School Board - Place 3 Profile: Jackson Sweet

1. Name: Jackson R. Sweet 2. Age: 18 3. Family (spouse’s name, children’s names and ages): Mike and Johnna Sweet (parents), Rebekah Sweet (sister), nephews Hayden (15), Brock (12), Simon (11), Isaac (9), Abel (5). 4. Education: I will graduate from Sanger High School in May. I will attend the University of North Texas in the fall and will pursue a double major in Political Science and Religious Studies 5. Profession/Company: Student at Sanger High School. Former preaching apprentice at Singing Oaks Church of Christ. Part-time preacher. 6. How long have you been a resident of Sanger? I have lived in Sanger all 18 years of my life. 7. If elected to a seat on the School Board, what are your goals and objectives? I would like to see Sanger ISD adopt a policy that would allow teachers who are trained with a concealed handgun license, can pass a comprehensive background check, and can pass a psychological evaluation to carry on campus in the case of a dangerous threat coming to Sanger ISD. I would also like to see Sanger ISD work with the Sanger Police Department and the Denton County Sheriff’s Office to try and get one school resource officer per campus at Sanger ISD for our primary source of campus defense. I want Sanger ISD to be known as the most teacher-friendly district in Denton County. We need to earnestly take the concerns of our teaching staff into account when we make decisions, and we need to make sure that they have the resources they need to help students succeed. Teachers shouldn’t have to buy their own classroom supplies or pass the cost down to the students. Also, we need to make sure that our teachers are paid enough that they feel employment at SISD is worthwhile. We also need to make sure that our campuses are in the best shape possible. After having several gas leaks across Sanger ISD in the past calendar year and some of the problems at SMS and the Sixth Grade Center, we need to invest in maintenance and make sure that our teachers and students are in a safe and healthy environment. Finally, the school board should be more transparent and work to build our relationship with the community. As a member of the school board, I will push for quarterly town hall meetings and monthly “Coffee with a Trustee” meetings in order for the taxpayers and community members of Sanger ISD to communicate with the board about their views on the issues. 8. Why do you think you are qualified to serve on the School Board? As a lifelong resident of Sanger and a product of Sanger schools, I have been instilled with the values that make Sanger great. Also, as a student of Sanger ISD for the past thirteen years, I have been able to see the direct effects of Board policy on the students and teachers, and know the concerns of parents, teachers, and students. I have plenty of experience in leadership: I currently serve as an assistant Precinct Chair with the Denton GOP and have served as Class President, founder and President of the Teen Age Republicans, Vice President of the National Honor Society, Secretary and Chaplain for the SHS Band, and Treasurer for the SHS Choir during my time at SHS. I have also been a volunteer for the community all of my life. I was part of a group that planted the tree in front of Sanger Church of Christ and have volunteered for the Sanger Trash-Off, the Sanger Special Olympics, and Toys for Tots. I am also an associate member of the local chapter of the Marine Corps. League, and a member of the Sanger Chamber of Commerce, the Denton County Republican Assembly, the Denton County Conservative Coalition, the NRA, and the NAACP. I am endorsed by the Denton County Conservative Coalition, Republican nominee for State Representative Jared Patterson, County Treasurer Cindy Brown, former Denton County Republican Party Chair Lisa Hendrickson, former Sanger ISD School Board member Christine Waggoner, and five of the six precinct chairs that cover Sanger ISD. 9. Do you believe any new school security measures should be enacted in Sanger ISD? If so, where do you believe financial budget cuts should be made to fund any new measures? I believe that Sanger ISD needs to implement a staff concealed carry policy similar to that of Argyle ISD and needs to hire six more school resource officers so that we have one SRO per campus. In regards to the concealed carry policy, it would be a volunteer program, and the cost may not impact SISD in any substantial way. In regards to hiring more SROs, many districts will negotiate with the agency the SRO is employed by and will pay for a portion of it while the parent agency will cover the rest of the cost. If anything needs to be cut, the school board should evaluate the current budget and see what costs are unnecessary in the long term. 10. What do you believe are the most important projects to be started or completed in the next two years for Sanger ISD? In order to accommodate the current and projected growth in population for Sanger ISD, the district needs to develop a long-range plan to build additional schools. 11. Is it important to you to keep the property tax rate from rising for the residents of Sanger ISD? Absolutely. If elected, I will not vote in favor of any permanent tax increases. 12. What do you believe the role of the School Board should be relating to SISD administration? School board members represent the taxpayers and hire administrators. Therefore, the school board needs to work with the administration to make sure that Sanger ISD is the best school district it can be, as well as make sure that the administration remains accountable to the taxpayers and respects their concerns and opinions. 13. What 2 specific things would you most like to see changed pertaining to the school system? I would like to see the school board hold quarterly town hall meetings and monthly “Coffee with a Trustee” meetings in order to hear the concerns of citizens and be able to respond and form a better relationship with the community, compared to public comment at school board meetings where citizens have five minutes to address their concerns and the board doesn’t respond. I would also like to see the school board frequently communicate with our state representatives and state senators in order to affect change on the state level regarding the school system that cannot be tackled at the school board level. 14. What are your most important overall goals for Sanger ISD? Overall, I would like to see SISD implement teacher concealed carry, hire more SROs, pay teachers more, invest in maintenance, and create a more transparent district.