DECATUR – Attorney Doug Bachuss is running for the Alabama State Board of Education District 7 seat, he announced today. District 7 member Belinda McRae has decided to not seek re-election, according to a news release.
“My wife and I have raised our three children in public schools, with our oldest graduating from Decatur High School and our youngest two children still attending Decatur City Schools, which has introduced us to school systems across the state,” Bachuss said. “I have seen first hand what is at stake and how important it is now, more than ever, to have someone on the school board that experiences what goes on in the classroom as our children have attended from elementary to high school.”
Bachuss is a member of Nowlin, Bachuss & Gray law firm. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar and president of the Morgan County Bar.
“We have some very big issues to address in the upcoming school years,” Bachuss said. “Whether it’s financial literacy, how we continue to address the COVID impact on our schools, school choice, safety, or teacher recruitment, I want to make sure we are prepared for the future while making sure that our teachers have the support and resources to teach our children.
“In addition, I look forward to listening to parents, teachers, students, and stakeholders to hear what issues are important to them in the years to come.”
Bachuss is vice president of the Decatur City School Board and a team leader for the 2022-2027 Decatur City Schools Strategic Plan. He is a past chairman of the Board of Directors for the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, a 2008 graduate of Leadership Morgan County, a 2016 graduate of Leadership Alabama, and a member of the Leadership Alabama Board. Bachuss was also inducted into the Morgan County Schools Foundation Leadership Hall of Fame in 2022.
“We are blessed to have colleges in our area that offer opportunities for dual enrollment. With great companies making Alabama home, we have a great opportunity to encourage students to seek workforce programs so that they are career ready when they graduate high school if they are not pursuing a four-year degree of higher education,” Bachuss said. “I also want to develop more career tech opportunities and emphasize the offerings of the Career Academies and Centers to our students and businesses and encourage workforce development.
“Our students and teachers deserve to have their positive achievements shared, and I will work to highlight these successes to our communities and to our state. We all know that our schools are the heart of our communities, and I want to make sure we have the best schools possible. Our children deserve the best education.”
A past chairman of the Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority, Bachuss is legal counsel of the Authority, which earned him the 2023 Main Street Alabama Decatur Hero Award. He was the past president and is legal counsel for CASA of North Alabama which investigates the situations of children in juvenile cases in Morgan and Limestone counties. He is a member of the board for the Circle Ranch in Morgan County serving foster children and families and was a member of the boards of Hospice of the Valley as well as the Decatur Schools Foundation.
Bachuss is an adoptive father and has coached youth basketball, baseball, and softball. His family are members of The Rock Family Worship Center.
The Alabama Republican Primary election is set for March 5, 2024.
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