Oxford School Board President Colleen Schultz said she’s ‘encouraged? to see nine candidates running for the four open seats on the board, which includes her own.
‘It shows our community cares about our school district and it shows people want to make a difference,? said Schultz, who’s served on the board for 17 years. ‘While it’s unusual to have this many seats open for election, and those openings may skew the numbers a bit, the bottom line is people want to be involved and that’s encouraging.?
The nine candidates are Joyce Brasington, Paula Foster, Amy Hamilton, Angela Mitchell, Pam Phelps, Mike Schweig, Kim Shumaker, Mark Stepek and Noah Stevens.
Candidate profiles on Brasington, Foster and Shumaker have been featured in past issues of the Leader. Hamilton is in today’s edition. The remaining candidates ? Mitchell, Phelps, Schweig, Stepek and Stevens ? will be featured in the Leader’s upcoming editions.
Because the role of the school board is so vital, Schultz said it’s important voters ‘do their homework and research each candidate.?
‘There is a lot at stake here, not just board seats, but opportunities for students, jobs for our staff, property values for taxpayers, to name a few,? she said. ‘Several times over the years, new board members have told me they never truly appreciated the role of a school board member, especially the time and commitment needed to make a positive difference, until they had served for a period of time.?
Schultz thinks it takes a special person with ‘a servant mentality and selfless approach? to serve. ‘It’s not about what’s best for you, or your student. It’s about what’s best for all Oxford students, Oxford district employees, Oxford taxpayers,? she said.