2025 Voter Guide: Ask the Candidate
Homewood voters will choose their next mayor and city council on Aug. 26. Candidates Winslow Armstead and Kristin Williams are running to represent Ward 4.
The candidates shared why they're running with The Homewood Star. Look for more question-and-answers with all candidates for office as the election season continues.
Q: How do you plan to support Homewood City Schools during your term?
Armstead: As a representative of Ward 4 — and truly, all of Homewood — I believe one of our city’s greatest strengths is our school system. That includes every student, teacher, and family at Shades Cahaba, Edgewood, Hall-Kent, Homewood Middle, and Homewood High School. My own children attended Shades Cahaba, Homewood Middle and High, so I’ve seen firsthand the care and excellence that define our schools.
Strong schools are the foundation of a thriving community, and as Homewood continues to grow, our schools need to grow with it. As a city council member, I will work to ensure that we appoint school board members who are deeply committed to the success and well-being of every student in addition to having the acumen it takes to develop a strategic plan for growth over decades. That means supporting initiatives that provide the resources needed for top-tier education, ensuring no student learns on an empty stomach, and championing programs that enrich the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally Ultimately, I want every student in Homewood to feel proud of where they come from — and to see a future for themselves right here in our city.
Williams: We can all agree our school system is our highest priority. My three sons have all gone through the Homewood system from Shades Cahaba through Homewood High School. Each was more than prepared for the college experience because of the fantastic job of leadership from our superintendent all the way through every coach and teacher. The impact each of these special Homewood educators had on my children’s lives has been invaluable. So much so that my sons choose to give back to the school system they love by returning to coach alongside the coaches that shaped their lives. One coaches HMS cross country, one coaches basketball, and one served HHS football as the QB coach last year. The job of the city council is to nominate outstanding people to the Board of Education. I would welcome the opportunity to interview and support strong advocates for Homewood City Schools. Educators know how they educate best. Let us give them the tools and support they need to maintain the excellence we have had the privilege to experience and lay a solid path for the future of our system and our students. The best way to support schools is to make sure our tax base remains strong. We cannot take small businesses for granted. We must listen to their concerns and frustrations as well as their triumphs and praises. Investing in our merchants through a marketing campaign for our city would be one way I would love to show that support.
To read Armstead’s full Q&A, click here. See Williams’ full Q&A here.
