Five seek seats on North Ridgeville school board

North Ridgeville School Board NORTH RIDGEVILLE 一 Five candidates are running for the North Ridgeville Schools Board of Education on Nov. 2, with three seats available. Incumbent school board members Kelly McCarthy and Marci Saxon are seeking to keep their seats, while facing challenges from Justin Balmert, Jeff Grigsby and John Pinchak. Justin Balmert Age: 46 Education: Senior at Cleveland State University seeking a bachelor's degree in computer information sciences Family: Wife, Ann; children Bailey, Evan and Charles Job history: Custodian at Avon Lake Board of Education for 25 years Website: Justin's email: Justin.balmert@hotmail.com Jeff Grigsby Age: 52 Education: Attended Cleveland State University to pursue a computer information science degree Family: Married to my high school sweetheart for 26 years; daughter and son both attend North Ridgeville High School Job history: Server administrator in information services and technology department of Cleveland State University for 22 years Website: facebook.com/FriendsofJeffGrigsby/ Kelly McCarthy Age: 50 Education: Bachelor's degree in sociology; masters in education; University of Akron Family: Husband of 19 years, Frank; daughter, Megan Job history: Lorain County Community College, Early College high school success coach; Department of Student Life, Cleveland State University Website: Instagram @KellyMcCarthy4SchoolBoard John Pinchak Age: 51 Education: North Ridgeville Schools; Griswold High School in Cleveland; night school, Lorain County Joint Vocational School, 1990-91, electrical systems, computerized engine controls Family: Daughter, Emily Job history: Electrician 20+ years Marci Saxon Age: 47 Education: Master's of music, Cleveland Institute of Music/Case Western Reserve University; master's of music in voice, University of Akron; bachelor's degree in music, University of Akron Family: Husband, Craig Housum, married for 20 years; son Max; daughter Rose Job history: Professor of Music at Cuyahoga County Community College Metropolitan and Eastern campuses; 10 years' experience teaching music pre-K through eighth grade at St. Margaret Mary School and St. Dominic School; private voice teacher Website: @marcisaxonforschoolboard on Facebook; @saxonforschoolboard on Instagram What makes you the best candidate for the position? Balmert: Working for a school district for 25 years must be one of the biggest advantages I have over the other candidates. Understanding the job of balancing the needs of the students with the resources available to provide the community with the best possible education is key to being successful as a board member. Having the opportunity to serve as a board member in the district of North Ridgeville would allow me to be a part of the community in a much more gratifying way than just being a parent. Grigsby: I won't claim to be the best, but I have been here, and involved, for over 10 years. I participated in all the PTAs from kindergarten to middle school supporting fundraising or acting as the fundraising chair. I joined the North Ridgeville Lions whose motto is so appropriately, "We serve." I have also for the last four seasons acted as an assistant coach on the high school, and briefly the middle school track teams for shot put and discus. I will be here whether I win or not, but I would appreciate the community's vote on Nov. 2 so I can serve in a more significant way. McCarthy: Three words come to mind: experience, dedication and compassion. I am an experienced board member with proven leadership skills. I understand the operations of the school district, allowing me to see the big picture. I've dedicated 10 years to serving the community in this role, and I am committed to doing what is necessary to support our students, staff and community. Finally, my compassion for people and what they endure makes me better able to look at situations in a well-rounded way. Pinchak: I have lived in North Ridgeville for 43 years. I would be the best candidate for the position because I care about this country, and kids are our future. They will keep our country great. Saxon: I'm the best candidate because eight years ago, I promised that the status quo would no longer become our standard and I kept that promise. As a Board of Education member, students are always my first priority while remaining fiscally responsible to all stakeholders. I stepped up and accepted the challenge when the district's future was difficult and uncertain. Community members know they can call or email me anytime and I'll always help guide them to the proper solution. I promise to continue to stretch the board to its limits, to keep our district competitive and provide the best future for our children. What is the biggest challenge facing the school district and how would you address it? Balmert: The population of North Ridgeville is increasing, which is leading directly to a student enrollment increase. The next challenge the district is going to face is how they manage the surge of students in the current high school campus space we have today. Working as a team on the Board of Education, along with the community's input, we can resolve future issues no matter how large. Setting goals with realistic timelines for any future expectations of the district is the beginning to every endeavor we may face together. If I am elected, I will represent the community and its students to the best of my ability. Grigsby: The most-important issue facing the district is still the rate of growth. While growth like Ridgeville is seeing is a good problem to have, it is still a problem. Older facilities that could otherwise last a bit longer if it wasn't for the additional pressures of an ever-increasing population of students are at their useful end. I believe the high school has likely reached the point of no return. The cost of repairing the roof seems like throwing good money after bad. I believe the school system has already found the best plan with consolidating schools and combining them all on the same campus to save money on redundant services. McCarthy: The biggest challenge facing North Ridgeville Schools is the growth in enrollment. With an average of 300 houses being built each year in our city we are seeing tremendous growth in our student population. This makes an existing problem, an overcrowded high school and elementary school, even bigger. I will continue to work with school administration and the community to develop a plan that the residents of North Ridgeville can be excited about supporting. Pinchak: No answer provided to this question. Saxon: Our biggest challenge is the growth of our community and how that directly impacts our schools. While we've made strides by building the state-of-the-art North Ridgeville Academic Center, renovating and expanding the Early Childhood Learning Community and creating a safe entranceway at the North Ridgeville High School, we are over capacity in our high school and Liberty Elementary. We must expand our facilities to accommodate this unprecedented growth in North Ridgeville, as well as increase the number of teachers, staff, and other resources, while being fiscally responsible with taxpayer money. — Dylan Reynolds Read more election guide coverage