Four candidates for three spots makes for interesting West Holmes school board race
With four candidates vying for only three West Holmes School Board positions, you can bet that the race to fill the spots will be one which will go right down to the last precinct. The other thing you can count on is that all four of the men, who have grown up, lived, raised their families and poured their heart and soul into the school district, are very passionate about representing the West Holmes school district.Two of the candidates are trying to return to the board as incumbents, in David Kick of Lakeville and Kurt McDowell of Millersburg. The other position is available because Tootzi Snyder decided not to run, opening up a third position on the board. The two new hopefuls seeking election are Andrew Jones and Brad Welsh, both of Millersburg. As the lone current representative from the western region of the school district, and the only one outside of Millersburg vying for one of the three spots, Kick said he believes it is critical to continue to have representation on the board from outlying areas.
“It’s nice to have a blend of people from all over the district, who can represent the entire population,” said Kick. It’s one way we as a board can continue to keep people more well informed.”
Kick, who is employed with Berean Construction, has been a lifelong West Holmes School District resident. He has served on the board for a total of 10 years, serving both during the construction of the new school building and the passing of the recent emergency levy. He has served as the board president three of those years, and is currently serving in that capacity.
He believes that his knowledge of the school district, and its people, are key assets he brings to the table.
“I think I’m a perfect example of a home grown, successful family member in the district,” said Kick. “I have a deep interest in seeing our district succeed, and I think I’ve set a great example during my tenure here. I don’t talk all that much, but I do know how to listen and get things done.”
As the other incumbent, McDowell said he feels very good about the tasks the board has accomplished during his time on the board. McDowell, who owns and operates his own trucking company, was also involved in getting the recently passed emergency levy through after five unsuccessful attempts.
He said he believes that his ability to connect with the community and to understand what is truly important to the people of West Holmes School District is what makes him the viable choice.
“I just believe in our school district and I firmly believe that I can continue to make a positive impact on the direction our district takes,” said McDowell. “I’ve been a part of some pretty major improvements and issues over the past four years, and I want to see the things we are working on through.”
McDowell said the reason he became involved with the board initially was because he felt that he was on the outside looking in, and believed he had the common sense and fortitude to make positive changes in where the school was headed. As school budgets were cut across the state, West Holmes was no different, and McDowell said that being amidst the struggles of creating budgets and making ends meet during the past four years has prepared him for what he thinks will inevitably be more belt tightening.
“I really can’t see anything changing in terms of finances, and I think having been through the rigors of dealing with budgetary issues over my term has put me in a good position to understand how to best deal with the financial issues our district is facing,” sad McDowell.”
Andrew Jones is a newcomer who has never served on the school board before, but he does have his share of experience on committees and in West Holmes and village affairs, having served on numerous boards and commissions on the local, regional, and state level for input and decisions on public grants, zoning, planning, transportation and legislative topics. He has held various leadership positions on these groups including chairman, vice-chairman, and executive committees.
Jones said he has also served in positions in which he has procured grant funding, and he served as one of the committee members who drove the West Holmes Levy to a passing grade this past year.
“I have a real passion for doing what is best for our school district and I have been attending school board meetings for the past three years trying to prepare myself for this opportunity,” said Jones. “I have dealt with many people here during my time with the planning commission, and I think I am very capable of fine tuning the expenses of the school district facing a tight budget. As things get leaner in school districts, I think it’s important to continue to closely evaluate and minimize where we have to cut or reallocate funds.”
Jones even showed off some of his skills by creating his own Web site at www.jonesforwh.com.
Brad Welsh, who has been a local dentist for the past 16 years in Millersburg, is another product of the West Holmes School District, with numerous ties to the educational realm. His mother and wife are teachers, and his father-in-law, Gary Gehm, was the district superintendent for many years.
“I’m not entering into this naive,” said Welsh. “I’m sure I’ve got things to learn, but I am more than willing to dig in and do just that. I have had a great deal of close connections with the school district over the years, and I have three children enrolled in the system, so I have a vested interest in making sure that things operate smoothly for everyone in the district.”
Welsh said that he has learned a great deal from Gehm, and has seen the challenges of operating a school district firsthand. He said that while payroll is the number one cost in the district, it cannot afford to cut quality teachers. He said that he would love to see a smaller teacher-to-student ratio, but he knows that in tough economic times, that isn’t likely.
“Given the limitations, we’ve got to provide ways to get the most we can out of our district personnel,” said Welsh. “I think that in these kinds of tough economic times, the importance of mid-level leadership roles, like principals, become key. I don’t foresee us magically improving overnight financially, so the leaders at our schools must really work to diversify. Their roles become so much more important.”