Two candidates are seeking this office. It is a non-partisan race that will appear on the August ballot open to all voters.
News4Jax sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4Jax staff.
| CANDIDATES |
David Buckles
Occupation: School Board Member, Putnam County Schools
Age: 71
Family: I have 3 adult children, 2 of which are educators. Also, I am the proud grandfather of 8 grandchildren, 1 is completing her teaching internship this year and another is in college majoring in education.
Education: BS Education, University of Florida
MS Administration Supervision, University of North Florida
Political experience: I served as the Putnam County Superintendent of Schools for 12 years and am currently serving on the Putnam County School Board in District 2.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1-The voters of Putnam County approved a school bond issue to build new schools and improve existing ones throughout the county. Having built schools in Putnam County in the past as Superintendent, I know how important it is to work with school safety officials, law enforcement, principals, and other district staff to ensure new state laws concerning school safety and security are properly followed. It is a collaborative effort for board and superintendent to work through the challenges of the oversight of the building of new schools.
2-We need to remove barriers that may impede instruction at all academic levels. I will work to address this by developing and implementing policies and procedures that facilitate teaching and learning, empowering our teachers to meet the individual needs of each student.
3-We need to better meet the needs of all students and teachers by reallocating funding. We need to work collectively with the superintendent and other stakeholders to redistribute funding to meet the needs of our principals and teachers to best serve the instructional needs of all students throughout Putnam County.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I have served my community and the students of Putnam for over 40 years. I have the experience necessary to make decisions that will be in the best interest of the employees, parents, and most importantly, the children of Putnam County. I served the West Putnam, South Putnam, and Central Putnam communities as a teacher, dean, assistant principal and principal. I went on to serve our community as the District School Superintendent for 12 years and am currently a board member. The knowledge I have gained from my time serving Putnam County and as a lifelong resident uniquely qualify me for this position.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I hope to be remembered for providing the children of Putnam County with every possible opportunity to reach any goal they may dream of achieving to make our world a better place.
Campaign website: None
Campaign social media: Facebook
Leon Edenfield
Occupation: Director of St. Johns Christian School, Administrator of St. Johns Christian Preschool, Sr. Pastor of St. Johns Baptist Church, Owner of L.E. Land Clearing, Retired Air Force, and Retired DOD Civil Service.
Age: 64
Family: Wife Janice of 43 years, 2 daughters; Sarah (Kevin) Reinhardt, Alana (Matt) Richardson, 1 son; Eric Edenfield (deceased), and 5 grandchildren.
Education: B.S. from Liberty University
Political experience: ‘Candidate for Putnam County Board of Commissioners in 2018
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1. Issue: School violence, disrespect, and bullying.
Resolve: Ensure rules are clearly established, consequences are clearly made known, and infractions are addressed quickly and consequences are effectively enforced.
2. Issue: Cell phones are a leading cause of classroom distractions, provocations, and hindrances to learning.
Resolve: No cell phones during academic hours. Students need to learn how to live 6-7 hours without them.
3. Issue: Teachers having to deal with too much nonsense in attempt to doing their jobs.
Resolve: Help create a classroom environment conducive for learning by effectively addressing Issues 1&2.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I do not have these issues in my school, and they they do.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I do not care to be remembered. I just want to be lovingly effective in grooming and growing our students with the academics, life skills, disciplines, and respect, needed to properly begin their post-graduation life geared for success.
Campaign website: None
Campaign social media: Facebook