One of the new faces to the Board of Education in Clinton has a lot of ideas and is optimistic about his peers joining him for the first time on the Board.

Mike Walker defeated incumbent Russell Long for the two-year seat on the Board of Education. Walker feels there is a good balance with the three new members that will join the Board later this month.

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Walker did not shy away from the issue of the finances for the school district. He says the power plant is a major focal point of funding, but also the million dollar deficit facing the district. He feels a plan needs to be developed to deal with the shortfalls.

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Walker says tough decisions are on the horizon and hopes putting a plan in place will make some of those decisions easier on the ones it will impact. He points to the finances, and says while raising taxes won't be a popular decision, he hopes to keep the public informed of what is happening and why it is happening.

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He says his number one priority to educate the students of the district and providing them and their teachers with the proper resources to do that.