Bibb County Board of Education elections feature just 1 contested race. What to know.
An important day of decision-making is quickly approaching for Bibb County residents.
Georgia’s primary election is scheduled for May 21, and voters will have the opportunity to determine who plays a key role in school district policy making. Seven candidates are running for seats on the Bibb County Board of Education, but only one race is contested. Four incumbents are running again this year, with only one facing a challenger.
Here’s a look at each candidate’s election agenda and positions on critical educational topics.
Candidates running in contested District 3
Kristin Hanlon, incumbent
Hanlon is currently in her first term on the board, representing District 3.
She is a certified public accountant who is currently the senior vice president and senior credit officer at OneSouth Bank in Macon. Hanlon started as a volunteer in the school district over 30 years ago.
Hanlon said serving as a board member was a chance to take her volunteerism efforts and passion for great public schools to the next level.
“I am running for reelection to the Bibb County Board of Education to continue and expand upon the work the current board started four years ago. In the last four years, we have made decisions regarding redistricting, hiring of a new superintendent and adoption of a five-year strategic plan,” she said.
If reelected, Hanlon said her three priorities would be monitoring student achievement, increasing teachers’ salaries and ensuring school programs are funded to meet desired results. Those decisions will include cost-cutting, rezoning and right-sizing of schools, she said.
Hanlon said the main issues faced by the district are student attendance, discipline and safety, and said the board will work on identifying solutions for those problems.
Hanlon said setting up walking school buses for all elementary schools and reviewing transportation polices are solutions for students who live in unsafe neighborhoods or have transportation issues.
Regarding student safety, Hanlon said the school district entered a partnership with Macon to provide speed zone cameras in school zones.
Hanlon said she wants voters to know that an investment in public education is an investment in economic development.
“Companies look to relocate to communities with high-performing school districts, because their employees want to live in places which provide the best opportunities for their families. Kids who receive a great education are prepared for the future, and will stay in the community and continue the cycle,” she said.
Barbara Fike
Fike is running against Hanlon for the District 3 seat.
Fike, a Macon native and former school teacher, said she is running for the board to enhance Bibb County, advocate for educational integrity and encourage citizens to take an active role in youth care.
If elected, Fike said her priorities are to encourage careful use of taxpayer money and promote quality education, as well as a sense of national pride.
Fikes said the main issues in the local school district are rising health care costs, high teenage pregnancy rates, student discipline, youth mental health concerns, low teacher pay and unsatisfactory student education scores.
“We should focus on sound education practices that promote literacy and math proficiency instead of getting side tracked with pushing sexual or political agendas,” she said.
Fike, aligning with a common conservative stance in recent years, said pornographic literature should not be in school libraries or supported by tax dollars.
”We should be training students to be good neighbors and good citizens and focus on teaching and literature that encourages high moral ideals,” Fike said. “Discipline should be implemented that protects and supports teachers, trains students, and protects the investments in supplies and facilities.”
Candidates running in uncontested races
Myrtice Johnson, incumbent
Johnson is currently in her first term on the Board, representing District 1.
Johnson retired in 2001 after working for 31 years in the Bibb County School District – 14 years as a classroom teacher and 17 years as an elementary school principal. She also served as the Board’s vice president in 2023.
Johnson is a three-time elected past-president of the Bibb Retired Educators Association, former state president for the Georgia Retired Educators Association and a 30-plus year member of the Macedonia Baptist Church where she takes on several leadership roles.
Johnson said she is running again for this position because she would love to continue making a difference in her school district. She said she is pleased with the progress Bibb County is making in improved graduation rates and student enrollment.
Johnson said she will focus on student achievement, school improvement, teacher and staff retention, school safety, and teachers’ pay. She also said she is prioritizing having a certified teacher in every classroom.
Johnson said there are five main issues the Bibb County School District and District 1 face: student behavior, student absenteeism, teachers/staff absenteeism, a lack of enough certified teachers in classrooms, and parental involvement.
Johnson said the school board, superintendent and district officials have developed a five-year plan that addresses each of the issues.
“I am a dedicated worker who gets the job done. I will continue to work and serve my Bibb County community,” she said.
Henry Ficklin
Ficklin serves as Macon-Bibb County’s executive director of community affairs and pastor of the Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church.
He is running for Bibb County Board of Education District 2. He wants to fill the position that will be vacated by current board member Thelma Dillard, who will complete her 12-year term at the end of the year.
“I am running for the Bibb County Board of Education because I have invested 39 years into classroom teaching in Bibb County, and I know that the Board needs individuals who understand the function of schools from the top to the bottom,” he said.
Ficklin said he can provide necessary skills to improve Bibb County students’ performances on statewide and national assessments.
He said he plants to get Bibb County schools back to a level of high performance and off the school performance failure lists. He said his goals will be to help each student recapture the culture of being a winner.
The main issues the school district faces include the need for improved academic performance, he said, especially in District 2, where he said most of the disadvantaged students attend school in Bibb County.
While Ficklin said that parental involvement is the key to student success, he also said he will address and improve education issues by empowering the superintendent with the necessary tools to hire and recruit principals who are willing to make changes, and equip and maintain teachers who can make a difference in the lives of the children they instruct.
“Every school must become the protective and instructive bulwark for each student with data tracking their performance, improvement and needs,” he said.
Barney Hester
Hester is running for the Bibb County Board of Education District 4 seat.
Hester previously served as the head football coach at Howard High School and the athletic director for Bibb County Schools, and was also a teacher.
“I’m running for this position because I care about the youth in Bibb County,” he said. “I’m ready to put my 47 years experience, as a coach, educator and administrator, to work supporting our teachers and providing the best possible opportunities for our students,”
Hester said his top priority is making sure the children have the best possible 12 years of their lives while in school.
Hester said the school district’s main issues are employee retention, chronic absenteeism and academic achievement.
He said the school district has to work on maintaining its teachers and personnel.
Sundra Woodford, incumbent
Woodford is in her second term on the board, representing District 5. She also served as the board’s vice president and treasurer.
The Spelman College alumna said she is running again because she values the importance of quality education and believes the public school system is the “bedrock of our community.”
“The students of Macon-Bibb can benefit from someone of my capabilities in improving the state of our public school system and producing opportunities that position our students for success in any career path they choose,” she said.
Woodford said her doctorate in educational leadership, along with many other higher education management roles, prepared her for thoughtful and strategic leadership in school systems.
While serving as the Community Schools United director with United Way of Central, Woodford said her priorities will continue to convene stakeholders to drive outcomes that foster student and family success.
She identified grade level reading, absenteeism and parent engagement as the three barriers that hinder Macon-Bibb’s student success.
Woodford said she would like for the district to work with community partners in a more coordinated manner to address those issues.
“I would like for the district to work with community partners in a more coordinated manner,” she said. “Community based organizations offer programs and services that address the whole child and serve to reduce many of the issues that plague our district
James Freeman, Incumbent
Freeman is currently in his first term on the board, representing District 6.
Freeman is an attorney, a small business owner, and a Mercer grad alum. He also serves as the board’s president.
He said that his priorities involve improving opportunities and resulting achievements for students, as well as developing “the workforce of tomorrow that will move Macon forward.”
“I understand that a strong public school system is vital for the future of Macon-Bibb County. We should have a public school system that every parent would consider for their child,” he said.
Freeman said the main issue that Bibb County public schools face is connecting to the greater community.
“Every citizen needs to know the good things happening in our public schools and the value our public schools bring to our community. Every student in our public schools should feel supported and valued by our community.”
Freeman said the board has collectively prioritized improving community relations and improving graduation rates.
