School District 3: Jackson tops Senior

According to unofficial results, with six of six precincts reporting, Vanessa Jackson has defeated incumbent A.J. Senior 1,104 votes to 831 to represent District 3 on the Muscogee County School Board.

“I am excited and ready to start working for our children,” Jackson said late Tuesday. “I am so filled with joy.”

Asked about the key to her success, Jackson said she campaigned very hard.

“I walked in the neighborhoods,” she said. “I knocked on doors. I wanted to earn the people’s support.”

During the campaign, Jackson said she believes the school board has been ineffective.

“The department of education has placed 20 percent of the public schools in Muscogee County on the perpetual failing list,” Jackson said. “Nine of them are elementary schools and that is not acceptable. I want to see something in place that really targets elementary schools. I want to put emphasis on kindergarten through third grade. Because we know if you are not reading by third grade, you have an 11 percent chance of graduating.”

Tuesday she said again that helping elementary school children was her main goal.

Jackson, 52, is a graduate of Hardaway High School and Columbus Technical College. She is the director of Childcare Network on Hamilton Road.

Senior, a retired postmaster in Midland, Ga., who was elected in 2012 said she is concerned about what will happen to the school board and is praying for the district.

Still, there were no tears.

“I really don’t feel that bad,” she said. “I really don’t.”

Senior said she has enjoyed her time on the board but now will find other things to keep her busy.

During the campaign, Senior said there have been several accomplishments during her time on the board including updating the math and reading curriculum for elementary schools, improving the graduation rate by 3.8 percent, launching the Catapult Academy program for dropout students and increasing the number of full-time assistant principals.

Asked why she felt she lost, she said, “probably because people lied about me.”

When asked about Senior, Jackson said she had nothing to say.

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 9:27 PM with the headline "School District 3: Jackson tops Senior."