For Canfield school board: Moore and Gessner

For Canfield school board: Moore and Gessner

The Canfield Local School District is an excellent school district, and it has numbers from the Ohio State Report Card to prove it.

But that doesn’t mean the board of education can take anything for granted, and neither of the candidates who have received The Vindicator’s endorsement in the Nov. 6 election are inclined to do so.

Four years ago, David Moore was elected to his first term, leading the three candidates who were vying for two seats on the board. By the time Moore ran for office, he had attended more than 100 school board meetings and there were very few surprises awaiting him when he took office.

Since then, Moore has continued to hone his skills as a board member, attending workshops presented by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio School Boards Association.

Moore is serving as president of the Canfield Board of Education this year.

The Vindicator strongly endorses his re-election.

Second pick

The paper’s editors were also impressed with Renee Gessner, who is making her first run for elective office.

She is one of four candidates seeking two seats on the board: that held by Moore and the seat being vacated by the Canfield board’s only long-term veteran, Martha Zarlenga, who has served 20 years on the board and did not seek re-election.

Gessner is also no stranger to the school district and board meetings, although she hasn’t put together Moore’s impressive pre-election resume.

She has worked on the district’s mission statement committee and school levy committee and has been active in booster clubs for basketball, drama and choir. She has been attending board meetings this year after first accompanying a friend who was active in the choir boosters.

She is a 1976 graduate of Canifeld High School, her son is a CHS graduate and is a sophomore in college and her daughter is a senior at the high school. That gives her both an historical sense of the school district and a very contemporary view.

She describes herself as an independent candidate who believes it is time to repay what the district has provided her and her family.

In addition to varied of volunteer work in the schools and community, she has managed her husband’s dental pracitce for 19 years, giving her experience in budgeting, prioritizing and developing a business plan.

Two other candidates, James M. Barkett and Anthony F. Peluso, did not submit to interviews, which is a prerequisite to be considered for endorsement.

With the other three incumbents on the board having only two years experience each, it is vital to return Moore to the board. We believe Gessner brings valuable new assets to the board as Mrs. Zarlenga retires.

The Vindicator endorses David Moore and Renee Gessner for the Canfield board.