Four candidates seeking seats on Canfield board

By Jon Moffett

Canfield is one of four Valley school districts to receive the ‘excellent with distinction’ designation.

CANFIELD — It’s hard to improve on excellence.

But that is the task in front of the current and hopeful members of the Canfield Board of Education. Three incumbents and one other candidate are vying for three seats on the board.

Adrianne Sturm, 49; Brian Kesner, 47; and Barry Tancer, 44, are seeking new terms on the board. Craig Olson, 57, seeks a first term.

All but Tancer, who was unable to attend, participated in candidate interviews with The Vindicator to discuss issues in the school district.

The school district was designated Excellent with Distinction by the Ohio Department of Education on its 2008-09 report card issued in August. Canfield Local is one of four Mahoning Valley districts to receive the designation. The others are Springfield Local in Mahoning County and Champion and Howland in Trumbull County.

“It seems like we are on a cutting edge,” said Sturm, current board president. “It’s very honoring to be a board of education member for Canfield.”

Though the school district achieved the highest ranking, it isn’t about to rest on its laurels.

“That’s the good thing, but General Motors was running well about six or seven years ago too,” Olson said. “But if you let things go and you don’t try to anticipate issues that are coming up, there could be problems. ... There’s always issues, and once you get under the surface, there are always things that can be improved.”

Two key issues discussed were technology in the district and how “average” students figure into the curriculum, which boasts strong programs for academically advanced as well as special-needs students.

When it comes to technology, Kesner, a pharmaceutical representative, said it’s vital to improve upon what’s already implemented in the schools.

“Realistically, when these kids graduate from college there are going to be jobs that we didn’t even know existed,” he said.

Sturm added, “Children tend to power down when they come to school. When they’re at home, they have all the technology in the world and they’re excited. ... If we can integrate the educational core subjects to these children, it’s only going to bring more to the table for these kids.”

While the curriculum is not in question, Olson believes too much emphasis is put on the academically gifted students and not on the “average” population. He brought up an issue where an alumni called regarding a service project, which was given to students in the school’s National Honor Society.

“As far as I know, to be in National Honor Society you have to have 40 hours of volunteer [service],” he said. “Why should we select this group and say, ‘gosh, you’re better and you need this volunteer work.’ Everyone in the place should have volunteer work. ... All I really want to make sure is that everybody has an equal opportunity.”

Kenser refuted, saying “average” students “carry the torch for Canfield” and are adequately represented.

“You’re not going to achieve excellence in 11 areas and be recognized as one of 22 — out of 640 school districts [in the state] — by ignoring average students,” he said.

When asked if complacency could be a problem because of the district’s success, Sturm acknowledged steps being taken to prevent such an issue.

“With the leadership we have in place with [superintendent Dante] Zambrini, [treasurer] Patti Kesner and [business manager] Rich Archer, they are always very proactive and always seeking new and innovative ways to bring information to our students,” she said.

jmoffett@vindy.com