We believe that a school system is an extension of the community, and that it is important for a school board to understand their decisions reach beyond the school walls and have broader effects on all resident groups across the district. Therefore, we strive to create a school board that operates in a more integrative, inclusive, and transparent way in its relationship with all community members. Acting in our roles as public servants, we look forward to establishing a mutually supportive relationship between the school system and the community that ensures the success of both.

Our goals include but are not limited to:

Transparency

  • Bring back school board committees that meet publicly and eliminate school board “representatives” who speak PRIVATELY with administrators about school district business

  • Make committees live-streamed again

  • Schedule committee meetings for times when the community can actually attend

  • Read important documents and contracts to be voted on aloud in meetings

  • Make copies of all important documents available at school board meetings or online

  • Ensure all public record requests receive a response and are filled within a timely manner

  • No whispering or side conversations at the table in school board meetings

  • Transparency is our pact with the public and how we give them a seat at the school board table

Academics

  • Improve student performance to get Marlington back into the top half of Stark County school districts on the State Report Card.

  • Evaluate the course catalogue to streamline offerings and ensure all courses work toward college or career readiness, particularly career tech courses.

  • Fully support and commit to the benefits of community based education in our township schools for our youngest students near their homes

Finances

  • Progressively eliminate the deficit by addressing Marlington’s historical spending habits via a combination of attrition, reviewing contracted services, organizational consolidation, and so on.

  • Investigate the viability of bringing certain special needs students back to Marlington for significant savings in contracted services.

  • Continue to reserve the Nexus funds for keeping our schools in good condition with the intention of avoiding costly new school construction and the associated debt.

  • Consult with other school districts that have low cost-per-pupil expenditures and high academic performance for their organizational and financial strategies (Lake, Louisville, Jackson, Plain, and North Canton).

Levies 

  • Understanding research consistently shows high education spending does not correlate with high achievement, commit to keeping Marlington’s quality of education as high as possible and the taxes as low as possible.

  • Keeping spending in check and our buildings in excellent condition with the Nexus funds we have the best chance of avoiding a new operating levy for the foreseeable future.

  • Never ask the voters for money without making budget reductions first. A levy is ALWAYS a last resort and never the first solution.