Joe Armstrong, candidate for the District 1 seat on the Andalusia City School Board, said there are two key issues facing ACS – finances, and what he calls “being progressive.”

“Quite simply, I feel that we have to get the most out of every dollar available,” Armst-rong said. “I know that is something that the board and the superintendent are in a constant struggle with, especially in these times of proration and economic uncertainty.

“I see the system having to cut teachers and programs, but I know there is a reason,” he said. “I feel like (the biggest issue) is to help figure out what (the system’s) priorities are. We owe a duty to the students and faculty to do the best with what we’ve got and find ways to stretch our dollar to benefit both the students and the faculty.”

Armstrong said secondly, he felt that “being progressive” should be at the top of the system’s list.

“What I mean by that is that I feel we have to progressively change,” he said. “As industry and communities change, so does some aspects of education – and that means even on a local level.

“We don’t want to stay in the rut of doing the things that worked great 20 years ago if they don’t meet the standards of today’s world,” he said.

Armstrong is a 1993 graduate of Andalusia High School and 1997 graduate of the University of Alabama. He is currently employed as a civil engineer with PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.

He and wife Deb have three children – Callie, 9; Brandon, 13; and Megan, 16.

He is the son of Judy and Paul Armstrong of Andalusia. He has been an active member of the Andalusia Kiwanis Club for the past 10 years; has served as a volunteer coach for the Andalusia Middle School football team for the past three years, and has coached several baseball teams at Johnson Park.