Brandon Simmons, 34, of Ararat, said he will seek the Dan River District seat on the Patrick County School Board.

Soon, Simmons said he will have youngsters attending schools in the division. His main goal is “to make sure all kids get best education they can get. Make sure they have all the tools, supplies and faculty they need to get that done.”

To do that, Simmons said it is important to “make sure the teachers” and other employees “have what they need. I don’t want to leave anyone out,” he said.

Currently, there are issues that need to be addressed, Simmons said.

“About all you see in the paper is negative” in terms of the school board, he said, and added “that needs to change. Everybody needs to hear something good every week about the school board. There needs to be some changes made.”

Although his background is not in education or teaching, Simmons said he understands the importance of making sure teachers, bus drivers, mechanics, in short, all division employees have the tools needed to do their respective jobs.

Simmons said ensuring “the teachers are happy” is paramount, because “if they’re not happy, or if they don’t feel appreciated, they have other stuff on their mind besides teaching the kids,” and that would detract from their performance in the classroom.

“We need to do what we can to help them. They’re not in it for the money, we know that. We need to support them and make sure they have the things they need,” he said.

He also hopes to help change the school board’s relationship with the Patrick County Board of Supervisors.

“Someone has got to change the way things are and make it to where school board and the supervisors  can get along and work together,” Simmons said, and added he has mentioned that to a couple of supervisors.

“We need to work together as one,” Simmons said, and added the two supervisors he spoke to are in agreement with that sentiment.

Simmons said he thought about running for office in the past. With his two children soon to be old enough to attend schools and current Dan River District board member Kandy Burnett stepping down, Simmons said the timing seemed right.

“A lot of people told me I shouldn’t do this because I have a business in the area,” but Simmons said he felt like he needed to give back to the community that supports him.

“The way I tried to look at it, if I can give them back some time every month” and help the community and the school division, “then I’ll do it,” he said. And while “I don’t have a teaching background, sometimes it’s good to have someone from outside looking in” to offer a different perspective, he said.

Simmons and his wife, Claire Simmons, live in Ararat. The couple has a 4-year-old son and a daughter, 2-years-old.

Simmons is a lifelong resident of Patrick County, a graduate of Patrick County High School and owner of Dan River Grocery in Ararat.