Each candidate was asked three questions key to their district:
1. What is the most important thing you want to get across to voters?
2. What should be the district’s greatest priority?
3. Why are you running for office?
Here are their responses:
Christopher Wayne Amsler
43. Miamisburg firefighter/paramedic/officer in charge.
1. I am someone who will listen to the citizens of the school district, not give a rubber stamp to policies and procedures, (and) ask the questions of the community and be proactive in our school district, yet understand the issues that face our school system. (I’ll ) have an open line of communications to the citizens, teachers and faculty.
2. The economic recession has hit everyone and every operating business in some way or another within the community. Balancing the budget and being creative in ways to save money across the board in an ever-growing school district is no different. By listening to the citizens within the community, we not only listen to our citizens, but answer their concerns in passing reasonable levies to help support revenues.
3. My interest came from numerous community leaders, citizens of the community, both in the city and township, along with various teachers within the school district. My experience as a firefighter/paramedic in Miamisburg has led me to a great working relationship with current and past leaders of the administration, school district and citizens of the community. This experience enables me to bounce ideas and answer questions, ranging from budgetary issues to growth within the district over the next four years.
Sharon E. Angel
69. Retired Kinder Elementary School principal.
1. I have worked for the past four years to maintain our excellent (state) rating and to make sure we are fiscally responsible in our spending. During this time, we cut $1.5 million from the budget, passed a bond levy to build a new elementary, new middle school, and renovate the high school and developed strong working relationships with the city and township.
2. The district’s greatest priority should be to maintain the excellent staff that currently is in place so that every child has access to a quality education. This means that limited resources must be prioritized so that funding goes into the classrooms. The way Ohio’s schools are funded means that the community must continue to support schools through the passage of levies, and it is the job of the school board and administration to be fiscally responsible and at the same time provide for the needs of all students.
3. I want to give back to the community where I spent 32 years as an educator and four years as a board member. I think I have gained some insight and knowledge into the needs of the district, and I want Miamisburg City Schools to continue to be the best place for my grandchildren and the children of the community to get an excellent education.
Douglas Jason Barry
37. Owner of BarryStaff Inc. in Sidney, Piqua, Dayton and Cincinnati.
1. It is a critical time for Miamisburg City Schools. Revenue is declining and expenses are increasing. We need people on the board who have the knowledge to make the tough decisions regarding financing and also find alternative means of funding. We cannot continue to rely on the taxpayers to foot the bill.
2. The school district’s biggest priority is to secure the operating funds for the future so we can adequately equip teachers with the tools they need to maintain our excellent academic record.
3. I have two sons in the district. Miamisburg is my home and the place I want my kids to stay for their high school years. The number one factor parents look for in a place to call home is the strength of the schools. We have a great asset in the Miamisburg City Schools, and I want to make sure it remains an asset.
I believe we need a diverse professional board, capable of making decisions based on what is best for the school district and not what is best for their own personal future. We need to set high standards for every aspect of the Miamisburg City Schools in order to give students the best opportunities to succeed once they graduate. Great things are happening in Miamisburg, and I look forward to serving the community on the school board.
Kathleen M. Bates
53. Vice president, Miamisburg City Schools Board of Education.
1. I would like the voters to know that I have been a member of the Miamisburg City Schools Board of Education for 16 years and want to continue to do what is best for the students of our community. Ensuring that the children of Miamisburg and Miami Twp. have the best affordable education possible has always been my focus and reason for staying involved as a board member. Taxpayers know that I will spend their money wisely as frugality is essential in these economic times. Having recently been through two layoffs in two years, I understand, all too well as the sole member of my household, how to budget and cut expenses in order to keep and run my home. I bring that same way of thinking to my position on the board to ensure we are spending hard earned tax dollars wisely.
2. Our greatest priority as a school district is to continue to investigate alternative funding methods. With the state cutting the budget, it is apparent that schools will be affected, so we need to continue to monitor our spending and be visible at the state and federal levels to ensure we are receiving our fair share of funding. As a member of the Federal Relations Network, if re-elected, I will have the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. to speak to our representatives regarding school funding.
3. I am running for my fifth term on the Board of Education, because I believe that our school community needs continuity. With new school buildings being erected and others being renovated in the district, I believe we need a seasoned board member who has prior experience with construction issues, as well as overall experience. Our current board has four of the five members with four or less years of experience as board members. I have been vice president six of my 16 years and president four years, and I am currently a member of the Southwest Regional Executive Committee, a member of the Federal Relations Network. I have won the Outstanding Board Leadership award and the highest honor a board member can achieve — being selected to the All Ohio Board. I am in my fifth year as a mentor to sixth-grade students and won the Montgomery Mentoring Collaborative Mentor of the Year Award in 2008. Our students’ education and well being is truly my top priority.
Eric Bucher
Project engineer, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
1. Our district is facing a number of near term challenges, such as placing a levy on the ballot in early 2010, implementing costly state mandates and bringing the new school buildings online. While the school board can make decisions to deal with those issues by themselves, having an informed, engaged and involved community to help shape those decisions and the future of our district is paramount to continued success. I would encourage residents to visit my Web site, ericforboard.com.
