New board member looks to develop potential

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(Editor’s note: This is the third in a four-part series about new government officials in Austintown.)

By ASHLEY LUTHERN

aluthern@vindy.com

Tom Stellers wants to create a new brand of education in Austintown.

“We have to develop a brand of education that makes us different from everybody else because we are a significantly different community,” Stellers said. “We’re a diverse school system and we need to look at the as an opportunity, not a hindrance.”

Stellers was elected to the Board of Education in November and took office this month with Kathy Mock, David G. Schnurrenberger, Lou Chine and Dr. David Ritchie. He said his main priority is building consensus among the board.

“I hope we can develop a cohesiveness and with three new board members, we obviously have community support to do that kind of thing,” Stellers said. “I don’t sense any disagreement among any of us.”

He also added that the most urgent concern for the board is finances, but that the situation hasn’t changed much in 75 years.

“We have to explain to the community that if you want these programs, you have to pay for them. That’s the bottom line. We are going to do everything we can to shave costs,” Stellers said.

The money-saving ideas Stellers said he might explore include a central kitchen for preparing school lunches. He added that he wants to promote excellence in the classroom and community.

“If there’s a contest, we need to be involved and we need to produce and be successful at things like the English festival at YSU, science days and spelling bees,” Stellers said. “I don’t think you can pick and choose what you want to be excellent in. If you emphasize one area, then something else is going to slide. You need a culture of excellence across the board.”

That excellence, according to Stellers, is already in the schools and just needs to be nurtured.

“You can’t stifle potential,” he said. “I like the analogy of popcorn: sometimes you have to shake a little more, sometimes you have to add more oil, sometimes you have to allow more time, but it’s still your obligation to develop that potential.”