SALISBURY — On Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m.-noon, the Rowan Republican Party is hosting a Focus on Education Panel at East Rowan High School Auditorium at 175 St. Lukes Church Road.

Attendees will be able to meet and greet the panel members 10-10:30 a.m., with the panel beginning at 10:30 a.m. The event is open to the public.

The panel participants are NC Representative John Torbett, Phil Kirk and Susan Mills. Rep Torbett represents District 108, Gaston County. He is the Senior Chair of the House Select Committee on an Education System for North Carolina’s Future. The committee of nine representatives is tasked with reimagining what education would look like in North Carolina, if they were creating a new education system. The second panelist, Phil Kirk, is a Rowan native who has served as an N.C. Senator, chairman of the N.C. State Board of Education, chairman of the N.C. Chamber of Commerce, N.C. Secretary of Human Resources, and was a member of the N.C. Board of Community Colleges. Before entering politics, Kirk was a teacher. Susan Mills, also a Rowan County native, is the NC GOP vice-chair. She accomplishes her political duties while also serving as a full-time teacher. Elaine Hewitt, chair of the Rowan Republican Party, will moderate the event.

The public will have the opportunity to submit a few questions at the end of the discussion.

The intent of the panel is to highlight current education issues in N.C. In this year’s general election, Rowan residents will elect five of the seven members to the Rowan-Salisbury School System Board of Education. Candidate filing will begin July 22 at noon and close Aug. 19 at noon for the following seats: No. 1 North (currently held by Kevin Jones), No. 2 South (currently held by Chairman of the Board Dean Hunter), No. 4 West (currently held by Travis Allen. Allen will be on the general election ballot as the Republican candidate for sheriff.), No. 6 Special District (currently held by W. Jean Kennedy) and No. 7 South-East (currently held by Lynn Marsh. Marsh was appointed to fill the vacancy when Susan Cox stepped down. The South-East seat would normally not be on the ballot until 2024). The term of office is four years. The filing fee is $5.