2. Establishing more effective ways to communicate with and engage the entire community should be the top priority. Our district faces many near term challenges that can only be met with a strong community partnership. For such a partnership to work, the school district needs to become more transparent by making important district data easily accessible online, while members of the community need to take a more active role in district business by learning about and staying informed on the challenges we face.
3. I’m a firm believer in community involvement and that it is imperative to the long term success and sustainability of our school district. Attending school board meetings and community forums over the past 18 months has allowed me to become well aware of many current district challenges. To better meet and overcome those challenges, the school board needs a candidate that will advocate for the entire community, values and promotes transparency, supports local control, has fresh and innovative ideas, would encourage board deliberation, takes a proactive approach to problem solving and values community input.
Joe “Zak” Idzakovich
58. Vice president, sales and marketing, Venture Manufacturing Co.; Miamisburg City Schools Board of Education president.
1. As we have continued to consistently rate as an excellent (state rated) district, we have accomplished this while remaining fiscally responsible. We are a school system supported by a great community, great students and great teachers and staff.
2. We must maintain a plan to review curriculum and facilities to ensure continued excellence and yet be cost efficient. This is the face of rising costs, uncertainty of local levies and state funding and the impact of federal mandates.
3. I am running for re-election as a result of my commitment to Miamisburg City Schools and the community. I have the experience and knowledge based on my involvement on the finance committee, various levy and bond issue committees, the school board and my present position as president of the board of education.
Gerald E. St. Jaques
47. Princeton City Schools high school teacher.
1. As a school board, we need to make informed decisions which affect our students’ education and to be able to retain the best teachers and support staff — those people in the classrooms who make a difference every day — but we also have to balance that with what the community can afford. When we ask for an operating levy, the community needs to feel confident that the money will be spent wisely and effectively and that the money will be made to go as far as possible. We’re not going to have a lot of bells and whistles, but that we are going to be spending that money in a practical way that makes a difference with children every day.
2. Undoubtedly, the greatest issue facing the Miamisburg City School District in the very near future is the necessity to renew our current 7.225 mil-operating levy, which will expire in December 2010. The current economic downturn has been a blow to our community with job losses, reduced incomes and uncertain futures for many of our families. As recent as last week at the two community forums on district finances and future financial issues, school officials told those in attendance that even if the renewal passes at the May election, the district will still need to make $4.5 million in cuts, leaving the district looking drastically different with reduced staffing, programs and services.
3. I’ve been pleased with the educational opportunities which have been offered to my two children in the Miamisburg City School District, but I am deeply concerned about the financial state of the district in the very near future. I am running for this position, because I feel strongly that the current school board has forgotten whom they were elected to represent. I want to establish a level of trust between the school, the administration and the community. Voters may visit my Web site, votestjacques.org.
Karl “Jacob” Zimmerman
29. Realtor with RE/MAX Central Properties.
1. If elected, my two main commitments will be open communication with the community and staff of our excellent (state rated) school district and fiscal responsibility. We face a challenging future with the difficult economic times. Therefore, it is my mission to ensure our tax dollars are spent wisely and with the utmost frugality, while maintaining our excellent rating and even striving for excellent with distinction.
2. Communication with the community about our current financial situation and what is needed going forward to maintain the high level of services and opportunities we provide our students is vital. Continued belt tightening on our budget is a must. We must also strive to foster a high level of morale throughout the community, staff and students.
3. Being a fifth-generation graduate of Miamisburg, I hold deep roots in the community. I look forward to bringing a fresh perspective to the board. There are members of the public that are misinformed on how our school system handles our funds, and I think communication with the community will be key for our district moving forward, and I feel I possess the skills and personality to get that done.
Danielle L. Kuehnle
38. Commercial real estate agent, sales and leasing, Oberer Companies.
1. As a lifelong resident, I am a vested stakeholder in the community. As a Miamisburg alumni, working professional, mother of two school age children and active community member, I offer a unique blend of strengths. I strive to remain open minded and pride myself in my ability to hear both sides of any discussion. I have spent four months serving on the board of education and have quickly educated myself to prepare and understand the issues and challenges currently facing the board.
2. The district’s greatest priority should be determining the best direction for the district given the current financial constraints, while maintaining our excellent (state) rating. I believe we can accomplish this through responsible spending and capitalizing upon our existing resources. It is essential that we empower our teachers and administrators and encourage and integrate parental and community involvement and support.
3. It’s important to me that there be a voice on the board of education which represents that of school age children and their families. My desire to serve comes from years of being actively involved and interested in the important decisions affecting the students, teachers and families of our community. I serve to represent the best interests of all students in the district and to foster positive relationships between the district and the community.
Robert H. Matthews Jr.
60. Information technology professional.
I would bring creative solutions to improving the quality of our students education. This would be done by ensuring a balance between competing demands that is in line with the desires of the Miamisburg and Miami Twp. residents.
2. Stabilizing the finances: Last year, we burned through an excessive amount of our contingency fund. We need to determine how to balance expenses with income.
3. I received an excellent education, my children received an excellent education. I would like my grandchildren to receive that same excellent education for an ever more demanding world.
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