Girard candidates list goals

Five candidates are looking to fill three seats.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

GIRARD — Academic success, fiscal responsibility and board integrity are a few of the reasons school board candidates have given for seeking a seat on the board of education.

Voters will be asked to fill three seats for a field of five candidates. In the race are incumbent Phillip Fisher of Beechwood Drive, Deborah McNicholas of Church Hill Road, Richard Rees of Dravis Avenue, Diane Alejarsof Woodlawn Avenue and William Bell of Prospect Street.

Fisher points to his past four years’ experience on the board of education as a good reason for voters to give him another nod.

He said those years on the board have afforded him the opportunity to participate in the hiring of key administrative people, work on contract negotiations, and play a role in the new school construction project — which is also his top priority if re-elected.

“I want to continue to be part of our recent successes at Girard. We are an excellent school district, and I want to ensure we stay headed in the right direction,” he said.

McNicholas said, if elected, she would like to ensure the district embraces responsible spending and follow the progress of the building of the new school facility. She cites her responsible nature as an asset the board could use.

“It is my hope to add some integrity to the board of education and to the community. Our children are our future,” she said.

Rees said his desire to serve the community is why he is hoping to bring his management and supervisory experience in past employment to the board of education.

Rees said his top priorities, if elected, are the continued success and improvement in state test scores and ratings, academic programs that are progressive and challenging and successful construction of the new high school facility.

Bell said a position on the board would allow him to be a part of the continued success of the school system and help make the city a place where people look when settling in the area.

“Our schools in Girard are moving in a positive direction. Academic scores are going up with out schools receiving an excellent rating. We are about to build a new junior/senior high school. This is all a positive reflection on our past accomplishments. My focus as a member of the board of education will be to build on these accomplishments,” he said.

Alejars said serving on the board is something she has considered for some time. She said she has served on committees involving the schools and would like to make sure issues such as funding and the timeline for the new school are met.

“The most important thing we have is our school system,” she said.

jgoodwin@vindy.com