Candidates for Orrville BOE meet at forum
The Education Association of Orrville and the Wayne County branch of the League of Women Voters hosted a candidates forum for the five candidates vying for the two open seats on the Orrville Board of Education. The forum was held at Orrville High School on Oct. 10.
All candidates for the open position participated in the forum. The moderator of the event was Cindy Biggs, a member of the League of Women Voters. The candidates agreed to the format of the event, which consisted of 13 questions, and each candidate was given one minute to answer.
The candidates for the school board are as follows: Sue Corfman, current board member, who is running for reelection, and newcomers Jamie Kovacs, Megan Middleton, Brent Miller and Jaclyn Sickman. All candidates either have current children in the district or have had a child or children in the district.
Each candidate was given the opportunity to respond to all questions and to make a two-minute final statement at the conclusion of the event. The audience also was required to follow a set of rules, which included not applauding various answers and remaining quiet throughout the event.
The questions were selected by the League of Women Voters and touched on a variety of issues: why the candidates were running, the biggest challenges facing the district, the decision-making process, transparency and accountability, curriculum issues, the influence of outside special interests, traits candidates would look for in selecting a new superintendent, socio-emotional learning, anti-bullying policies, skills the candidates possess to deal with controversies, how controversial and painful historical issues should be taught and approached, and how the district should approach and support students with gender or sexual identity issues.
There was agreement that picking the next superintendent would be a critical function of the new board and an opportunity to set a new direction for the district. Additionally, candidates discussed how to balance diverse viewpoints within the district and how to make sure parental involvement and teacher independence were both given due weight. Candidates also expressed concerns about academics and how to increase district performance on state proficiency tests to ensure all students are being reached.
Voters can vote for up to two candidates on or before Tuesday, Nov. 7, with the two highest vote-getters winning the two seats. The winning candidates will join current board members Greg Roadruck, Pat Lorson and Sasha Stark and will begin their term on Jan. 1. Jon Ritchie, current superintendent, announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31. Current treasurer Brett Lanz will serve as interim superintendent until the new board hires a new superintendent.
The candidates forum was live streamed on Facebook, and a YouTube video of the event is available for viewing until the election by going to the Orrville School Board Candidate Forum Facebook page, where a link is available.