McDonald challenges Schoolmaster for Dearborn School Board seat

Both candidates are in favor of extending halal lunches but say it’s too expensive to accommodate.

DEARBORN — Incumbent James Schoolmaster is vying to retain his seat on the Dearborn School Board in the Nov. 2 election against challenger Roxanne McDonald. On Oct. 5, both debated at a public forum administered by the Dearborn Council Parent-Teacher-Student-Association (PTSA) and League of Women Voters Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.

Roxanne McDonald (L) and James Schoolmaster

Thomas Trimble of the PTSA was the moderator and asked candidates questions submitted by the audience. The forum was held at the Dearborn Board of Education Administration Building.

Schoolmaster, a practicing attorney who is a current board member and chairs its finance committee, is running for his fourth term on the board. Schoolmaster’s wife is a retired Dearborn school teacher. His grandchildren attend school in the district and his children are graduates of Dearborn High School.  

McDonald has two sons attending school in Dearborn. Another is serving in the army in Fort Hood, Texas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lawrence Technological University and competed to win a seat on the board in 2009, but was defeated.

 Schoolmaster said he’s spent billions of the district’s dollars responsibly, and saved it thousands of dollars by conducting audits. “I’ve spent over two billion dollars of your money in the last nine years as a school board member, and I think I’ve spent it without any hint of scandal, any hint of problems. I audited and saved the school district over $100,000 in auditing,” he said.  

Since Schoolmaster took office nine years ago, five schools have been built. Schoolmaster’s top priorities are improving literacy and numeracy. McDonald says the district needs to focus on challenging students to compete in a global market, and preparing them for emerging markets in technology.

“I’m asking you to vote for me based on one thing, and that’s my record. We’ve had five new schools built at the K-12 level and we’ve had four years of solid improvement. Every school in our district is A or B except for one, which is Fordson and that’s a C school, and it’s improving,” Schoolmaster said.

He opposes teaching the theory of evolutionary design in schools because he says it has no scientific basis. “I’m negative on it, I think intelligent design is just that, at best a theory. I don’t think it has any scientific basis what so ever. I believe we should only teach those things that have a scientific basis. It is more of a religious belief than it is a scientific belief,” Schoolmaster said. 

McDonald opposed his view. “I think that all theories should be taught and learned. Theories are just theories. Nothing is proven in stone, all theories are welcome. The individual can take the knowledge they learn and decide where they stand on those particular issues, and as they grow up they can insert their own beliefs, but you can’t do that unless you have a lot of knowledge and are aware of the different theories and ideas that are out there,” McDonald said.  

Both candidates are in favor of extending halal lunches but say it’s too expensive to accommodate. McDonald said the cost is three times that of regular lunches. “It is an issue that is going to have to be looked at a little more closely,” McDonald said.

Schoolmaster and McDonald both support the Fordson midnight football practices that occurred during Ramadan.  Schoolmaster said the practices were discussed at a number of board meetings and the only concern raised was about lights in the neighborhood which bothered some residents.  “I don’t care about when they practice as long as they practice, I don’t care when they study as long as they study,” he said.