Two individuals are vying for one open Washington RSU 40 School Board seat in the March 28 municipal election: Robert "Bob" Jones and  Rachael Morris. Penobscot Bay Pilot has posed questions to each candidate, providing the opportunity for the public to better understand their position on issues important to the town and region. RSU 40 educates K-12 students from Friendship, Union, Waldoboro, Warren and Washington.

Here are the responses of Robert Jones:

Please provide a short biography of yourself and explain why you are running for office.

I am a retired educator with 47 years of service. Most of my teaching experiences were as an elementary teacher in Midcoast Maine.

My wife Laura and I are parents of two young adults and proud grandparents of four grandchildren. The main reason for my candidacy to the RSU 40 School Board is my desire to provide positive learning experiences for all students. These future leaders of our communities need a strong educational background to be the strong, successful future leaders that we need.

What is your current relationship to RSU 40?

My current relationship with RSU 40 is as a supportive citizen desiring the best for our students. I previously served both Waldoboro and Washington on the RSU 40 School Board and began my teaching career at the Union Elementary and Junior High School in 1976.

What is RSU40’s No. 1 strength or asset? 

RSU 40’s excellent classroom teachers and support staff are, in my opinion, the strongest asset in our school system.

What is the No. 1 challenge facing RSU 40? How should the district handle this issue? 

To continue to employ highly qualified staff and to create ways to retain them in RSU 40 is probably the number one challenge in the district. School board members and administrators need to work cooperatively to meet this challenge.

Do you feel the current budget is appropriate, too low or too high? 

It’s my opinion that the current district budget is appropriate, but there are always ways to improve where our tax dollars are expended. 

What areas of the budget would you change and how? 

Not being that familiar with the current budget, every budget has opportunities to add or delete line items. However, the students should always be the center of any budget because it’s about educating students.

Which committees would you seek to join and why? 

Due to my many years of educational experience, I think that a position on the personnel committee would be a plus in the area of employment of qualified educators.

Would you like to add anything else for Washington voters as they consider their vote for school board representative? 

In conclusion, I believe that my 47 years in education and having served twice on the school board gives Washington the option of an experienced board member representing them.