By HOLLY GASKILL
During a candidate forum for Southern Wells Community School district, a common theme arose — the need for transparency with the public.
There are two seats up for grabs in the fall election. Amanda Gaskill, Kyle Heath and Andrew Pursifull are running for the Chester Township seat, and Delora Schneider is running unopposed for the Liberty Township seat.
During the forum, the candidates were asked six questions regarding their background, priorities for the school and its budget, philosophies for handling disagreements, opinions on the SWCS referendum and beliefs about the school.
The candidates all received the questions ahead of time. Current board secretary Aaron Westfall was the moderator.
Across the discussion, all candidates expressed their desire to bring greater transparency to the school board’s decisions and a fresh perspective.
“One thing I’ve noticed in the last year or two … is we’ve had a bit of a decrease in transparency and a bit of division between our community and our board,” Gaskill said. “I’ve spoken out to various board members and administration regarding my concerns, and I kind of decided in January (that) I could either put up or shut up.”
Gaskill said she has been attending meetings for several years and felt a growing distrust of the school board. With a small district and community, she believes it is vital to rebuild this trust for the benefit of everyone.
Heath also stated he was motivated to run due to the board’s recent decisions and lack of transparent reasoning. As a candidate, Heath said he will focus on supporting academics and creating relationships with the community.
Pursifull, on the other hand, decided to run after being encouraged by several peers following discussions of the current board’s decisions and communication. He believes the district should focus on their retention by supporting both students and teachers and wants to create a stronger relationship with the community.
Though running unopposed for her seat, Schneider said it was important for her to attend the forum so voters would feel confident in their ballot. Schneider said her priorities will be to focus on creating a safe school environment, working through funding issues as a small school and continuing support for teachers.
All candidates gave their support for renewing the SWCS operating referendum. This referendum creates a district tax that supports the school’s operations, employing six teachers, two instructional aides and one custodian. It will also be on the ballot on election day, Nov. 8.
Early voting began Oct. 12. Voters may cast their ballot at the county clerk’s office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every weekday.
Early voting will also be available on two Saturdays, Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, at the clerk’s office and First Presbyterian Church in Bluffton. On Thursday and Friday, Nov. 3 and 4, there will be early voting at First Presbyterian Church, the 4-H Park, and Lighted Gardens from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on both days.
holly@news-banner.com
