“I’m the only parent in the district with 16 kids in the high school,” he joked.
Dillaplain, 73, was a member of the Xenia Board of Education for 28 years, serving as board president for two terms, and vice president for two terms prior. An Air Force veteran, Dillaplain has owned a private ob/gyn practice in Xenia for 31 years, and served as medical director of the Greene County Combined Health District for 22 years.
He attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Dayton, and has worked as a clinical assistant professor at Wright State.
At the time Dillaplain chose to run for office, controversy brewed in the Xenia school district as reappraisals led to a hike in property taxes. At the same time nationwide, the role of schools was in question on the topic of sex education, a topic Dillaplain was heavily involved in due to his profession.
“To me, it’s just human physiology, something children should know by the 9th or 10th grade,” he said.
Now, as school boards grapple with issues like critical race theory, mask mandates, pandemic restrictions, equity and quality of education, Dillaplain sees parallels between the two eras.
“At the beginning and end [of my career] there’s been hotly contested issues, angry people moving on the school board,” he said. “On either side it’s all about communication. If the community doesn’t want it, the worst thing you can do is force it.”
His work as a doctor and service on the school board have parallels as well.
“Both demand continuing education,” he said. “If I don’t continue my education in medicine, people bleed and die. If I don’t stay up on how the board functions, then kids may not start off life with their best chances and the best possible education.”
Dillaplain and his wife have volunteered reading books and administering standardized tests in elementary school classes, something he says should be required for aspiring board members.
“I think that was the single most informative thing in my time. I thought, I can do surgeries, first grade math I’ve got made. Nope,” he said. “I’m totally amazed at what kids have to do.”
Accordingly, the price of admission for Dillaplain’s retirement party was a children’s book for grades K-5 for Xenia school libraries. The first delivery to the libraries was “a pretty good haul” of about 85 books.
Dillaplain credits the Xenia community for speaking their hearts and minds, allowing him to better serve his constituents.
“The things I’ve been able to do in 28 years have only been possible because of them,” he said.
About the Author
