5 Campaign for Perrysburg School Board

PERRYSBURG – Four of the five candidates campaigning for a seat on the Perrysburg Schools Board of Education attended a forum earlier this month.

Laura Meinke, Susan Rowland Miller, Ashley Sackett and incumbent Kelly Ewbank attended the Oct. 3 forum, held at Hull Prairie Intermediate School.

Kelly Davis was unable to attend due to illness and submitted her answers electronically.

There are two seats open as Ray Pohlman is not seeking reelection.

Ewbank is a 1990 Perrysburg High School graduate who is a substitute teacher and nursing aide.

“Every child should be given the opportunity to reach their full potential,” she said as her motivation for running for school board.

She has a sophomore at Perrysburg High School and said she is invested in the community. She said she is an avid believer of giving of her time and talents and being civically involved.

Meinke is a mother of three (her youngest just graduated from PHS) and is passionate about supporting students and staff and making sound decisions that positively impact the community and maintain a strong educational foundation.

Rowland Miller is a 27-year resident of Perrysburg. She said she supports public education, which is one of the most important aspects in society. A former classroom aide, she has participated in booster groups and helped start the district’s business advisory council. She wants to use the skills she’s acquired over the past 30 years in non-profit management leadership.

“I am running because I want to continue to support public education,” she said.

Sackett is a 2007 PHS graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a specialization in accounting.

She has three children enrolled in the district and is a regular volunteer. She was a member of the district’s strategic planning committee and looks forward to the opportunity to use her skills to help the district continue to be the best in the state.

Seven questions were provided in advance to each candidate.

What is something that makes you proud about Perrysburg Schools and why?

Rowland Miller said she is proud to tell people her children graduated from PHS because they were well-prepared for the next steps in their lives. She is also proud of the staff and educators who are willing to pioneer and try new things.

Sackett said she is extremely proud of the investment teachers make in their students, both academically and personally. She shared a personal story about her trigonometry teacher and about her daughter’s interaction with a teacher.

Ewbank is proud of the choice parents made by moving to Perrysburg. People often tell her they moved to Perrysburg for the education system. That’s why her parents moved here and why she moved back, she said.

One of things that stand out to Meinke is the performing arts program and the pride she sees from the students, parents and community. The support students receive from the booster groups, volunteers and business owners show them they can shine.

With teacher shortages across the country, what steps do you feel the board and school district could and should take to retain its teaching staff and recruit high quality teacher candidates?

The district needs to foster a culture of teamwork and collaboration, said Sackett. Teachers need to feel like they’re heard. Eliminating portable classrooms will attract quality candidates as will competitive compensation, effective leadership and a great work environment.

Ewbank said the district needs to review and adjust compensations, provide ongoing professional development opportunities, support the mentoring program, and provide adequate support for teachers dealing with student discipline issues.

There are fewer people committing to education and teaching isn’t like it used to be, said Meinke. This district is already a desired employer for teachers, but to attract the best teachers, we need to be proactive and participate in student teaching and attend job fairs.

Rowland Miller said there is a national teaching shortage due to burnout and the feeling they loss autonomy in the classroom. Recruiting is important early in the year. Perrysburg needs to remain competitive with salaries and trust teachers to teach.

As a board member, how would you feel the school district should approach safety and security?

Ewbank said ensuring school safety requires a comprehensive approach, including implementing physical security measures to deter unauthorized access, conducting drills and training sessions, and supporting an anonymous reporting system. There also needs to be regular safety audits.

Schools need to be linked directly to law enforcement, said Meinke. There needs to be a board policy on volunteers and anyone who comes in contact with students. “Sometimes the people we should really be looking for our amongst us,” she said. The district should look into the insurance costs of arming staff.

Rowland Miller said threats from the outside have been addressed with the hiring of school resource officers, who are important because they know who is coming and going. What’s being done now needs to be built on, including a culture where students can go to adults. “It’s not to rat somebody out, it’s because we care for the whole child,” she said.

