4 vie for Vermilion school board seats

VERMILION — Two seats on the Vermilion Schools' board are being contested by four candidates. Three candidates, Christopher Habermehl, Sara Stepp and Eric Johnston are incumbents, and Jill Treece is hoping to join the board. Habermehl, Stepp and Treece are vying for available two seats, with terms ending in December 2025. Johnston seeks to serve through an unexpired term. Habermehl has served on the board of education for nine years. "I am passionate about representing my community and making a difference," Habermehl said. "I believe that a board member's role is to provide leadership and oversight to the district's leadership, specifically the superintendent and treasurer and to ensure that effective policy is adopted and enforced." Stepp has served on the board for six years and hopes to continue. "Students' successes are crucial in their abilities to become productive members of society," Stepp said. "I would like to help ensure they get the tools and education needed for their success." Johnston said he wants to make decisions that are in the best interest of the community, students and staff. "I understand that, as a board member, I have a tremendous influence. But decision-making is done by the entire board and not by any one individual," Johnston said. "When making any decision, I understand and I will do my best to make sure it is in the best interests of the community, district students and staff." For newcomer Treece, Vermilion is her alma mater and she said education is the "keystone in any community." "Cultivating an infrastructure to enhance our schools and close the curriculum gaps will preserve and create future opportunities in Vermilion," Treece said. Habermehl said a successful curriculum is important and focuses on students of all levels. He said listening to the community and supporting student well-being are important. "In the coming months, we will begin our search for a new superintendent as our current one moves into retirement," Habermehl said. "It's critical to find a person who has the vision and leadership to drive excellence in our district." Stepp said she wants the district to continually improve the curriculum as staff works to give students everything they need. "We need to provide them with the best curriculum possible so they can help prepare our students for their futures and their successes," Stepp said. "I also want to make sure we are using our funds from our safety and security levy to the best of our ability to continue to keep our students safe." She said the search for a new superintendent is also a priority, "to find the best-possible leader." Johnston said one of his priorities is to improve athletic facilities, with a vision to upgrade the football stadium and track and field. He said he also plans to work with the board to ensure the district is meeting the needs of students. "A vision of mine is to work with stakeholders and local business and donors to upgrade the football stadium with a turf field, upgraded track and field area and renovations to both home and visitor bleachers," Johnston said. "These upgrades would allow for more events to be held on this one field and it would also offer the opportunity to host other sporting events." Treece said her top priorities are improving communication and transparency, ensuring facilities and infrastructure are up to standards and prioritizing a safe and supportive learning environment. "Criteria used to make decisions should be made available to the community, to help promote transparency in decision-making," Treece said. "The board needs to take regular action, including looking at leading indicators as it pertains to the curriculum. As a board, we should be evaluating these on a consistent basis, and designing effective countermeasures to get our schools back on track." When it comes to mask mandates, Habermehl said school board members shouldn't be shouldered with making decisions that government officials are not comfortable with. "I believe that health officials and/or lawmakers should be the ones mandating if necessary and backed by data," Habermehl said. "That is not our role." Stepp said as everyone is in unknown situations, public health officials should be looked to for guidance. "At this time, I do not feel that a mask mandate is necessary. Each district is unique and, at this time, we have been fortunate enough to report low numbers with COVID-19," Stepp said. "We have a mask optional policy in place and we have been able to manage without disrupting in school learning." Johnston said he believes the board should follow recommendations of local health officials, current district data and input from stakeholders. "I think that if the local health officials have not made masking mandatory, then, as a board member, I feel it's only fair to recommend masking and give families and students a choice to wear or not wear a mask while in school," Johnston said. Treece said decisions concerning COVID-19 should be driven by data, not emotion. "Parameters used to make these decisions should be made available to all members of the community, including a process outlining when and how decisions will be updated and reviewed," Treece said. "I would be in support of reviewing and analyzing local data, and discussing this with our community, prior to making these decisions." Habermehl and his wife, Jean, have seven children, all of who attended Vermilion Schools. "I care a great deal about Vermilion, Ohio, and its schools and hope to represent our parents and students for another four years," he said. Stepp also has two daughters in Vermilion, her alma mater. "I want nothing but the best for our community, and that starts with a strong school district. I want success for every student, no matter what path they take in life," Stepp said. "I plan on helping them have as many options as possible so they find the right plan for them to achieve greatness." Johnston, also a Vermilion graduate and a local resident, has been a teacher for almost two decades. "Being an educator for the past 18 years, I understand the importance of meeting the needs of our students at all levels, preparing them to not only pass required state testing but prepare them to move onto college or successfully enter the workforce after graduation," Johnston said. Treece said preparing students for what lies ahead is imperative. "As someone who is in higher education and leading educational programs for corporations across industries, I know what skills and base education our children need," Treece said. "The future of our community depends on the quality of our schools, let's start improving them now."