Editor’s note: This is the third in a weeklong series of Journal-Tribune stories that will highlight contested elections and issues in Union County. Election stories will run each day through the end of the week.
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Jonathan Alder has three open seats going into this election season but only two of the incumbents are running for re-election.
Seats currently held by Christine Blacka, Bill McCartney and Steve Votaw are open and while Votaw and McCartney are running, Blacka is not.
Aside from the incumbents, there are four additional challengers that will be on the ballot this November.
Peter Hansen
Age: 43
Position You Are Seeking: Jonathan Alder School Board
Current Occupation: Office Manager
I recently graduated with my Masters in Higher Education and Student Affairs and have been trying to decide where that additional education can best be served well. All four of my kids are in the school district, I consistently volunteer for various school functions and I serve as a staff pastor at a local Plain City church. I have wanted to serve more on a local level in Plain City and given my personal stake in education I think serving on the school board could be a good fit.
My hope is to build relationships with our teachers and school employees as they are the pulse of the district. They see the effects of a district decision firsthand. It would be my hope to take the time to hear from the teachers and be available on a regular basis to hear concerns and ideas. I think it would be important to have a board member meet regularly with the JAEA to keep an open line of communication. Finally, a prominent issue would be the population growth in the area. Young families are moving in, and the district needs to be ready to address overcrowded classrooms and schools.
We also need to acknowledge our area is becoming more diverse both socioeconomically and culturally. Regardless of whether this campaign is successful or not, I have enjoyed meeting new people in the village. I have gotten to know families through my kids, their sporting events, their musical talents and through my church. Together, we can all make the district one that moves forward with our kids at the center.
Bruce Hooley
Age: 63
Position You Are Seeking: Jonathan Alder Board of Education
Current Occupation: Broadcaster…Soft Step Carpet and Flooring sales…brucehooley.com
I have been a property owner in the JA district since 2002. I’m running for school board for the first time because of the residential housing growth under construction and planned for the future.
Will the Alder district remain unified and highly achieving, or will we expand indiscriminately and stray from our traditional values?
The Olentangy district, now the state’s fourth largest, was a mirror image in the 1980s of what Alder is now. Olentangy had one high school, geographically separated from Columbus by rural farmland. Now it has four high schools and is choked by Route 23’s indiscriminate expansion. Many Olentangy parents feel ignored and disrespected by a school board that has embraced the most left-leaning agendas in public education.
My pledge is to, “Protect Parents Rights/Preserve Alder’s Heritage.” Parents must be heard on the educational issues related to their children. A board cannot always do what every parent wants, but I promise to:
1. Listen to all parental concerns;
2. Weigh the consequences and potential consequences of each outcome;
3. Clearly explain the thinking behind my vote;
4. Evaluate the on-going results of our collective board decision;
5. Remain open to future input that may provide a better solution.
Alder’s heritage is upholding the values common to its agrarian economy – hard work, delayed gratification, sacrifice and service to others. These values are enduring, in farming or any profession, and essential to an orderly society. We must teach these values to our children.
These are my values. This is the vision I will bring to the board, having spent most of my last three years at 98.9 FM in Columbus on the Bruce Hooley Show analyzing local public education issues. I am equipped, motivated and excited to serve an already-highly-functioning district withstand and triumph over the challenges ahead.
Bill McCartney
Age: 37
Position You Are Seeking: Re-election to the Jonathan Alder Local School Board
Current Occupation: Property Manager
I’m a proud Alder grad (2004). I currently serve on the Jonathan Alder School Board and Tolles Career and Technical Center school board. My wife and I are grateful to be able to raise our five children in my hometown and we bleed scarlet and black. Next year, I’ll have a child in every building in our district, including Tolles, with the exception of Monroe. I am extremely proud of the work I’ve been a part of. In my first four years at Alder and Tolles, we hired a new superintendent for each as well as many new administrators that are setting new, higher standards. I was an integral part of navigating multiple significant district challenges during my first term. I listened to and engaged with every stakeholder that reached out to me. Parents, staff and the community know that I’m always available and will seriously consider their point of view, even if we don’t see something with the same lens.
