Editors’ Note: These articles are part of a series of questionnaires profiling Marianne Smith and J. Scott Novinski, candidates running for School Board, Vice Chair in the upcoming primary (Tuesday, May 21). Answers were edited for length and clarity.
Marianne Smith
About the candidate:
"My husband, John, and I are both from Glynn County and have been married for 26 years. We have lived in Bryan County for 21 years. We have 3 daughters, all of whom have been in Bryan County Schools since Pre-K. My two older daughters are in college and my youngest daughter is in 4th grade. By profession I am a Registered Nurse. I have always had a passion to serve. I believe the most important area I can serve our community is on the school board. I have been on the Board of Education as the District Four representative since 2013."
Why are you running for election to school board, vice chair?
"I am running for Vice Chair because I want to serve our community in an even greater capacity. I love being a champion for our students, our schools and our teachers. In the years that I have served on the board, Bryan County Schools now have their highest academic success in history and are one of the highest performing school districts in the state. I want to continue to help our district manage growth responsibly while maintaining the academic success our families have come to expect. I believe collaboration and communication among school board members, our superintendent and his staff, parents, stakeholders and other county officials is vital. We need to work together for the best interests of the kids in the community. Strong schools create strong communities. We hope these kids come back to Bryan County to work one day so the education they receive here is our future. I am confident that my past experience on the school board gives me the knowledge and skill set to lead in a way that will ensure that everything we do in the boardroom is for every single child in the classrooms of Bryan County Schools."
What sets you apart as a candidate?
"I believe my strong history of success as a school board member sets me apart as a candidate. My proven record of leadership and governance on the board truly matters as our school system faces continued challenges related to growth. Bryan County Schools has its highest academic success in history, even as the fastest growing county in the state. We have continued to recruit and retain top quality teachers and employees, while other surrounding counties are competing for the same talented employees. Also, I have spent time fostering positive relationships with other local elected leaders, which helps as our district works with other entities to manage growth."
How would you describe your leadership style?
"My leadership style as a Board of Education member has been driven by listening and reflecting on feedback from community members, staff, stakeholders, parents and students. I lead with compassion, collaboration, transparency, accountability and unwavering perseverance."
What do you feel are the biggest issues facing the school system today and what will you do to help solve them?
"Obviously, growth is the umbrella under which many of our challenges fall. While we don’t control growth, I will continue to work to stay ahead of growth and make wise decisions based on facts, data and being responsive (not reactive). We have high culture and climate ratings in all of our schools. As our numbers grow and we add teachers, staff and students to our schools, we need to be intentional and make sure this doesn’t change. We need to continue to have high standards and expectations for all of our students no matter how much we grow. We need someone with experience. I have sat at the table and addressed these concerns. I have helped develop our 5 and 10 year plan for capital projects. I understand the importance of staying ahead of growth so our students have the classrooms and facilities they need. We need to continue to recruit and retain great teachers. We currently have the highest teacher retention rate to date. With growth, there will be challenges, but my experience and success in all of these areas will allow our district to continue to always make decisions based on every single student in Bryan County."
J. Scott Novinski
About the candidate:
"I’m 54 years old; grew up in New York and lived there until 2002. I was working with McDonald’s at the time but I had two young children at the time, and my wife is from Michigan so we then decided to move to Michigan [from New York]. I took a job transfer, worked in Michigan until 2010. When the automotive industry started to collapse and I was working for corporate and they started selling off some stores…I got a call from someone that I used to work with in New York and he said he was looking for a supervisor in Savannah, and I said yes. I then moved down here in June 2010 and then moved into Richmond Hill in the beginning of 2011. As far as educational background, I went to college. I started out going to become a chef and was working at Mc-Donald’s and working in the kitchen. I then changed my major to restaurant and hotel management. I’m in the process of opening my own business in Pooler right now called Biggby Coffee, we’re expecting to open that sometime in August. I have five kids, have been married for 31 years. Four of my kids have graduated high school, and my youngest is in 10th grade."
Why are you running for election to school board, vice chair?
"A couple of reasons. I ran against Amy Murphy back in 2022. And although I didn’t win the election, I do feel we made some positive contributions in making some impact on the policies in the school and with the board. And part of it is, my kids are getting older, and I’m still seeing some things going in the school system that I feel needs to be fixed. [Grades, attendance]. We [also] need to make sure we’re actually teaching the kids instead of just trying to indoctrinate them or teach them about things that don’t make sense. You know, reading, writing, arithmetic, history, that all makes a huge difference in going out into the world and making an impact as far as being ready."
What, in your opinion, sets you apart as a candidate?
"Part of it is my attentiveness. You know, in the election in [the] last cycle, I challenged the system in regards to the budget, the way it was written for the new high school. [regarding SPLOST]. Part of it is also my commitment to making sure other kids have great opportunities to be successful as well."
How would you describe your leadership style?
"I’d say I’m very analytical, looking at data. You need to hear opposing sides as well [within the school board] so then leaders can make educated and informed decisions."
What do you feel are the biggest issues facing the school system today and what will you do to help solve them?
"Encouraging parental involvement [in the school board decisions], teacher retention and preventing bullying."
