Voters in the Sheffield/Sheffield Lake City School District will vote Nov. 2 for two new school board members from four candidates.
The candidates are Jim Fallada, Sheila Lopez, Lisa Miller and Michael Palmer.
Sheffield/Sheffield Lake City School board members serve four-year terms and are paid $125 per board meeting.
Board members also qualify for reimbursement for mileage and travel for conferences they attend.
That generally amounts to $100 to $200 per board member a year, said Mike Barnhart, school district treasurer.
Jim Fallada
Fallada, 46, is a 10-year resident of the school district.
In his Morning Journal questionnaire, he said trades, fiscal responsibility and critical thinking are three areas he hopes to improve.
“I want to broaden the career pathways for our students by removing the stigma of trade work,” such as welding, electrical work and plumbing, he said. “These jobs are as honorable as any other college degree and would love to develop a program locally — not just with (Lorain County) JVS — for a form of internship that would benefit the students and our local community.”
Fallada said he wants to improve the fiscal responsibility to local taxpayers and be as efficient with their tax dollars as possible, all while making sure the board is effective and fair in caring for students, teachers and faculty.
“We have a duty to be reasonable with our resources,” he said. “I want to encourage our students to constantly pursue knowledge and to learn how to critically think about the information given to them.
“We, as a society, need young adults that know how to process information rather than be told what to think. Creative thought has always been a benefit to our society, and I want our students to have a passion for that.”
Sheila Lopez
Lopez, 53, is a 14-year member on the Sheffield/Sheffield Lake School Board of Education.
“In the 14 years I have been on the school board, we have made tremendous strides with the financial stability of our schools,” Lopez wrote in her Morning Journal questionnaire. “I will continue this effort and ensure transparency to the public.
“Another area we have made improvements is curriculum. While choosing curriculum is not part of the responsibility of the school board, I will ensure we have the right focus on this area.”
Lopez added she will continue to hold the superintendent and treasurer to high standards to achieve the highest level of education possible for the students.
She also said voters should consider her past accomplishments and future plans.
“We passed a bond to build the much needed building on the first pass,” Lopez said. “We have balanced our budgets and made difficult cuts when and where needed.
“We passed a substitution levy that will now allow the school to collect additional revenues with all the new developments within our communities. We continue to be transparent with the community.”
Lisa Miller
Miller, 50, is a six-year member of the Sheffield/Sheffield Lake School Board.
In her Morning Journal questionnaire, she said she wants to maintain transparency with the community to provide community support and understanding for public education.
“I would also like to address our current culture of our teachers and support staff,” Miller said. “I would like to continue to support them and provide them with the positive work environment that they deserve.
“Continuing to provide a positive culture will allow our teachers and staff to be happy, supported, and heard. This provides our students with a solid structure to be inspired, excited and to receive an excellent education in our district.”
Miller said voters should know she is a dedicated mother of two children who graduated from Sheffield/Sheffield Lake Schools.
“I have had the pleasure of spending time as a volunteer over the years connecting with parents across the district through community sports, events, and activities,” she said.
Her background is in health care with a focus in business development and human resources.
Michael Palmer
Palmer, 50, is seeking his first elected office. Palmer is an insurance professional for OMIG, Ohio Mutual Insurance Group.
Developing new vocational training can improve Sheffield/Sheffield Lake Schools, he said.
“We need to have successful schools that strive for excellence while being a good value for the public,” Palmer said. “My life experience will allow me to work in a team atmosphere to chart a course for students to thrive and excel in the job market upon graduation. While I believe the school system has done an excellent job – there is always room for improvement. Therefore, I am a supporter of expanded vocational training. I want to work with the business community to develop K-12 vocational programs. Enough evidence supports that the job market will embrace more students with vocational training.”
Palmer said forming a parents advisory council and a business advisory council are two ways to improve parental participation by being more engaging.
“While I believe our schools run well administratively, I am uneasy about the relationship of board members with the Ohio School Board Association and a national and state push to embrace controversial initiatives and programs,” Palmer said. “I don’t think that schools should be run by lawyers or run in fear of lawyers. I do not fear saying ‘Christmas’ in a public setting and embrace policies of students reciting the pledge of allegiance. I will fight to ensure that our American values, common decency, and respect for religious liberty remain a vital part of our public education system.”
