the community is thinking about. This is why we have open in the Sunshine meetings to start with, is to be transparent. I had an old boss in the Navy tell me, ‘Sunshine is the best disinfectant,’ and you know, the Sunshine Law is out there for a reason,” Moore told WMBB when asked about the issue.
This year’s school board race is also colored by growing budget deficits and a looming decision on whether and how to ask local voters to renew the half-cent sales tax, which expires in 2030.
John Haley has raised the most of any candidate in the race, with about $29,500 so far in contributions.
The former Arnold High School Principal and former Executive Director of Operations for Bay District Schools announced his candidacy for the District 3 seat in April.
“I get a lot of calls from parents with concerns they have regarding their kids and the way things are going and [I’m] basically just answering that call to be a blessing to students in this community,” said John Haley, in an interview with WMBB.
Hot on his heels in the money race is Glenn Manley, with more than $22,000 in contributions to his campaign. He’s worked as a teacher, coach, athletic director and administrator across a 38-year education career.
Manley, on his campaign Facebook page, frequently touts endorsements from former students and co-workers and in a Jul 15 post, said “I’ll ask tough questions, make informed decisions, support our teachers, strengthen career and technical education, protect taxpayer dollars, and always keep students at the center of every decision.”
Also in the running is Collen Koch, a current Bay Schools teacher with five children currently enrolled in the school district.
“I really got into it [the school board race] because of screen time. They’ve pushed the curriculum to pretty much mandate that a middle school student spends time on the screen during school and that just isn’t in the student’s best interest. Students learn best when they write by hand, preferably cursive,” Kock said, calling for a balance between classroom tech versus old-fashioned paper-and-pencil learning.
She also weighed in on the district’s uniform policy, calling it “not ideal,” and also is critical of students having to purchase digital tickets to get into events. Koch supports a cash option. Koch’s campaign has raised $15,000.
The Rural News Service asked the candidates a series of questions on several issues facing schools. Here are their responses:
Dr. John Haley:
Why are you running for the school board?
I am running for School Board to put students first. To support our teachers and employees who are on the front line, such as our bus drivers, paraprofessionals, maintenance workers, and other support personnel. I am also running to ensure fiscal responsibility. Bay District School overspent its budget by $5 million last year and $7 million this year. That pattern of spending is unsustainable. Finally, I am running to improve safety and security for our schools. While I worked as an assistant principal and principal, I kept narcotics off campuses by arresting more than 240 offenders in a nine-year period.
What perspective would you bring to the board?
I bring a unique perspective as I am the only candidate who has been a teacher, dean of students, administrative assistant, assistant principal, principal, and a district administrator. I am the only candidate who has led a high school to “A” status.
Additionally, I am the only candidate who has saved the district and taxpayers more than $2 million through an energy savings initiative called Central Digital Control (CDC).
Additionally, I am the only candidate who founded and runs a real estate business. I build, buy, and rent homes to single mothers.
What are the district’s biggest challenges, and how would you address them?
Our biggest challenges are enrollment, student achievement, teacher recruitment and retention.
Enrollment: We must engage our students in extracurricular activities and market their successes. Additionally, our teachers and administrators must become increasingly aware that parents now have more educational options and develop a customer friendly attitude.
Student Achievement: We must incorporate a robust “Parental Engagement Program” districtwide to improve and maintain student academic success.
Teacher Recruitment and Retention: We need to work with city government to get teachers help with $50,000.00 down payment on a home and $10,000.00 toward closing costs. We also need to ask city government to exempt teachers from the new fire assessment tax on homeowners. We need to give all ESE teachers a 3% supplement. We also need to work with city government to build and provide subsidized housing for teachers who rent.
What concerns are you hearing most from parents, teachers and voters?
Parents are unhappy about the amount of screen time students are spending in front of Chromebooks.
If elected, what would be your top first-year priority?
