Preparing Every Child for a Changing Future
A campaign built on transparency, accountability, and community. Together, we can create schools where every Peach County student thrives.
Peach County raised me. I walked those same hallways, sat in those same classrooms, and graduated from Peach County High School in 1989. Today, my grandson is in this school system. This is not politics for me. This is personal.
Our schools deserve a voice at the table that understands where our students come from, what our teachers carry every single day, and what it will take to prepare every child for the world they are about to face.
I am running for Peach County School Board, District Post 4, because I believe we can do better. Not tomorrow. Now.
— Kelvin Melzar
What I Stand For
Raising Academic Standards
Our graduation rate is between 82–92%. Our reading and math proficiency is between 21–25%. We are graduating students who are not ready. That gap is not acceptable. I will fight for early literacy programs, intervention resources, and accountability systems that close that gap and prepare every student to succeed.
Fighting for Our Teachers
Our teachers are underpaid, overworked, and undervalued. I know this because I have lived in a household shaped by education. The best students come from the best teachers. I will advocate aggressively for competitive pay, better resources, and a school environment where teachers can do what they were called to do — without burning out.
Preparing Every Student for Tomorrow
Not every student will go to a university. Every student will go somewhere. I will push for dual enrollment, workforce certifications, trade pathways, and real-world skills training so that every Peach County graduate walks across that stage with a diploma, a direction, and a skill.
A Bold Vision. Real Solutions.
These are the priorities that guide my campaign. Each one is rooted in listening to parents, teachers, and students across Peach County.
Only 21-25% of our students are proficient in reading and math. Yet our graduation rate is 82-92%. We are handing diplomas to students who are not ready. That is a failure of the system, not the students.
What I Will Fight For
- An Early Literacy Task Force with K-3 teachers, reading specialists, and parents at the table
- Literacy screening three times per year starting in kindergarten
- Dedicated reading intervention blocks during the school day
- Summer Reading Academies with transportation and meals provided
- Parent literacy workshops and home reading toolkits
Goal: Move reading proficiency from 25% toward 40% within three years. Measurable. Accountable. Required.
Peach County is losing teachers to surrounding counties and we cannot afford to keep losing them. Part of the problem is pay. Part of the problem is that Peach County does not withhold Social Security, which costs teachers retirement security and drives them to districts that do.
What I Will Fight For
- Competitive pay benchmarked against Houston County and neighboring districts
- A serious review of the Social Security withholding issue and its impact on teacher retention
- Classroom resource guarantees so teachers are not buying supplies out of their own pockets
- Teacher recognition, mentorship programs, and a Grow Your Own pipeline with local universities
- Long-term retention incentives for teachers who build careers in Peach County
Not every student is going to a four-year university. That is okay. What is not okay is sending students into the world without a skill, a trade, or a pathway. Every Peach County graduate should leave with three things: a diploma, a direction, and a skill.
What I Will Fight For
- Expanded dual enrollment opportunities in partnership with local colleges
- Advanced Placement access for students ready to accelerate
- Workforce certifications and skilled trades pathways
- AI literacy, data skills, and advanced manufacturing training
- Apprenticeship programs with local employers
We will not throw children away. Before we discipline, we ask: Are they hungry? Are they being bullied? Is there undiagnosed trauma or a learning disability? Discipline without understanding is not discipline. It is rejection.
What I Will Fight For
- Expanded school-based counseling and mental health support
- Restorative discipline models that address root causes
- Parent intervention teams to keep families engaged in solutions
- Safe school environments where teachers can teach and students can learn
Parents have a right to know what is being taught to their children. They have a right to be at the table. They have a right to be heard. I will push for full transparency in curriculum, public performance dashboards, and regular community listening sessions.
What I Will Fight For
- Annual public performance reports for every school in the district
- Quarterly community listening sessions open to all families
- Budget aligned with outcomes -- fund what works, fix what does not
- Curriculum transparency and parental access to materials
- A board culture where accountability applies to everyone -- including board members
Kelvin Melzar
Candidate for School Board
A Neighbor. A Parent. An Advocate.
I have been part of the Peach County community for over 55 years. As a parent, advocate, and graduate I have seen firsthand what our schools do well and where we can do better. I am running for the school board because I believe every family deserves a seat at the table.
My approach is simple: listen first, act with integrity, and always put students at the center of every decision. I am not here to play politics. I am here to prepare every child in Peach County for a changing future.
- Peach County High School Graduate — Class of 1989
- 28 years of professional business leadership in insurance
- Advocate and Partner
- Grandson currently enrolled in Peach County Schools
- Committed to listening to every voice in our community
A Message to Peach County Teachers
I See You. I Hear You.
I Will Fight For You.
You get to school before most people wake up. You stay after the bell rings. You spend your own money on your classroom. You carryyour students' struggles home with you at night. And you do it again the next day.
I have seen that life up close. I know what it costs a teacher to pour everything they have into students and still feel like the system does not have their back.
I am not coming to the school board to give speeches. I am coming to that table to make sure your voice is in every budget conversation, every policy decision, and every plan that affects how you teach and how you live.
Peach County is losing good teachers to Houston County and other districts. Some of it is pay. Some of it is the Social Security issue — teachers leave because they need those quarters to qualify for retirement benefits, and Peach County does not provide that. I intend to make that a priority conversation on day one.
You deserve competitive pay. You deserve resources in your classroom. You deserve to go home at a reasonable hour. You deserve a board member who fights for you like you fight for our students.
That is my commitment to you.
A Message to Peach County Parents
Your Child Deserves More.
So Do You.
You are not just a voter. You are a stakeholder. Your child sits in these classrooms every single day, and you deserve to know exactly what is happening, what is being taught, and how your child is progressing.
I have a grandson in the Peach County school system right now. When I walk into a board meeting, I am not just representing a district. I am representing every parent in this county who wants better for their child and has been wondering if anyone up there is actually listening.
I am listening.
You have the right to know what is in the curriculum. You have the right to be involved in the decisions. You have the right to expect that when your child walks into a Peach County school, that school is safe, that teachers are equipped, and that your child is being prepared for real life.
I will make sure your voice is not just welcomed at the table. I will make sure it shapes what happens there.
This Campaign Runs on People, Not Just Politics
If you believe Peach County students deserve better, if you believe teachers deserve more, and if you believe it is time to Raise the Standard — then this campaign needs you.
Volunteer
Help us knock on doors, distribute materials, and make calls.
Spread the Word
Share our Facebook page @MelzarForSchoolBoard with friends and neighbors.
Display a Yard Sign
Contact us to get a yard sign and show your support across Peach County.
Attend a Community Forum
Dates and locations posted on the website. Come meet Kelvin in person.
Donate
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Let's Start a Conversation
Have a question, concern, or idea? I want to hear from you. Every message matters, and I read each one personally.
Website
www.KelvinMelzar.com
@MelzarForSchoolBoard