5 run for 3 Perrysburg Board of Training seats | Neighborhood
PERRYSBURG – Topics related to the growth of the district dominate the platforms of the five candidates who are applying for three seats on the Perrysburg Schools Board of Education.
The office has a four-year term. The five candidates include incumbents Eric Benington and Sue Larimer. The challengers are Lori Reffert, Laura Meinke and David Desser.
Benington is an accountant and has lived in Perrysburg for 18 years with two children who attended Perrysburg Schools. He has been on the board for more than five years; he was first appointed, then elected in 2017.
Benington received his bachelor’s degree from Miami University and an executive master’s degree in business administration from the University of Toledo. He is also an auditor.
“I came with my financial background and was very excited about the progress that continues to be made in the treasurer’s office,” said Benington. “I helped run the back office operations, which isn’t exciting for most people, but that’s my wheelhouse. We’re talking about accounting controls and introducing things that allow for more transparency, like the Ohio Checkbook. “
He confirmed interest at board meetings in masking and other COVID topics.
“They are important, but I hope they come to an end. This pandemic will end. It won’t be there forever. I’m trying to focus this campaign on what’s next and what’s long-term. For me, financing schools in a fast-growing district like Perrysburg will continue to be a challenge. “
Future need for facilities due to increasing enrollments is also on his list.
“Time is not our friend,” said Benington.
Sue Larimer is finishing her eighth year on the board.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Toledo and a master’s degree in education from the University of Lourdes with additional social degrees from Liberty University.
“I’ve spent most of my career in Lake Schools, but mostly with BG Christian,” said Larimer.
Enrollment growth and all related financial issues are an important and ongoing focus, she said. She prefers a team approach where she wants to bring a positive attitude and her teaching experience to the table.
“Everyone knows there is a growth problem in the city. This work was started even before I joined the board. I enjoy solving such problems as a team. (It) takes some unconventional thinking, but Perrysburg does that very well, ”Larimer said.
By working with a family, she was able to change policies so that her over-the-counter drugs could be brought to school.
“Public education is not properly funded, as the 1997 DeRolph case showed. With the work … that has been done on the fair school funding formula, there is hope of reversing this wayward ship to a more logical use of money, ”Larimer said. “I would like to work with our legislature to correct some laws to help districts, especially growing districts like ours, get the funding they need.”
She wants a method in which parents can be more involved in the choice of curriculum.
Refert brought questions related to students with special needs to the campaign. One of her two boys has severe autism.
“Our legacy, when I see children in the marching band on the soccer field, with special needs and severe special needs, that is our legacy,” said Reffert, adding that her son was the first child with a paraprofessional in the marching band.
She has worked 26 in Toledo public schools and is the Talent Acquisition Director. She also has a superintendent license, but started out as a teacher, was dean of studies and deputy headmistress and headmistress. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Toledo.
“My top priority is to advance the district. We are a highly rated school district, ”said Reffert. “My goal is to maintain this dynamic and not let the vocal minority change what is going on in our community and our district.”
She addressed the emerging problem of Critical Race Theory that has brought many people to board meetings.
“What it is is that it teaches people and makes people think about how people are perceived, how people are treated and how things have happened in the country and in communities because of their race. I think it just gives us a different point of view, a different lens of how we can look at other people and other experiences, ”said Reffert. “We cannot wash the story clean. We can not. History is history and it is not always beautiful, but we have to tell the truth. “
Meinke was a member of the Genoa school board for 11 years before moving to Perrysburg two years ago. The Ohio State University graduate has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and works as an administrative assistant for a finance professional.
“I’m not new to the game. I understand a lot about being a member of the school board. I spent a lot of time with finances, ”says Meinke. “I was involved a lot. We built a school when I was on the school board. I’ve been through multiple levies, bond issues, and multiple issues at both certified and classified levels. “
She said her main achievement in Genoa was keeping the finances under control.
“We had to cut all the time. There’s a fine balancing act to making sure you’re taxable and saving enough that you hurt yourself on the state certificate, so at some point you have to look to your taxpayers that we have to have your money because we’re going to hurt your students “, Said Meinke.
She remembered growing up in Milford and the rapid growth the district was experiencing, comparable to Perrysburg. The district used an older school building from a neighboring district.
“We have to tackle the growth in our district and we need a plan,” said Meinke. “I know from this building in Genoa that it takes at least three, but more like four years to build a building.”
Transparency and financial responsibility are the central issues for Desser. His personal and business financial problems are the subject of election campaign discussions.
Desser has been the owner, operator and franchisor of Vitos pizza chains since 1989. He said it includes 14 locations in three states, mostly in northwest Ohio.
“I’m not sure how to go about this in a short way,” said Desser. “Some of these come from partnerships I own a small percentage of, or when we took over a franchise from a franchisee who failed and didn’t pay their bills … and some of them are just mistakes we made.”
Records of the references made by Desser have been attested in the form of Wood County registered liens for taxes and workers’ compensation.
Desser said previous liens and sales taxes were paid but not exactly which of them and they are beyond the scope of this article.
Desser, a graduate of Whitmer High School, is concerned about future tax levies and the district’s growth, as well as a possible loan that may be required to expand existing schools or build a new school.
“We are preparing for a worse situation that we were in,” said Desser.
He recommended looking for other Ohio counties that saw the hypergrowth how they dealt with the situation.
“We have to leave Perrysburg and see all the options. I don’t necessarily have a favorite, I want to see all the options, ”he said.