I’m on the Strategic Planning Committee and District Steering Team for Jonathan Alder and the Master Planning Committee for Tolles. These opportunities have provided me with extensive insight into the growth that’s coming for both districts and has positioned me well to continue making decisions that are in the best interests of all stakeholders.
If Alder chooses to re-elect me, I will continue to be the advocate for our students, parents, staff and community that I’ve proven myself to be.
Lindsay Streit
Age: 46
Position you are seeking: Jonathan Alder School Board
Current Occupation: Homemaker
I chose to become a candidate for the Board of Education because I want to be an advocate for the students, teachers, and community of our great district. I see the main priority of a school board member to be to serve as a positive and responsible liaison between the school district and the community. My goals through fostering those constructive relationships would be to focus on student achievement and success. The 14 years I have spent volunteering in our schools has given me a deep understanding of the specifics of the Jonathan Alder school district and the people of Plain City. I have so much respect and gratitude for our school staff, our district and our families as a whole. I believe in listening critically and objectively, researching, and learning in order to serve the best interests of our students by focusing on outcomes and results. The impending growth of our school district is currently our most important issue. Long-range plans considering the anticipated enrollment growth are already underway. Continuing to identify proactive measures to mitigate these projections should remain a constant, honest dialogue. We need to be upfront and in conversation with staff and the community about district targets for building plans, school size, classroom headcounts and student-teacher ratios. These staff and community discussions should include ways to best leverage our existing assets and properties as we plan for the future. I’m running for the Jonathan Alder Board of Education because I believe in leading through service. My favorite quote by John Wesley is, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”
Brette Swider
Age: 36
Position You Are Seeking:
Jonathan Alder Local School District Board of Education
Current Occupation: I own and operate an interior painting and wallpapering company which I work two days a week and the other two days I am a stay at home mom to my three children, ages 1,3 and 6.
My educational background is in Developmental Psychology (Utica College of Syracuse University) and Marriage and Family Therapy (Texas Woman’s University) and I have spent countless hours working with children of many needs and origins in schools (public, private and charter), homes and behavioral health centers. I feel that experience along with my strong work ethic, empathic and kind nature and my ability to think both objectively and critically would all lend itself to successful fulfillment of the duties of this position.
If elected, my main focus would be to work with my fellow board members, with a focus on strong fiscal responsibility and collaboration with local government, to maintain the strong academics, arts and athletics Jonathan Alder is known for during this time of unprecedented growth.
Additionally, while working within the parameters of board policy, I would focus on mending the relationship between the Jonathan Alder Education Association and the board of education. After a rocky last round of contract negotiations, I think there is work to be done to create better lines of communication and ensure that we can maintain our excellent teachers through our district’s growth.
Finally, I would work to ensure that the schools within our district are safe spaces for all children; places where they can prosper academically and thrive socially.
I welcome any additional questions readers may have for me. Please email me directly at BretteSwider@gmail.com. Please make a plan to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Steve Votaw
Age: 68
Position You Are Seeking: Jonathan Alder School Board
Current Occupation: Retired CEO
I have been blessed to serve on the Jonathan Alder School Board for 20 years. We are a district of excellence and it’s very important to preserve and maintain that excellence for our students and families as we face unprecedented growth in Plain City. My board experience combined with my 30 years of leadership as a nonprofit CEO, give me significant skills leading organizations, balancing budgets and planning for growth. In fact, I provided guidance and direction as a board member on our last successful building campaign that included the high school, Canaan, Monroe, and Plain City Elementary.
Our District will see more than 4,000 new homes in the next 10-15 years. To prepare for this growth, we must continue working together in a strategic manner with many stakeholders being involved in the process. This includes teachers, staff, administrators, community leaders, parents, business leaders and, of course, students. We will need to be transparent with our plans and have numerous conversations with various community groups as plans are being developed. It will be important to remember that we will not be able to build any new schools without the support of our entire district.
With a new superintendent, new treasurer, new assistant superintendent, two relatively new board members and at least one new board member after this election, my experience could be extremely beneficial to the district.
My wife and I have lived in the district for 30-plus years and our four children graduated from Alder. We currently have a grandson going to Alder with two more grandsons that will be attending when old enough. Jonathan Alder is an exceptional school system and I promise to do my best to continue the Alder tradition of excellence.