Fallsnewspress.com - Candidates school public on stances

by Ellin Walsh

Reporter

Peninsula -- Five candidates are running for three seats on the Woodridge Local School District Board of Education Nov. 3. Three are incumbents and two have never held an elected office.

Incumbents Marilyn Hansen, Tammy L. Heffernan and Melissa Wilkinson and challengers Jan Flasco and Frank A. Nikic will compete for the trio of four-year seats.

Flasco

Flasco, an insurance agent and customer service representative, has lived in the district for 13 years. Both her children have attended Woodridge schools since kindergarten. "I've reached a point in my life where I have the time to commit to being an effective Board member," Flasco says, "and I don't want to be on the sidelines anymore. I feel like I can be an asset to maintaining the success which Woodridge has already achieved."

Flasco says community members and parents have shared two concerns with her on the campaign trail. First, since many students spend more time at school than home on weekdays, Flasco says parents want to ensure their children's safety there as well as the resolution of any issues which arise. Secondly, parents desire to maintain the level of education students are accustomed to, despite the current distressed economy and the fact the state's school funding issues have yet to be resolved, according to Flasco.

Hansen

The current Board president, Hansen is serving her eighth term and 32nd year on the School Board. She says the two most important challenges facing the district today are the thrifty use of district funds and addressing aging facilities. Hansen says she retains her enthusiasm for the School Board post and enjoys attending school activities, from staff development to student performances. "We must be frugal with our funds and continue to pursue grant money whenever possible," Hansen says. She suggests a community dialogue get under way concerning the district's options, facilities-wise.

Hansen is a leader with a Summit County manufacturer. She is an active Board member of several nonprofit organizations, volunteers with the American Red Cross and National Ski Patrol and is involved with her church. Hansen says her focus remains "making a difference in our students' lives by finding outside funding sources such as grants, supporting new and creative ways for teachers to communicate with their students and supporting, in any way, our road to 'Excellence with Distinction."

Heffernan

As she campaigns for re-election to the Board, a post she's held for nine years, Heffernan says the district's facility needs have been a frequent refrain among constituents. The subject was brought to the forefront by the release of a facility assessment by the state, Heffernan states. "The report said that the primary and intermediate schools would need extensive repairs in the near future in order to be safe for the children," Heffernan says, adding, "It also showed that we did not have enough space at the high school for the projected enrollment [in upcoming years]. Heffernan says she believes school officials need to invite input from community members "about the wants and needs of our district."

Heffernan describes "the distressed economy" as another paramount concern among voters. She says after new money was approved in 2004, the district pledged a new levy would be unnecessary until 2008. The district has fulfilled its promise, Heffernan says, with officials now saying that, if all renewals are passed, new money will not be necessary until 2012.

"So far, we have been able to stretch our dollars and manage the budget so that we could provide students with the best possible education and yet spend conservatively," Heffernan says, adding, "... I plan to continue to support this kind of fiscal responsibility."

Nikic

Nikic is employed as an account executive in the business class division at Time Warner Cable. He says he's been active in school-related or community organizations for eight years. "Quality education and parking spaces" are the most pressing issues in the district, according to Nikic. "I will work with the current board members to fine tune processes to help stretch our tight school budget to provide more opportunities to our students," Nikic says, adding, "I will also work with businesses in our community to help support our future endeavors."

Wilkinson

During the past several months, Wilkinson said two topics have surfaced during "numerous conversations" she's had with community members: fiscal responsibility and aging facilities. "Community members are making concessions in their personal lives and with their jobs in the form of furloughs, reduced salary and shrinking benefits," Wilkinson says, adding they want to know when district officials intend to seek additional revenue through a new levy. While the district appears to be on solid financial footing until 2012-13, according to its five-year forecast, Wilkinson notes, "so many variables ... can change this in a second."

Facilities-wise, Wilkinson says, the Board must weigh, then act, on the findings of the Ohio School Facilities Commissi13

on about the district's schools. The age of Woodridge Primary and Intermediate schools are of concern to constituents, Wilkinson says. "Whether we rehabilitate our existing buildings, combine them, build elsewhere, add-on to existing structures, will all be topics of discussions with the community," Wilkinson says, adding, "We need to have their support to financially support the vision that is set."

Wilkinson has been a member of the Board for four years. She serves as Board vice president.

E-mail: ewalsh@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3908