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CANFIELD - Residents in the South Range school district will be asked to write in two candidates on the Nov. 7 ballot for the school board.
Residents will have the opportunity to write in two of four candidates -- Tyler Bates, Jack Dawson, Richard Ferenchak and Samuel Freedy -- after Anthony W. Jesko and Amy Wells were removed from the ballot for errors in their petitions.
Tyler Bates
Bates is a 2008 graduate of West Branch High School and attended Kent State University for Construction Management. He is currently employed as a project manager at Lindy Paving.
Bates noted he had never ran for or considered public office until the current position was brought to his attention.
"After careful consideration, I recognized the school board election with only write-in candidates would be an opportunity to serve my community," he said.
Bates said he wants to make sure the policies of the district enable the students to create a positive reflection of the community.
"The students are a reflection of the community," he said. "It's only fair that the community support the students and staff to provide the most meaningful and productive experiences.
"If I have the pleasure to serve on the school board, I will ensure the [district] policies reflect the community's values. I will consider what is fair for the students, staff and the community. With all the national attention directed at school boards of late, I feel called to preserve the values and characteristics that made this community so great and desirable."
Bates acknowledged he is not a South Range alumnus, but said it did not take him long living in the district to understand how much pride the community has in the school and students.
Bates lives with his wife, Christa (Parks), and their two sons, Travis, 6, and Trevor, 4, on Beaver Street, Salem.
Rich Ferenchak
Ferenchak, a 1986 graduate of Boardman High School and 1991 graduate of the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy, is seeking a seat on the school board for the sixth time, with previous unsuccessful attempts in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2021. He has been a staff pharmacist at Giant Eagle on Doral Drive in Boardman since July 2009, previously serving as pharmacy manager from 2005 to 2009. He has also served as pharmacist/pharmacy manager at Phar Mor in Niles from August 1991 to November 1996 and Walmart in Boardman from December 1996 to December 2005.
Ferenchak listed his community activities as regularly attending school board meetings. He said he has never held an elected public office, with an unsuccessful run for Beaver Township trustee in 2013 in addition to his attempts at the school board, but was class president and president of the college of pharmacy student council in college and past president of both the Trumbull County Pharmacist Association and Eastern Ohio Pharmacist Association.
Ferenchak said his qualifications for the school board include raising three adult children, all of whom attended South Range schools from kindergarten through graduation (Makenzie, a nurse who is pursuing a doctorate in anesthesiology at Youngstown State University; Hannah, an industrial engineer; and Ricky, who will graduate in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in mining engineering and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering).
"I have regularly attended school board meetings since 2007 and am aware of the many challenges, both fiscal and academic, facing our district," he said. "I will use my life experience as a parent who successfully shepherded three children through our school system, as well as my 33 years of retail pharmacy business experience as a pharmacist to guide my decision making as a member of the South Range Board of Education."
Ferenchak noted his outspokenness as a reason to vote for him over other candidates.
"I have regularly attended school board meetings for over 19 years and have been very outspoken about many of the decisions made by both the current and former boards," he said. "Many who support the status quo at the school dislike my vigilance, especially as it pertains to district spending and academic achievement; however, as a parent of three honors graduates, all of whom attended South Range from kindergarten through 12th grade, I know what works and what needs fixed.
"If elected, I will not voted to raise your taxes. This is very important, as the district's current five-year finance forecast shows a district whose spending is greatly exceeding its revenue. This must be immediately addressed to avoid future financial deficits, as state law does not permit a district to operate with a deficit."
Ferenchak said he is confident he has identified numerous ways in which to balance the budget and live within the revenue provided by tax payers.
"I would resign my seat before I would vote to raise your taxes," he said.
Ferenchak also said he would make sure all board meetings comply with the state Sunshine Law and push to limit executive sessions.
"We need to hire employees based on their qualifications and not on their connections to personnel in the district," he said. "If I win a seat on the board, I will insist the meetings be as open and transparent as possible. One of the most overused cliches in education is 'it's all about the kids.' When elected I will insist the kids get the best education our district can provide. I will do it, however, while also looking out for the district resident whose generous financial support makes their education possible."
Ferenchak also heralded the College Credit Plus program, of which each of his children took advantage, entering college with between 40 and 55 credits at no cost to the student, with tuition and books covered by the district.
"Expanding this program to enroll more students would be a key focus if I win a seat on the board as it can save the parent of a future college student substantial tuition dollars," he said. "Students opting not to attend college need to be encouraged and funneled as much as possible into vocational and technical careers."
Ferenchak said he would also address an outdated curriculum if elected.
"Our district's current curriculum is more tailored to the needs of the 1980s than the needs of 2024 and beyond," he said. "The district still teaches French and German, but not computer coding or essential business tools such as Microsoft Excel. Artificial intelligence is transforming our world, and our graduates must be immersed in this transformation so they are prepared to enter the workforce and become productive citizens. I will insist this be a major focus of the current administration."
Ferenchak lives with his wife Tracey on Longview Circle, North Lima.
The paper did not receive a response to a pre-election questionnaire from Dawson or Freedy.