About Jacob 
Jacob E. Pate is a candidate for the Scotland County Board of Education, seeking to represent Stewartsville Township. He is running to be a stronger voice for parents, a watchdog for taxpayers, and an advocate for higher academic standards in Scotland County schools. Jacob’s campaign is grounded in a simple belief: our schools should focus first on educating children, supporting teachers, and preparing students for real success in life.
Jacob is not new to the challenges facing Scotland County schools. He previously ran for the Scotland County Board of Education At-Large seat in 2018, where he spoke out for greater public input on major education decisions and raised concerns about the effects of school consolidation and bullying on students and families. That same willingness to stand up for parents, students, and common-sense solutions continues to define his campaign today.
Jacob is asking the questions many families have been asking for years: Are our children truly being prepared to succeed, or are they simply being pushed through a system that is not delivering the results they deserve? He believes Scotland County taxpayers deserve honest answers about student performance, school spending, and whether the system is truly focused on helping children master the skills they need to compete in the real world.
A major focus of Jacob’s campaign is cutting waste and putting resources back where they belong: in the classroom. He believes parents and taxpayers deserve a school system that is lean, accountable, and student-centered—not one weighed down by unnecessary bureaucracy. Jacob has raised concerns about administrative growth, layers of central-office staffing, and spending decisions that do not appear to be translating into stronger academic outcomes. He believes the school system must take a hard look at its priorities and redirect more resources toward teachers, classrooms, and the direct support students need every day.
Jacob is also committed to restoring a clear emphasis on academic fundamentals. He believes schools should focus relentlessly on reading, writing, math, reasoning, and problem-solving. In his view, the first responsibility of any school system is to ensure students can read well, write clearly, think independently, and graduate prepared for work, college, and adult life. His campaign is rooted in the conviction that the basics of education must come first—and that schools should be focused on genuine student achievement, not simply moving students along or celebrating graduation statistics that do not always reflect academic readiness.
Another key issue for Jacob is the growing role of technology in the classroom. While he recognizes that modern tools can be useful, he believes technology should support learning—not replace it. He has raised concerns about overreliance on screens, digital instruction, and artificial intelligence in student work, and he believes students must first learn how to think, reason, and solve problems on their own. Jacob wants a school system that uses technology wisely, but never at the expense of independent thinking, discipline, and true academic development.
Just as importantly, Jacob believes in restoring parental rights and parent voice in public education. He does not believe families should be treated as an afterthought while key decisions are made from the top down. Instead, he believes parents should have a meaningful seat at the table when it comes to curriculum, school priorities, and the policies that affect their children’s future. Jacob supports building a stronger, more transparent line of communication between the school board and the public so that families are heard, respected, and directly involved in shaping the direction of the school system.
Jacob also believes the school system should do a better job of working with and utilizing the community resources already available to support students and families. That includes partnerships with organizations such as Scots for Youth, along with other local programs, civic groups, and community-based efforts that can strengthen opportunity, mentorship, and student success beyond the classroom. He believes Scotland County already has valuable people, programs, and institutions in place—and that school leadership should do more to engage them rather than overlook them.
At the heart of Jacob Pate’s campaign is a belief that Scotland County can do better for its children. He is running to fight for higher standards, greater transparency, less waste, stronger academics, and more respect for parents. His message is for voters who want a school system that is accountable to taxpayers, responsive to families, and unafraid to get back to the basics of education.