Dehart, Pierce, Speas should all be re-elected

7:53 PM Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Clark-Shawnee Board of Education race features five candidates for three seats.

The district is one of this region’s highest-performing. It is rated excellent by the state of Ohio and test scores for its students are among the region’s highest. The district also faces a decision on whether to partner with the state and seek local funding for new or refurbished buildings.

All five people running appear to have the skills, interest and experience to do the job well, but the three incumbents — David G. Dehart, Judith L. Pierce and Dave Speas — have earned another term.

Dehart is a graduate of the district, a CPA and has two children in the district. He has been on the board since 2005. He said the district’s priorities should be to maintain its excellent rating, get the most out of the budget, and reach out to the community to get more involvement from them.

“I don’t know how much longer our 1920s and 1930s buildings are going to last,” he said.

Dave Speas raised children in the district and has two grandchildren attending Clark-Shawnee schools. A retired teacher, he brings to the board a perspective as both a supporter of public schooling but also a retiree on a fixed income. That is among the most important balances all school boards face today — pay the bills, educate kids, but retain financial support of local voters.

“We feel we’re conservative with our money and the students are getting a good education,” Speas said.

Pierce is a court reporter for Clark County Common Pleas Court and been on the Clark-Shawnee board 12 years. She said she is trying to stay connected with making decisions that benefit the children in her area.

“Taxpayers are tired of paying more taxes,” she said. “It’s very difficult for people to pay for what they need, which makes it difficult for us to collect our taxes.”

James Hogan, vice president of the Schuman Financial Group, said he is running as a good option, not because of anything the three incumbents are or are not doing. Hogan said the community wants to trust information they are getting from the district more, and that comes from being straightforward with more and better communication.

Thomas Markley is a human resources manager for a chemical company and has experience with labor negotiations and managing a small business.

Overall, the experience levels of all five candidates are remarkable and the district would be well-served by any of them. However the three incumbents have experience that is too valuable to pass up. Dehart, Pierce and Speas deserve re-election.

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