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Candidates have begun to file for three South Range board spots available in November
By ROBERT CONNELLY
NORTH LIMA
Last year, 18-year-old Taylor Christian roamed the halls of South Range High School as an honors student. Next year, he hopes to help make policy for the entire school district.
Christian, the Class of 2014 valedictorian, turned in 40 signatures to the Mahoning County Board of Elections to be on the Nov. 3 ballot for one of three open board of education seats.
A candidate needs 25 signatures, which are validated by the elections board. The filing deadline is Aug. 5.
Christian was the spokesman for ACT Now for South Range Schools in the lead-up to the May 5 operating levy vote that residents rejected. ACT stands for Accountability, Clarity and Transparency. He is attending Youngstown State University and is pursuing a double major in political science and geography.
“I plan on doing as much door-to-door as I can” before November, he said.
For the past few years the school board has said the district was going to be losing money soon.
“So I was wondering if I could help restore that money,” Christian said. “And then this levy they were trying to pass, I thought, was steep for some families to pay ... I figured there’s got to be some way we can save the school from going into debt without adding new taxes on people.”
The three spots up for election in November are now occupied by Ed Pierson, Jeff Good and Amy White.
Pierson, serving the fourth year of his first term, said he will not seek re-election.
Good said in an email he is unsure if he will run for re-election, but noted he still has a few weeks to decide.
White said she will seek re-election for the special two-year term in November. She was appointed by the school board earlier this year after the resignation of Bruce Zinz.
“I plan on filing as soon as possible as the South Range school district is also very important to me,” she said in an email.
The Vindicator’s attorney, David Marburger, argued in the days after White’s March appointment that the school board violated Ohio open meetings law by appointing her. White later resigned, but was re-appointed after a second interview process.
Resident Richard Ferenchak has filed an injunction against the school district arguing that the appointment was illegal. His attorney in that case in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court is former Youngstown Law Director Anthony Farris.
Ferenchak has run in the past for a school board seat and has yet to decide if he will run in November.
Board president Ralph Wince and board member Dale Murray and former board member Zinz were all elected in November 2013. Good and Pierson defeated Mark R. Witmer and Ferenchak in the November 2011 election.