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Terry, 75, has represented District 5 on the School Board since 2010. A 2018 win would give him a chance for a third full term on the board.
Terry has been a Collier resident for almost 40 years. During that time, he has been a teacher, assistant principal, principal, coach and athletic director.
He said his familiarity with the issues in the district make him a good candidate for the board.
“I feel I have a good feel for where we are in this moment, where we want to expand, and where we want to improve,” he said.
More:School Board votes to extend superintendent's contract early
More:Collier school district graded A, ranked fifth by Florida Department of Education
Terry was appointed to the board in early 2010 by then-Gov. Charlie Crist after board member Richard Calabrese resigned due to health reasons. Terry served out the remaining 10 months of Calabrese's term and was then elected in November 2010 and again in 2014.
Terry’s District 5 seat is one of three that will be up for re-election in August 2018. The other two seats — for Districts 1 and 3 — are currently held by Kelly Lichter and Erika Donalds. School Board seats are nonpartisan and voted on countywide.
Terry, who filed his papers for re-election Wednesday, is the only person so far to file for candidacy in the 2018 election.
He said it would be his last term on the board, which has no term limits.
Terry said he has enjoyed several highlights throughout his tenure, including:
The continuation of student programs throughout the economic downturn.
Growing the district’s STEAM and college and career pathways programs.
Bringing in six charter schools, though one was shut down.
Watching the district schools move from 44th to fifth in state rankings.
“When I got on the board, people didn’t think very highly of our school system,” he said. “And now our reputation throughout the state has improved tremendously.”
If elected, Terry said, he plans to build on that progress and begin formulating a plan to provide affordable housing for the county’s teachers and police force.
One of Terry’s proudest moments while serving on the board was voting in district Superintendent Kamela Patton, who has held the position since June 2011.
“I think one of the strengths of our district is consistency,” Terry said. “The fact that we’ve been able to maintain our superintendent over the last six years has certainly led to the success of this district.”
Terry’s tenure has not come without difficulties. He said one of the lowest points was when the board voted to terminate the employment of the last superintendent.
More recently, Terry expressed frustration over a lack of cooperation among board members.
“I don’t mean we should all vote the same way every time,” he said. “It’s a matter of all of us voting our conscience and respecting each other’s ideas on what each other thinks is best for the district.”
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