Schools

School Board Chairman Announces Re-election Bid

If elected, Bernard Campbell says he will continue the pursuit of educational opportunities for all Salem students.

Submitted by Bernard Campbell

An open letter to the voters of Salem, New Hampshire:

It has been my pleasure to have served on the Salem School Board for nearly 16 years.

Over that time, I believe that my professional background as a practicing attorney concentrating in municipal law and my experience as a local business owner serving the Salem Community has helped me make positive contributions to the function of the School Board and the operation of the Salem School District. Because I believe I can continue to help shape effective educational policy which balances the needs of our students, and the capacity of our community, I am seeking your vote to return me to the Board for another three (3) year term.

Clearly one of the most important initiatives which the School Board has undertaken in the last 6 years has been the elementary school renovation program. I am grateful for the community’s support for that effort, and I believe that I have been an advocate for a program which balances the scope of the renovations against the facility needs as dictated by current and future enrollments. I advocated for and supported the approach taken in March of 2013 which will bring needed safety and code enhancements to all our elementary schools, while focusing facility expansions in a fashion which avoids committing funds to facilities we may not need in the future.

In the months ahead, the community is going to be engaged in a similar discussion concerning the renovation of Salem High School. The need for renovations is, I believe, self-evident to all the community. The type and scope of renovations should match the reasonable needs of “21st Century Learners” (a key element of the recently adopted new District Strategic Plan) and the number of students which we can effectively project. In addition, any renovation plan should recognize the “community needs” which are fulfilled by Salem High School, and should not fail to provide for such needs in the “false economy” of minimized scope. Salem High School is, and should remain, the heart of the Salem community.

Those who have followed my service on the School Board know that I ask questions, study the issues and seek justification for new proposals. I supported and participated in the recent “Strategic Plan” process which produced a roadmap for District initiatives for at least the next 6 years.

On a personal level, I have lived and worked in this community my entire life, graduating from Salem High in 1974, and commuting to Boston University School of Law from 1977-1980. With my law office in the community, I am in touch with local events. I have two children, both of whom graduated from Salem High and both of whom have pursued teaching as a profession, reflecting the sense of importance education has always had with my family. I make it a priority to attend activities in our schools, whether it is broadcasting fall football, supporting performing arts, or attending awards programs at Salem High School. I am honored to be a member of the Salem-Woodbury Hall of Fame. For years I was active with the local Dollars for Scholars and served as President in 1983-1984. Both my law office and my family business, Campbell’s Scottish Highlands, are members of the Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce and I am proud to have been selected to receive the Bill Brown Business Person of the Year award from the Chamber in 2010. I hold (or have held) leadership positions in the New Hampshire Bar Association, the NH Tax Collectors Ass’n, and the United Methodist Church, both locally and in the New England area. In addition to my service on the School Board, I have served a Deputy Moderator approximately 20 years. I also spent 10 years on the Planning Board before beginning my service on the School Board.

If I am reelected to the School Board, I pledge to continue the pursuit of educational opportunities for all Salem students. This means active participation, critical thinking and analysis, working cooperatively with the other Board members and being an advocate for children in the Salem schools.

I would appreciate your vote for School Board on Election Day, March 11, 2014.

Bernard H. Campbell
106 Brady Avenue
Salem, NH


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