On the Ballot: Tom Hatch for Cumberland County School Board

Tom Hatch is a non-partisan, GoodParty.org Certified candidate running for the Cumberland County Board of Education, District 3 seat in North Carolina. District 3 includes neighborhoods in western, northwestern, and central Fayetteville. This area encompasses the Terry Sanford and Westover high school districts.

On November 5, 2024, Hatch will appear on the ballot alongside two other candidates in District 3. The district’s incumbent school board member, Carrie Sutton, did not file for reelection. Sutton has been in office since 2008, meaning the district has not had a change in school board representation for 16 years.

Tom Hatch shared with GoodParty.org why he thinks he is the most experienced candidate to represent District 3.

“There is a lack of school leadership experience on our current board,” Hatch said. “I will bring 32 years of experience, all in Cumberland County, as an educator. The last 17 years I have been a principal at three different turnaround schools. I am a problem-solver.”

A native of Cumberland County and a 1986 graduate of Terry Sanford High School, Hatch has extensive experience in school leadership. His resume includes:

• Teaching and coaching at Anne Chesnutt Middle School and South View High School

• Serving as assistant principal at Reid Ross Classical School

• Serving as principal at Anne Chesnutt Middle School, Reid Ross Classical School, and Terry Sanford High School

• Serving as a North Carolina Principal Fellow

Outside of Cumberland County Schools (CCS), Hatch has also been involved in the community in other ways. He has been a Sunday School teacher, deacon, and Interim Director of Student Ministries at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, as well as a commissioner for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission.

Hatch said his priorities for Cumberland County Schools include increasing school funding, improving student retention, and reassessing the CCS Code of Conduct for students.

“We must find ways to improve our local supplement and bonus structure that is paid out to CCS employees. This will include collaboration with our county commissioners,” Hatch said.

In regard to student retention, Hatch said that revitalizing the county’s Schools of Choice program could boost enrollment.

“Cumberland County has the highest number of private schools in the state,” Hatch said. “We are losing students to private schools. We stand to lose over 17 million dollars to private school vouchers. We have a structure in place to attract and retain students within our schools through our Schools of Choice program. Unfortunately, over the years, local policies and a decrease in funding has decreased the value of these programs.”

Want to learn more about Tom Hatch’s campaign for the Cumberland County Board of Education? Visit his campaign website for more information.

Not sure which school district you belong to? View an interactive map of Cumberland County, North Carolina here.

You can also learn more about what sets GoodParty.org Certified candidates apart from the status quo. Explore more candidate spotlights here, or learn about GoodParty.org’s free campaign tools for non-partisan candidates.

Photo of Fayetteville, North Carolina by Alexander Jawfox on Unsplash