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Joe Helms

Priorities

Five priorities for the next four years.

Followed by the broader positions behind them, from class sizes to artificial intelligence.

Not a wish list, and not everything a school district does. These are the five things Joe intends to spend a second term on.

Protect and Advance Academic Excellence

Keep Fort Mill focused on student achievement and strong academics, and keep raising the standard rather than defending the one we already met.

Recruit, Retain and Support Excellent Educators

Remain competitive in compensation while improving planning time, working conditions and the overall environment educators work in every day.

Keep Our Students and Schools Safe

Prioritize safe learning environments, and stay willing to speak up when circumstances inside or outside the district could affect students.

Fiscal Responsibility, Transparency and Public Trust

Protect taxpayer dollars and keep the district accountable for how they are spent.

  • Prioritize needs over wants
  • Ask difficult questions
  • Communicate openly
  • Maintain independent oversight

Expand Opportunities for Every Student

Support academic excellence alongside everything else that shapes a graduate.

  • Athletics
  • Arts
  • Extracurriculars
  • Career and technical education
  • Trades
  • Workforce preparation
The Broader Positions

Twelve positions, stated plainly.

Class sizes, parents, special education, athletics and the arts, artificial intelligence, discipline, student support, and the pathways after graduation.

Fort Mill’s primary mission has to remain academic excellence. Everything else a district does is built on top of that.

Past success does not guarantee future success. That means continually raising expectations, measuring results honestly, and giving educators the tools they need to help students succeed.

Every Fort Mill graduate should leave prepared for whatever comes next.

Get Involved

If any of that sounds right, there is something you can do about it.

A yard sign, an hour of phone calls, or a conversation with a neighbor. All of it helps.

Support Joe HelmsGet Involved