Tancer is sorry to leave Canfield school board

By Jon Moffett

Tancer said he’ll miss the opportunity to make decisions to better the district.

CANFIELD — Barry Tancer said his final meeting as a member of the Canfield Board of Education was bittersweet, and he was visibly disappointed he wouldn’t return in January.

Tancer’s term expires at the end of the year, and he was not re-elected to the school board. Craig Olson will replace Tancer on the five-member panel.

The meeting began on a pleasant note with Tancer reading resolutions recognizing 57 district students for achievements in athletics and other extracurricular activities. He said the achievements brought honor to the students, their families and to the district, including the board.

But the mood quickly changed after Wednesday’s meeting, and Tancer was fighting back tears when asked about not returning to his seat.

“I truly enjoyed it,” Tancer said. “And while I was here, I think I helped do great things for our kids. And I ran [for the board] for the right reasons: to help the Canfield school system be better for the kids.”

Tancer spent four years on the board, including this year when the district was designated with a ranking of Excellent with Distinction by the Ohio Department of Education.

“I think the board I was involved with was excellent all four years, even though we switched a couple of people in between,” Tancer said. “But we really worked great as a group and kept the school at the position it’s in.”

Adrianne Sturm, board president, gave Tancer a big hug before the board met for an executive session after the meeting.

“It’s been an honor to serve with him, it truly has been,” Sturm said. “He’s brought great value to our board of education table.”

Sturm added that Tancer will be “sadly missed” and while the board is excited moving forward, it will not be easy to replace a person of his caliber.

Olson attended the meeting and thanked Tancer for his dedication to the board.

A graduate of Canfield schools, a teary-eyed Tancer said the thing he’ll miss the most is being able to help mold the current students into future leaders.

“I’ll miss the opportunity to make decisions for not only your children, but all the children in the community,” he said, adding he looks forward to running again in the future for the board.

jmoffett@vindy.com