Sat, Nov 21 2009
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Published October 17, 2009 12:18 am - Voters in the Buckeye Local Schools District will choose from a slate of five candidates to fill three open board positions this fall. Buckeye BOE candidates lay out plans for schools By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com Star Beacon Voters in the Buckeye Local Schools District will choose from a slate of five candidates to fill three open board positions this fall.
Incumbent Norah Anderson is not seeking re-election. Jacqueline Hillyer and Mark Estock are seeking second terms. Jacqueline Hillyer Hillyer, an Ashtabula Township resident, is a retired junior and senior high teacher who worked in the Buckeye District for 29 years of her 30 year career. She holds two master’s degrees from the University of Akron and is a past president of Ohio NOW and a national board member of the organization. She and her husband have two grown children, both Edgewood graduates, and three grandchildren. As a board of education member, Hillyer has been president and vice president, and served as the board’s legislative liaison. She has been very active in the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) and earlier this year received that organization’s Award of Achievement. Hillyer also served on the Governor’s Institute on Creativity and Innovation, and will attend a follow-up conference on that next month. Hillyer said she originally ran for the board position because it appeared as if the previous board was experiencing conflict and was unable to set an agenda and reach goals for the district. The past four years have brought additional challenges for the district, as enrollment has dropped and, with that, state funding. Further, the district has lost its personal-property income from the chemical and retail industries in Ashtabula Township and suffered from the overall economic slump in the county. She says this puts Buckeye in a particularly difficult situation when it comes to buildings because, as far as the state is concerned, the district is still “self-help” — deemed capable of paying for much of the cost of new buildings — and low on the list for assistance with new buildings. Meanwhile, the district’s buildings are aging and costly to operate and maintain. Hillyer wants to be part of the solution to what she calls a “Catch 22” situation with state funding. “I’m running for re-election because I think you learn a great deal the first time around,” she said. “It’s largely a learning period, and you contribute what you can. In the second term, I think you contribute more.” Her agenda includes making the entire district one of excellence; Edgewood Senior High received that recognition for the first time this year. In addition, she wants to make sure all district buildings are “safe in every conceivable way” and conducive to being a good educational environment. Hillyer said another priority is to make sure students feel safe emotionally and academically when they are in Buckeye classrooms and have a great sense of security about coming to school. She also wants to see the district get in line for some sort of facilities program, particularly for the elementary and junior-high buildings, but there is much work to be done before the district can be positioned for new schools. “I think we probably are going to have to pass an operating levy before we can think about buildings,” she said. “We need to make sure our current operational needs are met, and from there we can begin to outline a building program.” Mark Estock 
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