Meet The Moorestown School Board Candidates: Jack Fairchild

MOORESTOWN, NJ — When voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 elections, they will be asked to choose three people from a field of six to serve on the Moorestown Public School District’s Board of Education.

Patch asked each candidate to answer questions to give voters information about who they are and their stances on various issues. We are printing their responses in full, unedited except for spelling or punctuation. Below are the responses from incumbent Board Member Jack Fairchild.

Previous elective office, if any:
Current Moorestown Township Public School, Board Of Education (BOE) member. First term.

Does anyone in your family work for the school district or in politics?
No.

Education
AAS, Fire Protection from Delaware Tech.

Occupation
Fire Protection Engineer.

Why are you seeking a seat on the school board?
My interest in the schools began with the introduction of common core and the expansion of standardized testing for graduation requirements. When it became clear in 2016 that local boards would be taking a greater lead in various processes, I put my name in and won. Thank you for your support. A single term on the board is not enough time to fully understand the board operations. I’ve been a member of only one primary committee, Finance and Operations. The BOE is a policy making board. If I were to be re-elected, I would seek a position on the policy committee.

The single most pressing issue facing our
school district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
COVID-19 is obviously the single most pressing issue but being a public health issue, it is not within the school board's purview. Budget constraints are the single constant issue made more difficult by COVID-19. There is a substantial loss of revenue from the lack of rentals. Prior to the pandemic, I was exploring a revenue generating lunch program used by many districts in NJ that involves joint ventures with local restaurants.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking to serve on the school board seat?
I don’t know the other candidates so can only address my traits. I’m a data driven, analytical person who makes rational decisions after reviewing all the materials.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.
Transparency and constituent engagement are areas that I continue to look for improvement. The laws surrounding boards of education make this a difficult task. The BOE is a team effort, and only the President or her designator can speak for the team. That makes engagement and outward reporting difficult for individual members. The community engagement series spearheaded by Mick Weeks was a great start that I would like to see continue once we are back in the buildings. COVID-19 has forced the monthly public meetings to be livestreamed which is great, and I will push to continue that practice.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you will be effective on the school board?
Prior to my BOE election I was testifying against common core and standardized testing at the state level, I had petitioned the BOE to hire a new superintendent from within the district. After election, I was chair of Finance and Operations for a term, was a member of the contract negotiating team, and a member of the health and safety committee, I’ve also performed an extensive comparative spending analysis.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I have lived in Moorestown for twenty years with my wife and have two children. I am the vice president of the local chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, a member of numerous professional committees including the Philadelphia AIA L&I committee, the Philadelphia BIA government affairs committee. In my spare time I enjoy being on the water or in the air with my family.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
“Never lose sight of your dreams.”