Roger Moss will serve as the next Savannah-Chatham County school board president.
Moss received 50.17% of the votes while Tye Whitley had 26.89% of the vote. Todd Rhodes placed third with 22.94%. He will begin as the new president in January 2023.
Current school board president Joe Buck decided not to seek re-election because of a health scare.
The seat for the top spot on the school board was contested. During each candidate’s campaign, issues about teacher retention, mental health resources for children and staff, academic growth, communication, accountability and transparency were topics that were important to voters.
Moss is the co-founder of Savannah Classical Academy and founder of Savannah Exploratory Charter School. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native has lived in Savannah for 20 years and has a bachelor's degree in interpersonal communication from Wheaton College in Chicago.
Credit: Photo submitted
Credit: Photo submitted
Previously, Moss has worked in radio advertising sales, insurance underwriting and human resources. He is also the founder of Youth Choir in Bluffton, S.C., and co-founded the Savannah Children's Choir. He is also active in the community, including performing with the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Beaufort and Hilton Head Symphony Orchestras. He was also a finalist in the American Traditions Vocal Competition.
Moss said he is qualified to serve as school board president because he has opened schools in the past.
"I am very excited about this win, not only for myself, but for our children and our county," he said. "Having an exceptional school system will help us in so many ways and I know we can do that. I am looking forward to it."
His platform focused on looking at the school district's budget to help teachers and students, providing mental health resources for children and having school choice for parents. Moss also said he would hold the superintendent accountable and focus on literacy rates among children in the district.
To address post pandemic learning, he said he will offer mental health services for students and staff, adding that he will also offer teachers online training to prepare for the next pandemic.
Credit: Bianca Moorman/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Bianca Moorman/Savannah Morning News
To increase communication and transparency between the district and the community, he will make himself available to parents and will updated the school district’s website.
Moss said he would not lower standards for students. Additionally, he said that he would listen to the needs of teachers during the onboarding process and make sure their voices are heard without fear or retaliation.
Bianca Moorman is the education reporter. Reach her at BMoorman@gannett.com or 912-239-7706. Find her on Twitter @biancarmoorman.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Roger Moss selected as next Savannah-Chatham County school board president
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