“The quality of public education is going to dictate what the future holds for this community in terms of improvement of the business environment to the type of students being graduated ... and ultimately being taxpaying citizens,” he said in a recent interview.
“I believe truly that education is the key to the future of this county. Everybody has a stake in it.”
Maschke, an architect by trade, is running for the district 1 Dougherty County Board of Education seat as a Republican, which he has held for the last eight years.
During that time, he says he’s been able to push several policy changes and see various improvements to the school system. He pointed out that he spearheaded the policy change to keep student mobility down — the movement of students to other schools in the middle of a school year.
Recently, Dougherty County School Superintendent Sally Whatley presented an update to the board of education that included the results of the first year of the implementation of the mobility policy. It showed that student mobility had been reduced from 42 percent to just 14 percent.
“Certainly I am proud of spearheading implementation of the mobility policy. This is the first year that has been in effect,” he said. “(It has) had a positive impact by keeping the students in the classroom with the same teacher (throughout the school year).”
Maschke was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, but has lived in Albany for the last 30 years. He received his master’s degree from New Orleans’ Tulane University in architecture.
Maschke said he was a proponent of the development of the school system’s police force, which he said costs a little less than the rental police forces that were previously used, both about $1 million annually.
The full-time school force has 21 officers; two in each high school, one in each middle school and two in the alternative school.
“We’re spending a little less money now than when we had rental cops and we have better coverage,” he said.
As a board member, Maschke keeps a close eye on the goings on of the schools in the system. Prompted by calls from concerned constituents or “just being in the neighborhood,” he often drops in to school to check in with officials there, he said.
“That allows me to applaud efforts being made in the schools that are successful but also allows me to make suggestions for areas where I see opportunity for improvement,” he said.
Maschke has faced criticism over the enrollment of his daughter in private school. But because he pays taxes that go toward the school system, has a business here and a genuine interest in the system, he believes he has a right to serve on the board, he says.
“To me, whether you have a child in the public school system or the private system or no children in the system at all, I think that all taxpayers and business persons have a vested interest in the success of all education in Dougherty County and the public school system in particular,” he said.
And while being on the board can be tough, he enjoys the job despite its difficulties.
“I do enjoy it overall,” he said. “There are times that it’s very frustrating. It is certainly time consuming. But it is a commitment I made because I believe that it is so important.”
Maschke faces Republican Laura Calhoun in the July 15 primary. The winner will face Democratic challenger Judith Corbett in the November general election.