Five Candidates Vie for District 1 Frankfort School Board Seat

FRANKFORT, Ind. (January 29, 2025) – The Community Schools of Frankfort school board conducted interviews with five candidates Tuesday evening at the Administrative building for the open District 1 seat caused by the resignation of Karen Sutton. Sutton ran unopposed in the 2024 general election held in November.

The candidates (listed in the order they interviewed) included Billy Birge, who runs a local non-profit, Beth Hardebeck, a former CSF school board member from the 1990’s, Mark Sanders, a pastor, Mark Timmons, a former county commissioner, and Peggy Williams, a retired librarian.

The format for the interviews was structured – asking each candidate the same set of questions – ensuring each candidate had an equal opportunity to express their views. The board members, including Kristen Beardsley, Bud McQuade, Bob Marcum, Sandy Miller, Mandi Mitchell, and Joel Tatum, posed questions in four distinct categories: background and reasons for seeking appointment; governance and the role of the board; communications and conflict; and educational program and student achievement. Each candidate also faced a final question about student retention in the district.

Below is a summary of the interview for each of the five candidates.

Billy Birge

Birge entered the interview process with a clear vision of community engagement and a hands-on approach. He stated that he had considered running for a seat in 2022. He believes he is well-known in the community and brings many assets to the board. As the head of a large non-profit organization, he has a strong understanding of community needs. He also has a personal connection to the school district as a long-time alumnus and successful athlete.

He is committed to being visible and accessible, stating, “I want to spend time in each school in different classes.” His commitment extends beyond mere observation; he aims to actively engage with teachers, staff, and students to understand their needs. He emphasized, “When I get behind something, I’m 100% behind it.” He is also a strong proponent of school board members exhibiting high quality and strong character. He stated that, “People are going to back the people that they believe in.”

Birge’s experience working with parents and community members on a daily basis through the non-profit is a strong asset. He also understands the need for strong oversight, believing the school system should be run like a business. However, it should be noted that he thinks that the school is failing in athletics.

He is also very passionate about retaining students in the district as well as attracting new students with the expansion of Eli Lilly in Boone County, stating, “We cannot let them get to Prairie. We cannot let them get to Central. We can’t let them get to Rossville.” He wants to educate the community that Frankfort schools offer “more courses, high level courses than anyone else in the community” and suggests setting up meetings in different districts to get out in front of the community and explain what the schools offer.

Beth Hardebeck

Hardebeck brings a different type of experience to the table as a former school board member from the 90’s. Her previous service provides her with a deep understanding of how the school board operates. She emphasizes the importance of teamwork, saying, “I really like working as a team. I like working with our superintendent. I like working with the board as a team.” She is also aware of the limitations of individual power, noting, “you don’t really have any power to act on your own. You act as the board.” Her experience also makes her aware that board members need to support decisions even if they disagree with them. She stated, “And if you disagree, then you support that decision as a board.”

She views education as a “pathway out of poverty.” She believes school board members should be good community members, role models, and be approachable. She also has experience working with the public through various jobs. Being retired, she has the time to dedicate to the school board and believes the budget is a major responsibility of the board and wants to spend taxpayer money responsibly.

While she doesn’t have a specific issue she wants to solve, she is keen to learn the current board’s mission statement and understand their challenges and sees graduation rates and feedback from staff as a measure of success. She also noted that she would bring a lot of experience to the position and that she “was on the first elected board.” She mentioned that she is a “proponent of a college education.”

Regarding the retention of students within CSF, Hardebeck acknowledged the challenge of families choosing other schools, stating, “it’s different now. You can go to any school in the county, right?” She did not offer a specific solution, but she highlighted the importance of the arts in saving students and keeping them interested.

Mark Sanders

Sanders is a pastor with a strong connection to public education. He stated that his father, who was the first in his family to graduate high school, instilled a value for public education in him adding “public school changed my life through changing my dad’s life.” This personal connection is evident in his active support for schools through volunteering and donations.

Sanders is passionate about “cradle to career” – a concept CSF has attempted to launch – and the idea of multiple pathways for students. He believes that school board members should be leaders, have integrity, and be good listeners. He also believes that “vision drives everything.”

He has experience working with businesses and community leaders through his role as a pastor. He has a vast network of educators in his family who keep him up to date on the current issues of education. Sanders emphasized the school board’s role as a “guard rail for the community,” ensuring “excellence for every student every day.”

He is committed to open communication and team work, adding “debate in private unity in public” and is also willing to support a board decision, even if he disagreed with it.

Sanders believes that student retention is an issue stating that families are leaving the school system at a rate of “15 to 20%” and have to ask “hard questions – why?” He also mentioned that he does not like seeing another county school putting up billboards across from the elementary school.

Mark Timmons

Timmons is a lifelong resident of Frankfort with a deep passion for his community. He brings a wealth of experience from various public service positions, including the BZA and as a county commissioner. He believes school board members should be good examples, leaders, and approachable. He is also very passionate about being involved in the community and bringing new ideas to the table, adding he believes that the school board’s role is to oversee the education system and provide teachers with the resources they need to succeed.

Timmons is committed to staying informed by attending meetings, reading emails, and being active in the community. He is comfortable with supporting decisions that he didn’t agree with, as he thinks, “the board’s not meant to all have the same conclusion.” He also believes in listening to community members and communicating openly with them. He spoke of being a strong believer in community involvement and that the school should make Frankfort a place where people want to move to. He believes that a lack of parent involvement and discipline is a major issue in the school district. He also thinks that the school is doing its best at education and retaining teachers.

When it comes to retaining students within CSF, Timmons provided he thinks it comes down to the parents’ choice and he is “not real sure” on how to address the issue – adding “the more you talk to people and you find out the reasons, you try to fix those reasons.”

Peggy Willimas

Williams was recommended to apply by a community member and has a background in public service – 30-years as a public librarian. She doesn’t have a specific agenda and is open to serving if she is the best candidate for the job.

She brings a strong understanding of education, with experience as both a teacher and a librarian and believes school board members should be good listeners and pay attention to what is going on in the community. She also has a background in customer service through working at Kramer’s.

Williams is retired, giving her the time to commit to the school board with a strong understanding of the importance of being an active participant in decisions. She stated, “I assume it’s to be here and when things happen to be an active participant in those decisions” when addressing the board’s question. She believes that the school should offer students many different activities and wants every student to have a chance to go to school and have teachers who are connected to them.

She explained school choice “wasn’t that way when I was a child” adding she does not know why parents are making that choice.

Next Step

At the conclusion of the five interviews, the board moved into executive session to discuss the candidates. A vote for the person to fill the open seat is not allowed in an executive session under Indiana law. Miller, the board president, told the candidates the board would make a decision in a few days and contact the candidates. The selected candidate will be sworn in at the February 11 meeting.

Brett W. Todd is the managing editor of Clinton County Today. Clinton County Today is a community-focused website to provide individuals of Clinton County Indiana and surrounding areas with information impacting their lives. Clinton County Today is a service of Progressive Partners of Indiana, LLC where Brett W. Todd is its managing member.