Fulks, Poma, Amstutz have earned re-election

If you want to understand how the Boardman School District has maintained its excellent academic state rating and properly managed its finances with all challenges confronting it, think of the word proactive.

From members of the board of education, to Superintendent Frank Lazzeri and other administrators, to the teachers and staff, the district has been committed to not only anticipating problems, but developing solutions to address them.

As a result, the demographic changes in the student population and the various state and federal government mandates have not become impediments as they are in some other school districts in the Mahoning Valley.

Such a track record deserves to be acknowledged and rewarded. Voters in the district can do so by giving incumbents Mark Fulks, Kimberly Poma and Nik Amstutz their strong support in the Nov. 3 general election.

There is one challenger in the race, John Landers, a 27-year-old single resident who has not run for political office before.

All four candidates were interviewed by members of The Vindicator’s editorial board and a reporter as part of the endorsement process, and while we found Landers well intentioned, compared with Fulks, Poma and Amstutz he has a way to go before becoming a formidable challenger.

The three incumbents have 24 years on the board between them, and in a climate of fiscal and academic uncertainties, such experience is invaluable.

Highs and lows

Fulks, a veteran pilot with US Airways, is the longest serving of the three with 12 years. He has been through the highs and lows of the school district. He has suffered the disappointment that comes with voters saying no to parting with more of their money — as they did with a bond issue for capital improvements — to the joy of seeing residents dig deep to support various projects.

But more importantly, Fulks has been at the table when the district has had to find a way of addressing the special needs, both academically and socially, of new students whose families have moved to Boardman from other communities.

Despite the district’s excellent rating, Fulks says the board’s priority must be to maintain that performance in the midst of declining revenue from state and local sources.

“The source of our excellence is the people who work with our kids every day, including the administrators, teachers, coaches and mentors,” he says. “I will do everything in my power to ensure we have quality personnel in our classrooms and maintain the programs that make Boardman an outstanding school district.”

Important perspective

Poma, who is president of the school board, is completing her second four-year term. As a businesswoman she offers an important perspective about the expenditure of public dollars and the long-range planning that has become an integral part of public education.

“I am committed to keeping all the programs that make Boardman unique,” she said. “But technology is also important.”

As for the student population, the demographic changes have meant an increase in poverty levels and in special education needs. The district has added before and after school care and is working toward smaller class sizes that will be mandated by the state, Poma noted.

A strategic planning committee has been working to develop a 10-year blueprint for new buildings, including a central middle school. But it’s a long way from blueprint to recommendations being implemented. The board of education and the community at large will have much to say.

Valuable point of view

Amstutz, account manager for Time-Warner Cable, will be the only school board member with children in the district after the current school year. The point of view he brings as a parent is invaluable, as it has been with previous members.

He is completing his first four-year term on the board and his passion for the district and the community at large becomes evident as he talks about his tenure.

Amstutz is particularly proud of the fact that despite the economic recession and the loss of about $1 million as a result of students transferring to charter schools, about $8 million has been saved by the district over the past four years. Such fiscal responsibility, he said, could not have occurred without the participation of the administration, teachers and staff.

As an example of how the district is being proactive, the first-term member pointed out that a H1N1 (swine flu) emergency plan has been developed through which vaccinations will be offered at no cost to any students who wish to participate.

The Vindicator urges voters in the Boardman School District to re-elect Fulks, Poma and Amstutz.