CANFIELD – Residents in the South Range school district will be deciding on four seats on the school board Nov. 2 – three full and one unexpired.
Four candidates are running for the three full-term seats including incumbents Brian Bagwell and Terri Lally and challengers Liz Johnson and Sean Wardle. Bagwell, who replaced former board president Corey Yoakam shortly after Yoakam was elected is seeking one of the full-term positions being vacated by current board members Ralph Wince and Taylor Christian, who are not seeking re-election.
The outspoken community member Rich Ferenchak is running against Shelly Colucci for the unexpired seat.
Brian Bagwell
Bagwell was appointed to the board two years ago. This is his first election.
A 2005 graduate of South Range and 2008 graduate of the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science in Automated Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Bagwell is currently an engineer for Cabinetworks Unlimited and owner/operator of Rolling Meadows Farm, both since 2012. He was previously a manufacturing engineer for MTD Products from 2008 to 2012.
Bagwell is also a member of the farm bureau, a youth sports coaching volunteer and active in the Greenford Christian Church.
Citing his previous and current work experience, Bagwell said his qualifications include being an engineer for his family’s small business and managing the accounts receivable.
“Between that and running our small beef farm, I have a good understanding of budgeting time and money,” he said. “In my previous work at MTD, I was responsible for managing production lines and the powder coating paint system. I am very process-driven and detail oriented.”
Having attended South Range from kindergarten through graduation, the same as his wife, Bagwell said he is looking forward to raising their children in the same district. He said he wants to serve on the board because he has the “desire to help ensure the young people of this area can enjoy excellent academic and extracurricular experiences, while remaining fiscally responsible to the community.”
“As a lifelong member of this community, I share the same values of hard work and community support that makes our district excellent,” Bagwell said. “Two of our four young children have already started school, so I have a long-term vested interest in helping our district remain financially stable and provide excellent opportunities for our students.”
As an incumbent, Bagwell noted his opportunity to help guide the district through the COVID pandemic. He specifically cited as the board’s biggest accomplishment the past two years finding ways to allow students to safely remain in class, five days a week during the 2020-2021 school year.
“The board as a whole was very supportive of this mindset, and our teachers and administrators did an amazing job of finding creative ways to make that possible,” he said.
Bagwell and his wife Brianne (Witmer) Bagwell live with their children Molly, Sadie, Josie and Henry on Green Beaver Road in Columbiana.
The Salem News did not receive a response to a pre-election questionnaire from Johnson, Lally or Wardle.
Rich Ferenchak
A1986 graduate of Boardman High School and 1991 graduate of the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy-B.S. Pharmacy, Ferenchak is currently employed as a staff pharmacist at Giant Eagle on Dorel Drive in Boardman since December 2009, where he previously served as pharmacy manager since 2005. He also previously worked as pharmacist/pharmacy manager at Phar Mor in Niles from August 1991 to November 1996 and Walmart in Boardman from December 1996 to December 2005.
He cites attending South Range school board meetings as his current community activity.
With unsuccessful attempts for a seat on the South Range school board in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2015 and Beaver Township trustees in 2013, Ferenchak has never held an elected public office. However, he said he was class president and president of the college of pharmacy student council while in college and past president of both the Trumbull County Pharmacist Association and the Eastern Ohio Pharmacist Association.
As a regular attendee at board meetings since 2007, Ferenchak said he is qualified for the board because he “aware of the many challenges, both fiscal and academic, facing our district.” He also noted he has raised three children, all of whom attended South Range school from kindergarten through graduation. The oldest daughter has graduated nursing school and has been an ICU nurse for two years and the other two children currently attend West Virginia University and are majoring in industrial engineering and mining engineering, respectively.
“I will use my life experience as a parent who successfully shepherded three children through our school system as well as my 31 years of retail pharmacy business experience as a pharmacist to guide my decision making as a member of the South Range Board of Education,” he said.
As someone who has been “very outspoken about many of the decisions made by both the current and former boards,” Ferenchak acknowleged “many who support the status quo at the school dislike my vigilance, especially as it pertains to district spending and academic achievement. However, as a parent of three honors graduates, all of whom attended South Range from K-12, I know what works and what needs fixed.
“If elected, I will not vote to raise your taxes. I am confident I have identified numerous ways in which to balance the budget and live within the revenue generously provided by the taxpaying residents. I would resign my seat before I would vote to raise your taxes. I will also make sure all board meetings comply with the Sunshine Laws of the State of Ohio and push to limit executive sessions. We need to hire employees based on their qualifications and not on their connections to personnel in the district. If I win a seat on the board I will insist the meetings be as open and transparent as possible.
“One of the most overused cliches in education is ‘it’s all about the kids.’ When elected I will insist the kids get the best education our district can provide. I will do it, however, while also looking out for the district resident whose generous financial support makes their education possible.
Ferenchak also wanted residents to know he fully supports the College Credit Plus program.
“It allows any eligible student to take college courses for both high school and college credit at no cost to the student – tuition and books are paid for by the school district. It is sometimes referred to as ‘seniors to sophomores’ as it makes it very easy for a properly advised student to enter college having attained college sophomore status by completing enough college courses as a high school student,” he said. “All three of my children took advantage of this program and entered college having completed between 40 and 55 college credits while in high school. I would like to expand this program to as many students as possible but my ideas for doing so have mostly been ignored by high school administration. Expanding this program to enroll more students would be a key focus if I win a seat on the board as it can save the parent of a future college student substantial tuition dollars.”
Ferenchak and his wife Tracey live on Longview Circle in North Lima. They have two daughters, Makenzie, 23, and Hannah 21; and a son, Ricky, 19.
The Salem News did not receive a response from Colucci.
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