Community Resources

Our Candidate Endorsements

The following candidates have shown through their words, actions, platforms, and voting records that they support public education, government transparency, and earnest citizen engagement in local policy decisions. We believe they will be motivated and inspired to fill Gaston County offices with new perspectives and fresh solutions to the problems we face locally.

• Gaston Co Board of County Commissioners:

  • Riverbend District: Charley Killian (write-in)

  • South Point Township: Jim Bailey (not up for election in 2026)

• Gaston Co Board of Education:

  • Chez Adams

  • At Large: Brenda Eskridge

  • Janna Smith (not up for election in 2026)

Local & Regional Resources

• Gaston County Schools' FY27 Budget Request

• Gaston County Board of Education YouTube Channel

• Gaston County Board of County Commissioners YouTube Channel

• HIL Executive Summary Report on Gaston County Schools, May 2026

• Citizen News Series, "Reclaiming the Common Good: The Engineered Crisis of Gaston County Public Schools" by David Turner

• Community Access Podcast by Gaston Resident, Tasha White

• WFAE Education: Public Radio Stories from Charlotte Region

• WRAL: Investigations on NC Public School Enrollment

 Statewide Resources

• Carolina Public Press: AI and Education

• Public School Forum of North Carolina

• EdNC: Education News & Public Policy Research

• NC NewsLine: Statewide Education News

• NC Association of Educators: Declining Public Education Funding in NC

Graphic courtesy of David Turner, citizen blogger