Voters choose Rutherford County school board candidates for Zone 3
Editors note: This is the third story in a three-part series about Rutherford County Board of Education candidates competing in the March 5 primary.
Republican voters will choose between the current and former Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 3 representatives in Tuesday's primary.
Incumbent Caleb Tidwell faces former board member Tim Holden in the GOP primary. They seek to represent a Zone 3 that includes Rutherford County Commission Districts 4, 6 and 7. Those districts cover for the east, southeast and south areas of the county and part of the southwest Murfreesboro area.
The Republican winner will advance to the Aug. 1 election against Democrat Tiffany Fee, who has no primary opposition, and independent Lorri Johnson.
Holden seeks to return to the school board after he accepted appointment from the County Commission to replace Lisa Moore, who resigned fall 2021.
By May 2022, Holden lost in the Republican primary to Tidwell, who won 52.7% of the vote. Tidwell then won nearly 56.3% in the August election for a two-year term against Democrat Jason Scales. The shorter term was what was left of the original four-year term won by Moore in 2020.
GOP voters also are considering county school board primary candidates for Zone 2 and Zone 6. The Zone 5 election only includes Republican Claire Maxwell, the board vice chairwoman, and she's the only qualified candidate to seek a four-year term.
Election 2024: Two Rutherford school board candidates, Butch Vaughn and Chase Williams, vie for Zone 6 open seat
Who's qualified for 2024 elections so far
Rutherford County Property Assessor: Rob Mitchell, a Republican incumbent; Virgil Gammon, Republican
Rutherford County Highway Superintendent: Greg Brooks, a Republican incumbent;
Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 2: Stan Vaught, Republican; Nicholas Rourke, Republican; Robert Brooks, independent; John Duncan, independent
Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 3: Caleb Tidwell, incumbent Republican; Tim Holden, Republican; Tiffany Fee, Democrat; Lorri Johnson, independent
Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 5: Claire Maxwell, Republican incumbent;
Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 6: William "Butch" Vaughn, Republican; Chase Williams, Republican
Murfreesboro City School Board (elected at large for four seats), with all who qualified running as independent candidates: George "Butch" Campbell, incumbent; Jimmy Richardson III, incumbent; David Settles, incumbent; Jeanette West-Price
Source: Rutherford County Election Commission
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Holden questions Tidwell abstaining on vote over fired principal
Holden said he initially accepted the 2022 election results until Tidwell abstained on critical votes.
"We need leadership in that position," Holden said. "I got a lot of encouragement from a lot of folks to run."
The abstention from Tidwell that concerned Holden the most involved the majority of the board upholding a previous decision to fire former Walter Hill Elementary School Principal Helen Campbell. She and a teacher had faced accusations of violating district policy November 2019 by dragging a special education fifth-grade boy by the ankles down a hallway about 560 feet, which is more than the length of a football field, to relocate the 10-year-old child from the front office to a "calming room" on the back side of the school.
"I voted on that firing decision," said Holden, adding that Campbell should have called for help on dealing with the child. "I think she’s probably a nice lady who made a bad decision on that particular issue."
Holden contends Tidwell should have voted when Campbell appealed the firing decision.
"Voters in Zone 3 need to be represented," Holden said. "You need to vote it up or down."
Elected officials should always explain why they're abstaining from a vote if they have a personal conflict, Holden said.
Another school board election: Vaught, Rourke compete in GOP primary for Rutherford County Zone 2 school board seat
Tidwell wanted reduced discipline for fired principal
Tidwell said he abstained on the firing decision because he "felt the punishment did not fit the crime" for a principal faced with a child's behavior issue.
"The discipline issues in our schools are not to be ignored," said Tidwell, adding that he did want the former principal to face less severe discipline related to the video of what happened with the child. "Ms. Campbell appeared to have tampered with the evidence."
Campbell also faced misdemeanor criminal charges of attempted destruction of government records and child abuse, neglect and endangerment. She accepted judicial diversion from Circuit Court Judge James "Jimmy" Turner on Jan. 31, 2022, after pleading no contest to serve two years of unsupervised probation.
Tidwell said he also has abstained from issues involving roofing decisions because he's a 13-year employee with Pinnacle Building Services.
"To me, that’s part of transparency," Tidwell said.
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Both candidates want more CTE
Although both have different views about abstaining from votes, Holden and Tidwell are advocates for Rutherford County Schools providing the best possible career and technical education (CTE) opportunities for students.
Holden, for example, served on a Manufacturing Leadership Council of Rutherford County that helped implement mechatronics training (skills for advanced automated manufacturing industry) at Oakland High School with former Principal Bill Spurlock.
Giving students the chance to earn certificates by completing mechatronics and other CTE training "is close to my heart," Holden said.
"I’ve seen a lot of very successful people come out of those programs," said Holden, who earned a certificate after completing machine shop training in Shelbyville.
A 1978 graduate of Riverdale High School, Holden sells machinery such as conveyors to manufacturers through his Holden Group business.
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Tidwell graduated in 2002 from Oakland High School.
The incumbent board member then earned a bachelor's degree in 2009 as a marketing major with a minor in business management from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
"College is an option, not a requirement," Tidwell said.
Tidwell wants to build on CTE offerings to train students for high-paying jobs because college is "just not a path for everyone."
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Holden, Tidwell tout budget decisions, support for director
Both candidates talked about each of their budget decisions and support for Rutherford County Schools Director James "Jimmy" Sullivan.
Holden said he backed the board's decision to switch from the county health insurance plan to the state's better plan that saves taxpayers $8 million per year.
Holden also joined the majority of the board's 2022 decision to hire Sullivan to manage a fast-growing district with more than 6,000 employees serving nearly 52,000 students attending 50 schools.
Tidwell mentioned Sullivan working with the board goal to involve parents more with the schools.
"I believe the board and the director have developed a culture that is much more parent friendly," Tidwell said.
Another goal is watching over every tax dollar to make sure it's well spent, Tidwell said. He's proud the board went from a previous budget with a $28 million deficit to one with a $10 million surplus.
Tidwell also talked about the board's efforts to increase pay for teachers, educational assistants and other employees. The raises, he said, have made a difference in the district going from previously having 90 teacher openings to only having four this past August.
"So clearly we became more competitive," Tidwell said.
New leader for schools: School board votes 5-2 to hire James "Jimmy" Sullivan as next Rutherford County Schools director
Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at [email protected]. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Voters choose Rutherford County school board candidates for Zone 3
