BELOIT — Nearly a dozen candidates have filed to run for the West Branch Board of Education in the upcoming November election.

Following the filing deadline Wednesday, 10 people will be vying for three board seats in November with incumbents Joe Courtwright, Bryan Hobbins, and David Yaggi facing challenge from Tonya Dean, Penny DeShields, Karen Sue Harris, Svetlana Herron, Angela Howell, Samuel Jennings, and Peggy Jo Shaver. The candidates must still be certified by the Mahoning County Board of Elections.

This surge in candidates comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the board and calls for the resignations of Board President Mikki Kanagy and Superintendent Micki Egli stemming from recent controversies surrounding the district’s handling of Girls Varsity Basketball Head Coach Walt DeShields’ contract.

DeShields was informed March 31 that “the district [wanted] to go in a different direction,” with an emergency meeting of the board of education to discuss the employment of an official in executive session initially scheduled for April 2 abruptly cancelled later that day based on “advice of legal counsel” for not meeting the prerequisite for an emergency meeting in a notice from Treasurer Adam Fisher. A letter issued by the district on April 9 would attribute the decision not to renew DeShields’ contract to “certain incidents raised by

members of the community concerning Coach DeShields’ behavior” that created “significant concerns regarding his judgment.” While the nature of those incidents was initially not revealed it was later confirmed to be an incident in which DeShields son TJ reportedly struck a student in the leg with a resistance band, an incident which DeShields’ confirmed occurred in April but denied that it was sexual harassment.

While the board voted to renew DeShields’ contract in its April 16 meeting, public scrutiny and outcry remained, with the board’s May 21 meeting devolving into chaos as community members were denied the opportunity to speak with the board citing its policy that anyone wishing to address the board must register five days in advance. The lone speaker in that meeting was Dr. David Kanagy, the husband of Board President Mikki Kanagy, with other community members in attendance shouting over the board and calling for the resignations of Kanagy, Egli, and the board at large.

This continued outrage was fueled by text messages between Kanagy and Egli discussing DeShields’ contract which were obtained through a public records request by a podcast organization and spawned new allegations of unprofessional and unethical conduct, and renewed claims that Kanagy was using her board position to pursue a personal agenda.

That scrutiny has continued with multiple community members, including Herron, continuing to call for the resignations of both Kanagy and Egli, and statements made by the West Branch Education Association, the union which represents the district’s teachers, in the board’s June 24, and July 22 meetings.

The candidates will be joined on the ballot by Debbie Helm, who is running unopposed for the remainder of the unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2027. Helm was appointed to the position in a May 7 special meeting which was left vacant when Aaron Hawk resigned the position on April 10 citing a need to be more available for his family, and his wife’s recent professional promotion as the reasons for his resignation.

The board of education is scheduled to meet next at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 20.