Rob Cerulo, Cabarrus County Board of Education candidate, answers our questions
Name: Rob Cerulo
Birth date: Sept. 5, 1984
Campaign website or social media page:
Occupation: Manager of Recruiting specializing in Executive level IT, Finance and Accounting roles
Education: Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Butler University
Have you run for elected office before?
No, this is my first time running for public office
Please list your highlights of civic involvement
I was a key volunteer for the 2020 NC Coordinated Campaign's outreach effort and chosen by my region's Field Organizer to serve as team lead for election season events.In 2022, I organized a small group of dads, brothers, uncles, and sons to engage with the community in standing up for Women's rights. We also purchased a billboard on I85 to voice how important the 2022 election was in defending our daughters, sig. others, sisters, nieces and mom's freedoms. The same holds true this election.
What are the most important issues in Cabarrus County Schools today, and how would you address them?
Allocating our limited CCS resources effectively to ensure all students receive a fair education while advocating for adequate funding. The Statewide Performance Report Cards were just released, and our district is in the top 20, out of 115, even though we receive less per pupil expenditure (PPE) than any NC county. All while NC ranks 48th Nationally in per pupil funding. All students and, especially, our most vulnerable populations are unjustly impacted by this unnecessary situation.
What are your ideas for improving student performance if elected to the school board?
There's not a one size fits all model for our children's learning styles. Some students perform best in a structured, traditional, assigned seat setting. While others learn better in creative free-flowing setups. I'd like to see our classrooms incorporate both styles of learning throughout the year and measure student's performance level in each environment. These scores can then serve as a source to create future workspaces best suited for each student's unique growth & development needs.
What's your opinion of the school system's redistricting plan approved earlier this year? And what, if anything would you have done differently?
As Cabarrus County experiences exponential growth, tough decisions have to be made with a long-term vision in sight. I believe, after analytical analysis, the redistricting was justified in planning for future population increase expectations. We must also move forward, expeditiously, with our new build projects like Coltrane/Beverly Hills as each day we prolong talks, without action, comes at the extent of kids in our district.
What separates you from your opponents and makes you the best choice on November's ballot?
I bring a unique blend of innovation and analytical skill sets. Especially given the restricted resources Cabarrus County Schools have been provided, we need creative mindsets on our School Board with an ability to let the numbers tell the story & devise action plans accordingly. I'm such a numbers' nerd that I participate in the most notable Bracketology tournament (college basketball) annually, where my formulas and analysis earned me the top spot in 2024 at bracketmatrix.com