We can’t secure a portable bathroom, said Sackett, and the most effective security measure we have is to make sure every student is inside a building. We don’t want to get into a situation where we have to react to a situation we’re not prepared for.

Are you for the Perrysburg Schools Nov. 7 bond issue?

Yes, we need space but no, this is not the best long-term plan, said Meinke. It goes to 2040 but will it get us out to 2060 or will we need more money? How will the district proceed if it doesn’t pass, she asked.

Rowland Miller said she has a sign in her yard in support and was a member of the volunteer committee who put together the list of district needs. She doesn’t like taxes, but this is the only solution she has heard that addresses how they can get students out of portable classrooms.

Sackett supports the bond issue to ensure her children and also future students are able to learn in a safe environment. It’s never going to be less expensive than it is right now, she said.

Ewbank said the next chapter for growth in the district has been mapped out to 2040. She believes the bond issue will keep the district moving forward in the right direction. She is not immune to the economic diversity of the community but anyone who says they can’t afford it isn’t what Perrysburg is about.

For community members who wish to know more about decision-making by the school district, what do you feel is the best approach for communicating with the community?

The district has to listen better for what the community needs to know, said Rowland Miller. She thinks the district communicates too much to the point that people don’t know what to pay attention to. She wants to see a communication plan that share information for what the community needs to know, not what the district thinks they need to know.

Social media is not always accurate, Sackett said, and the district needs to do a better job getting information to the senior citizens in the community. She suggested going to retirement homes to communicate with the senior population who may not regularly be on the internet.

Ewbank is on the district’s communication committee. There are school websites and newsletters, she said, but the constant emails do become overwhelming. Social media is used to reach a wider audience as are local media outlets.

Because of the age range in the community, the district needs to cover all types of communication, Meinke said. There needs to be more openness with discourse, especially at school board meetings, where answers build trust and confidence.

As a potential board member, what is your understanding of the current fiscal management of the school district, particularly relating to state mandates and budgets?

The five-year forecast is a great source of information, said Sackett. Preparing a budget is hard when legislation can change, and many mandates are unfunded including suicide prevention programming requirements which divert education time. She said she used to think the district wasted money but then she learned how a levy works and the state impact on funding. School finance isn’t business finance.

Ewbank is on the district’s finance committee. Twenty percent of funding comes from the state but nothing for the mandates. While College Credit Plus is a wonderful, required program, it is funded entirely by the district. She said she is concerned with a significant deficit shown in later years in the five-year forecast and if reelected, she will ask for a break-even plan for years that are showing a deficit.

As a past board member in Genoa Schools, Meinke said she has a solid understanding of school finance. Since we are a growing district, we need to examine what produces positive outcomes and needs versus wants, she said. Making cuts that impact students is the most horrible job of a board member.

Rowland Miller said 85% of the budget goes to salary and benefits that is determined by contracts and isn’t flexible. The district’s treasurer is well-managing our money and the district is meeting the needs of students while funding the state’s mandates.

How would you work to make sure every student has a 5-star educational experience?

To ensure all students achieve their greatest potential, the district needs to recruit and retain effective teachers, provide professional development opportunities and recognize that students have diverse needs, Ewbank said. The district needs to provide early intervention, engage families and the community, establish strong partnerships, and offer extracurricular activities to foster well-rounded students.

Statistics show families need to be involved for best student outcomes, Meinke said. Communication needs to be two-way, and dialogue needs to be open. Students need to be pushed to reach their potential with a solid academic foundation.

Rowland Miller said the district needs a strategic plan that addresses the changing nature of education. Blackboards are out and collaboration is in. What does it look like to be a student in 2040? What do our children need to be learning in those classrooms between now and 2040?

Each child is unique and requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach, Sackett said. While academics are important, students are more than just what they know. She said she will work to provide an environment where not only students can learn but feel empowered by other skills. Students of every ability need to be given the opportunity to succeed.

Davis’s prepared answers can be found at