My top priority would be to implement a parental engagement program throughout the district. Research shows when parents are engaged in a child’s education, their attendance, behavior, and academic achievement improve. Four districts west of Bay County are “A” districts. One of the four is Escambia County with 55.6% of its population being minority. They have a robust parental engagement program.
With reading scores still struggling statewide, how can schools in your district help students improve academically?
They will have to utilize “push in teachers” to teach to small groups during regular classroom instruction. Additionally, counselors and administrators will have to work with small groups during instructional time. Finally, the instructional day has [to] be extended. Struggling students will need additional reading instruction after school hours.
With the expansion of vouchers and school choice, how should the district respond to declining enrollment and possible school closures?
We will have to do several things:
- Market the uniqueness of Bay District Schools' CTE programs and academies
- Improve communication with current parents
- Develop exit interviews with parents who are leaving and try to fix the problem
- Become an “A” district that offers more than any other educational institution.
How should schools handle concerns about library books?
Schools should continue to allow students to read books of their choosing. In the event a parent does not want his/her child to read a particular they can simply request another.
Colleen Koch:
Why are you running for the school board?
As a current teacher and parent to Bay District Schools students, I am running to implement policies that will best serve the students, families, and teachers in Bay County. The stakeholders in our school district need a voice on our school board. Currently, policies are being implemented by board members who have no “skin in the game” meaning they feel absolutely no impact in their decisions. What perspective would you bring to the board? I bring the perspective of a current educator – not one who hasn’t set foot in the classroom in years or ever. Additionally, I see my own children in elementary, middle, and high school and how current policy impacts their lives. I am relevant.
What are the district’s biggest challenges, and how would you address them?
Enrollment is a huge challenge. Current district policies are pushing families to choose options that are anything other than attending Bay District Schools (home schooling or private schooling). The state is incentivizing their choice to leave the district through programs like Step Up. The budget has taken a hit as a result—as in $5.5 million dollars lost last year alone. I would enact policies from the perspective of a current teacher and parent and bring students and families back to our schools.
What concerns are you hearing most from parents, teachers and voters?
Enrollment again is a huge issue – at any given event, I will talk to about half of the families present and they have chosen not to send their kids to Bay District Schools. Many cite too much testing, curriculum choices, and the current dress code. All of these are policies that the board controls and could improve upon.
If elected, what would be your top first-year priority?
Choosing curriculum that does not heavily rely on technology – something that supports traditional learning – especially in elementary and middle school, reducing the amount of district-mandated standardized testing, voting to bring cash back to sporting events, and revising the dress code.
With reading scores still struggling statewide, how can schools in your district help students improve academically?
Schools need to keep their excellent professional reading teachers on a multiyear contract to ensure that they have stability and continued training to excel in their classrooms. Less standardized testing would ensure that teachers spend more time in the classroom teaching, not constantly testing. I would meet with reading teachers to see exactly what they need in order to be more successful and then put those practices into place.
With the expansion of vouchers and school choice, how should the district respond to declining enrollment and possible school closures?
I addressed this in an earlier question. The policies of the school board need to be implemented by board members who are relevant – who have taught in recent years and have children attending our schools. Better policies will help to increase enrollment.
How should schools handle concerns about library books?
The state has a law in place so that parents can bring an objectionable book before the board to weigh that book’s merit. If there is no educational value and if the book is inappropriate, it could be removed. As an English teacher, I want to pass on a love for reading to all students, but this does not include inappropriate material. I believe in teaching books that jump start a student’s critical thinking skills because they include themes and lessons that inspire learning.
Glenn Manley:
The Rural News Service emailed all candidates an 8-question survey. The candidate did not respond to the survey in time to be included in this report. When the candidate responds, this story will be updated with their answers.
Chris Moore:
The Rural News Service emailed all candidates an 8-question survey. The candidate did not respond to the survey in time to be included in this report. When the candidate responds, this story will be updated with their answers.
