JOHN ORNELAS FOR CUMBERLAND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Today is a new day. Welcome to the official site of John Ornelas for Cumberland County Board of Education, your source of information including upcoming events, information on the issues and so much more. Please feel free to browse the website, where you will find all you need to know surrounding John Ornelas for Cumberland County Board of Education and how I am fighting for our Parents, Students, and Staff. You can also follow my Facebook page John Ornelas for Cumberland County School Board.
WHY I CHOSE TO RUN
I am running for an At-Large seat for Cumberland County Schools District. I feel that the current board members are not helping our children or parents in a way that is changing for the better and I want to be a voice for the parents who are not being heard. Part of that change is a re-evaluation of our special needs department. Some students in the Exceptional Child (EC) department that are not receiving their yearly Individualized Education Program (IEP) assessment. These yearly assessments are crucial to their education and present levels of performance, strengths, needs, and creates measurable goals.
​
Let's make a change in this school district and help our children grow in a safer and happier environment.
ISSUES & CONCERNS
VETTING OF EDUCATORS
When parents send their children to school, the expectation of the administrators are to provide a safe learning experience for our students. A lot of you were shocked to learn about a local high school teacher being charged with sexual exploitation of minors and a 1st grade teacher accused of trafficking drugs, CCS must update the vetting process of those who hold the responsibility for the health and welfare of our children while they are in their care. I agree that our teachers are more than deserving of a pay increase but we must recruit based on the quality of an educator rather than quantity.
STUDENTÂ & TEACHERÂ STRUGGLES
Since in-person learning has resumed, our students are struggling and falling behind with their grades. Some students lost previous grade skills required to advance and teachers are trying to adjust their plans to assist those students within the school day. According to Niche.com and state test scores, Cumberland County Schools ranks only 42% proficient in Reading and 34% proficient in Math with an overall academic rating of a C+. We need to get back to the actual education of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic to better prepare them for the future. I believe that if our teachers received the respect and support they deserve from our board of education, we will start to see a turn for the better.
TRANSPORTATION
Recently posted on CBS17, Cumberland County Schools expect the transportation budget run out of money. The director of transportation indicated that they will probably ask the state for contingency funding. While the cost of fuel played a big part in the transportation department going over budget, CCS BOE should have applied the approx. $55K in bonuses they gave to Dr. Connelly and his cabinet towards the rising cost of fuel. This might not have fixed the issue but it would lower the amount borrowed. It is essential that our busses are maintained and running.