SHELBY – Voters in the Shelby City School district will determine the fate of two seats on the school board Nov. 7.
Current board member Carl Ridenour is up for re-election. He is running to retain their seat alongside newcomers Brad Ream, Rick Lewis and Heather Braun.
Both seats due to be filled would commence on Jan. 1, 2024 and conclude on Dec. 31, 2027.
Shelby school board members are paid $125 per meeting, but earn no more than $5,000 a year, according to district treasurer Beth Lykins.
Richland Source contacted all four candidates seeking election to ask about their backgrounds and motivations for running.
Brad Ream
Brad Ream, 69, resides at 2678 Country Meadows Dr. in Shelby.
Graduating from Plymouth High School in 1972, Ream furthered his education by earning degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and Ashland University.
From 1980 to 2009, he served as a career assessment specialist at Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Shelby, where he spent an additional eight years in a part-time position.
The right time to run
Ream said he’s been encouraged by peers over the years to run for school board, but working full-time and his satisfaction with prior board members caused him to hold-off.
Now retired, he said this year was the right time for him to seek election.
“I felt our previous boards have done an excellent job,” Ream said. “This year, I decided this would be a good time (to run).”
Furthermore, Ream said he’s concerned about the opposing viewpoints of those he’s running against, specifically on issues such as the schools’ transgender bathroom policy.
At a December 2022 Shelby City school board meeting, the board announced it has no plans to reconsider its policy allowing transgender students to use the restroom corresponding with their gender identity, despite opposition from members of the public.
If elected, Ream said he would support the policy in place.
“In a matter like this, I feel personal opinion is irrelevant,” he said. “You need to abide by the (federal case) law.”
He said when important issues are discussed, especially those where the school board has more power in decision making, it is critical to listen to both sides and make fact-based decisions.
“I’m moderate by nature,” Ream said. “I like to think that I’m a middle-of-the-road type of person.”
A bright future ahead
With recently upgraded athletic facilities and the addition of a brand-new preschool through eighth grade building, he said the district is currently in a position to do great things.
“We’ve gotten a lot of good things done,” he said. “My goal would be to continue that.”
Over the course of his career, Ream said he’s experienced many trends and changes in education, and if elected, will remain focused on being an advocate for all students.
“I’d like to see us continue to allow each student to be the best versions of themselves they can be,” Ream said.
Carl Ridenour
Carl Ridenour, 59, resides at 64 Edgewood Dr. in Shelby.
A 1982 Shelby High School graduate, Ridenour was born and raised in Shelby, where he and his wife later raised two children of their own.
Ridenour is currently serving the final year of his first-term on the school board and has previously served two terms on Shelby City Council as the fourth ward representative.
School board experience
Since 1987, he has worked in the insurance industry, beginning his career with the Shelby Insurance Company and is now with Indiana Farmers Insurance.
Seeking election to a second school board term Nov. 7, Ridenour said he’s proud of the accomplishments he’s been involved with, including the hiring of new Superintendent Michael Browning and Treasurer Beth Lykins.
“I think he’s (Browning) going to do a great job and I’d like to be here for the next four years to work alongside him and with him,” he said.
Furthermore, Ridenour said it’s important they have a superintendent and treasurer that are on the same page and work together to push the district forward.
“We had that with Tim (Tarvin, former superintendent) and Beth, and we have that now with Michael and Beth,” he said. “I think together, they’ll lead us into the future in the way we hope they will.”
Academics are the priority
Continued growth in the district’s Ohio School Report Card is Ridenour’s top priority.
“It’s a point of pride for us,” he said. “To score well and really to prepare all of our students to be successful people moving forward.”
When asked what’s contributed to success in the education of the district’s students, Ridenour said the administrative team, teachers, staff and parents have all assisted with achievement.
At a recent school board meeting, 17 Shelby students were recognized for perfect scores on part of their state testing.
“It’s a reflection of them, their parents, their upbringing and the work ethic that’s been instilled in them,” he said. “And it’s a product of our teachers and staff, and how they prepare those students.”
Ridenour said the hard work of teachers and staff throughout the district is important because it prepares their students for life after graduation.
