Tim Singstock, photo courtesy of his campaign.Shortly after Milt Johns announced he would not being seek re-election as Chairman At-large of the Prince William County School Board, community leader Tim Singstock filed to run for that position in 2015.
“As a product of Prince William Public Schools, it is an honor to give back to my community by seeking public office. I have a positive vision for our County’s education system that will provide a safe and healthy learning environment, address our overcrowded classrooms and prepare our kids for a competitive workforce,” Singstock said in a press release.
Singstock said he plans to take the next several months to listen to parents, teachers and taxpayers to get a better sense of how he can work with them to move the school division forward.
Prince William residents might know Singstock as the Chair of the Potomac District Republican Committee, or as the Finance Chair of the Boyscotts of America, Occoquan District. He is also self-employed enrolled agent accountant, former U.S. Army Captain, and a former Project Manager at Stanley Associates, Inc., who lives with his wife and children in Montclair, Virginia.
Singstock is no stranger to Prince William County or Prince William County Schools. A native of Montclair, he graduated from Potomac High School in 1993. Now, he is raising his two children there, and they attend Forest Park High School.
“I definitely have a vested interest in making sure that we have an exception school system in Prince William County,” Singstock told Bristow Beat Thursday.
Besides being a parent, Singstock has gained knowledge of the school division through his work on the Safe School Advisory Council. There he has taken an active role. Singstock said he believes that school safety needs to be a top priority for the district. However, he also acknowledges the school system already does a tremendous job keeping its children safe.
“I’ve been just so impressed by how the school system implements policies and procedures,” Singstock said, praising the school division for implementing unity in its procedures at schools across the county.
Watching his children grow, and becoming more involved with the school system and the county, he feels it is an appropriate time for him to step up and run for School Board Chairman.
The most important role of the School Board members, as he sees it, is to make sure the school division prepares the community’s children for the challenges this new century, and he feels that his generation needs to make sure that happen for their children.
“I really feel that my generation, our generation, needs to make sure that today’s kids are prepared to run America in the 21st century. They’re going to be the ones running the companies, the government and paying for your Social Security and mine.”
For some, Singstock’s announcement may seem a bit of a surprise, but he said he has been considering running for the office for sometime.
"The chairman’s position is something that has held my interest for quite a while,” Singstock said, explaining he was delighted when he learned the seat would be open four years earlier than he anticipated.
He is pleased to have the endorsement of current Chairman Milt Johns, saying he respects how open and professional Johns is in the position.
Potomac District Supervisor Maureen Caddigan has also announced that she is endorsing Singstock.
"I am delighted to endorse and support Tim Singstock for Chairman of the Prince William County School Board. As a former member and Chairman of the School Board I know firsthand the importance of this position. Tim is thoughtful, fair and qualified for this position and will work hard for all the students and teachers in this county. He has a solid grasp on what it means to represent our school district," Caddigan said.
One issue that Singstock would like to champion during his campaign is the overcrowding many schools in Prince William, especially those of the western end of the county, are experiencing.
“I’m hearing from parents and teachers that this is something they want policy makers to address,” he said.
He would also like to see the school division expand upon schools and programs that have been successful in the county so far such as traditional (K-8, or 1st-8) schools, the Governor’s School, robotics programs and e-learning book-bags.
Singstock said he intends to provide further details about the pressing issues the school system faces as his campaign progresses. However, he has said that the School Board will have to work within the budget that the Board of County Supervisors provides them with as that body retains taxing authority.
“I don’t think that Prince William families need to pay higher property tax rates. It’s our job to provide the best quality education that we can to PWC residents within the confines of the revenue they give us,” he said.
As School Board Chairman, Singstock said he would make sure that the funds that the school division receives is spent “on the classroom, where learning is happening.”
However, he would not specify if that means hiring more teachers to reduce class sizes, or via some other means.
“How we do that within the budget, that is something we will be figuring out after the election happens, and we’re in office,” he said.
Singstock said he plans to be inclusive, and thinks that nothing can get down unless the community can put aside its differences and work together.
“In order to get things done, you have to bring people together and you have to be inclusive. It doesn’t matter what people’s political affiliations are,” he said.
He notes that he gained leadership experience as an officer and captain in the Army, and he continues to work within the community in leadership positions to better the community working with Republicans, Democrats and independents alike.
More information about Tim Singstock as released by his campaign is below:
Singstock, who was raised in Prince William County, is a 1993 graduate of Potomac High School. He attended Virginia Tech on an Army ROTC scholarship and served in the Army as a Platoon Leader, Battalion Operations Officer, and eventually a Captain with the 101st Airborne Division. After working as an IT project manager for a defense contractor, Singstock started his own accounting business in 2013. He currently serves on the Safe Schools Advisory Council, is the Occoquan District Finance Chair for the Boy Scouts of America and is a frequent volunteer with the ACTS homeless shelter in Dumfries. Tim teaches Sunday school at Grace Baptist Church and lives in Montclair with his wife and children. As a parent with kids who attend the public school system, Singstock has a vested interest in Prince William County Public Schools.
An official campaign launch event will occur in January. Prince William residents can stay up-to-date on the developments of the campaign from his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SingstockForSchoolBoardChair. (Link has been updated.)
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