Christina 
Fattore Morgan

This May, our Board of Education is asking the people of Monongalia County to put up about $142.6 million to build a new STEM/CTE center for high schoolers, which they have named the Renaissance Academy. Christina is unsupportive of this bond for a number of different reasons. First, it would not benefit all the students in Mon County-- just the few who would have access to this new center, because the proposed RA will not have enough class space for ALL students. Second, community members need to know where the money to run the proposed RA will come from-- should we expect another levy in the future for just the RA? Will the budgets for Morgantown High School, Clay-Battelle High School, and University High School be reduced to fund the RA? Third, what if a student starts going to the RA and then decides it is not for them? How will their progress toward graduation be affected? Finally, and probably most importantly, Mon County has a lot of issues and resource problems that need to be addressed now, before investing in a new STEM/CTE center. There are school buildings in need of immediate repair, not to mention that our children are still lagging behind compared to their pre-COVID test scores. Our schools need full-time social workers/outreach facilitators, not part-time. 

To be clear, Christina is not against the evolution of education or the importance of STEM/CTE education in today's economy. However, she is focused on addressing pressing issues in our schools today rather than ignoring them for something new that will not benefit every student in our school community. 

As an educator myself, I want to be a champion for teachers and staff. Our schools cannot continue to achieve with such low teacher morale. Our teachers are experienced, compassionate and innovative, which all leads to classroom success for our students. Our staff provides nourishing meals, keeps our schools clean, and fills in the gaps for the needs of our students. They are the caretakers of our future. I respect them and value their work. I am pro-union. Teachers and staff should know that I am always available to hear their views and concerns.

As a parent, my children’s safety is paramount. As a school board member, that is extended to all of the children in the Mon County School system. I support efforts that have been proven to keep our students, staff, and faculty safe. Mon County has done a wonderful job of keeping our students safe. I do not support arming teachers, as proposed in WV House Bill 4299. School safety also extends beyond their time in our school buildings. It also includes transporting our students to and from school. Because of the large size of our county, many students’ bus stops are located on high speed roads, where students have to cross these roads. We need to be proactive and make sure that bus stops are in the safest locations possible.

There is no one who knows their student better than parents and other caregivers. I encourage parents and families to be involved at the local school level. As a parent of two Mon County students, I understand the necessity to have better communication between the Board of Education and parents who are under various time and resource constraints. In particular, this election allows parents to achieve more representation on the Board of Education and receive more influence in the governance of our schools.

Our children deserve to have their own identities reflected in our school library collections. This is empowering and leads to their educational success. I do not support book bans within our schools nor do I see a variety of representation in our school libraries as a threat to our children. I trust our librarians to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and cultivate a collection of books that will encourage our children to be readers who want to learn about the diverse world around them.

I believe in a quality education for all: at-risk students, honors students, LGBTQIA+ students, neurodivergent students, students of all religions, and more. Mon County Schools need to be a welcoming place for everyone. Diversity should be celebrated. Our students, faculty, and staff, along with their families, should feel comfortable, which will lead to their success. I will support and advocate for more funding for mental health and social services within our schools.