“As they (students) move forward in their education, or even in their work life, they’ll be able to build upon that,” he said. “And find success in anything that they choose to do after graduation from Shelby.”
Rick Lewis
Rick Lewis, 61, resides at 2449 Holtz Rd. in Shelby and is a 1978 graduate of South Central High School.
He and his wife have raised their family in Shelby, where two of their children and two grandchildren have graduated from the district.
“I’ve been connected to the school for a long time,” he said. “I want to help out with curriculum and different policies that come up.”
Community-minded
Lewis currently works in real estate with Haring Realty and is a member of the Mansfield Board of Realtors.
Additionally, he has been in ministry for 44 years and is a pastor at Connect Church in Shelby.
Serving on boards through both of his jobs, he said decided to seek election to the school board to help make a difference in an educational capacity.
“I think it’s important to have a balance on the board,” he said. “To help write the policies that protect the kids and keep them safe.”
Over the course of campaigning, Lewis said he conversed with several teachers and was hit with the realization that educator’s often have thoughts and concerns that need to be heard.
“A lot of times, teachers have concerns and things they want to talk about,” he said.
“I don’t know if anybody really even communicates with them, so I thought maybe we need to connect with teachers a little bit more,” Lewis added.
Equipped for success
If elected, other priorities for Lewis include promoting parent involvement with their student(s) as well making sure teachers and students are equipped with needed supplies for success.
His involvement with the Connect Church children’s program has provided him with experience he hopes can translate to a seat on the school board.
“We have a really good children’s program at church and to me they’re our priority,” he said. “I guess that’s one of the things too that’s on my heart, just trying to take care of the kids.”
As a real estate agent and pastor, visibility in the community is nothing new to Lewis, but is an important part of the duty for school board members, he said.
“Some of them (community members) have a lot of questions about what’s going on at school,” he said. “I enjoy that (visibility), and being able to listen to people that have concerns.”
Heather Braun
Heather Braun, 47, resides at 2781 E. Smiley Road in Shelby and is a 1994 graduate of Shelby High School.
She and her husband Chris are owners of Snap Fitness in Shelby, where she also leads group-training sessions.
Additionally, Braun is a real estate agent through Wilson Family Realty and has been involved with ministry and mentorship programs at LifePoint Community Church in Plymouth for more than 15 years.
Ready to run
When asked why she’s seeking election, Braun said she feels the timing couldn’t be better.
“I have the availability, life skills and the experience now at this point in my life to really give it my all,” she said. “To serve to full capacity in that position.”
One area of importance for Braun is the safety of students while attending school throughout the district.
“Parents entrust the district to have the best interest of their child(ren) in mind at all times,” she said. “If there is any activity or situation that puts a student at risk, it should be addressed and dealt with appropriately.”
Furthermore, Braun said she feels it’s important to create policies that will prevent trending issues experienced around the nation from impacting students throughout the district.
“Many in our small community hear things and think ‘that would never happen in Shelby.’ If it hasn’t already, it will,” she said. “With that in mind, we need to create and adopt policies as a district that are proactive rather than reactive.”
Stand-up for what you believe
Braun admitted she’s forthright with her opinions, but it’s important for things to be discussed and for people to be heard.
“I’m pretty outspoken and it’s been a little divisive, but that’s okay,” she said. “People need to say what they believe.”
Advocating to prevent bullying and increase responsiveness to such matters are additional areas Braun said she’s passionate about.
“I think there’s always room to improve our response to that (bullying) in the school system,” she said. “Shelby has been tagged as a tough place to move into and I would love to remove that stigma.”
Braun’s family, including her parents, herself and her children all graduated from the district, which makes this November’s election very meaningful, she said.
“I don’t take this lightly at all,” Braun said. “I just think it’s the right time for me. I’m able to fully throw myself into a position like this.”
Meet-The-Candidates night information
A meet-the-candidates night for all four candidates will take place at Shelby High School, 1 Whippet Way, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. in the school’s performing arts center.
As a community development group committed to growing Mansfield, NECIC sees civic engagement as vital for a healthy community. Rooted in the North End, their efforts benefit North Central Ohio and beyond. They promote informed voter turnout for a thriving society. Explore at www.necic-ohio.org.
