BELOIT — The West Branch Board of Education said goodbye to three board members in its December meeting.

With three new board members set to take office in the new year, Thursday marked the final meeting in the board tenures of Board Vice President Joe Courtwright, and board members David Yaggi and Bryan Hobbins.

While all initially filed to seek re-election to the board in November, all three would ultimately be removed from the ballot prior to election day. The Mahoning County Board of Elections voted against certifying Courtwright’s candidacy on Aug. 19 under the grounds that he failed to fill out his circulators statement, and decertified Yaggi’s candidacy on Sept. 3 after finding that he had signed a petition after circulating it, and Hobbins withdrew from the race on Sept. 3.

Board President Mikki Kanagy and board member Debbie Helm both thanked all three outgoing members for their service to the board and collaboration.

“Our three outgoing members, Mr. Courtwright, Mr. Hobbins and Mr. Yaggi, thank you for your service to our district. You’ve brought your own strengths to the board, and I feel our schools are better for you, and I thank you for your commitment to our students and our community,” said Kanagy.

Courtwright, Yaggi and Hobbins all made statements during the meeting thanking the community for electing them and wishing their successors well. Yaggi said that he loved West Branch, that his family has been involved with and serving the district since “before [it] had buses,” and that he would run for the board again in the future because he still cares deeply about its future. Yaggi also urged community

members to consider the weight of their words upon others, both in person and on social media, and the ways it can negatively impact not just the people they are angry with but their families.

Courtwright said that his board tenure had “been a long ride,” and that he had been honored to serve the community and felt the outgoing board had benefited the district.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve with every single person here, and to serve you as a board member. We’ve accomplished quite a bit in the last four years; we’ve had our ups and downs, but we got through. I hope that the incoming board can continue the successes we have made. I want to thank all of you for your support and wish you a Merry Christmas,” said Courtwright.

Hobbins said that his family had first moved to the district because they wanted newly appointed Superintendent Pro Tempore Matt Manley to teach their children when he was still a teacher for the district. He said that it was Manley’s departure from the district which motivated him to run for his first term on the board, and that he feels the board has left the district better off than it was when he first joined. He also said that he intended to continue supporting the district and its students as a volunteer.

“At my first board meeting there was a lot of craziness going on, and I think we’ve come a long long way since then. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and become friends with so many teachers, and so many staff and I love every one of them, and I’m still going to be around. We’re leaving things in good hands. I love this district, and I’m excited about where we’re going,” said Hobbins.

The meeting concluded with an executive session to discuss the employment of a public official with no action to follow.

The board of education will meet next at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 for its annual organizational meeting.