Board president seeks new term

School board candidates speak Oct. 13 — Ebony Sizemore Today — Martha Murray Oct. 17 — Thomas Patterson Oct. 18 — Shelisa Johnson Oct. 19 — Mark Harper Oct. 20 — Monicia Pearson-Hall Oct. 23 — Whitney Pohorence SANDUSKY — A longtime Sandusky school board member wants to continue district success if re-elected this November. Martha Murray has been on the school board for four terms, a total of 12 years. She wants to promote district progress and achieve her goal of creating successful community members. Murray, the current board president, has also held the vice president position in the past. Murray is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys making a difference in the Sandusky area. "As (my children) grew older, I wanted to give back to my community," she said. Murray has served on various local boards, in addition to the school board, and is a trustee of the Sandusky Library. Murray said she enjoys discussing her school district with education officials at the state and national levels. "It is important to understand the state of public education in Ohio and in our country," she said. "I enjoy sharing stories about the Sandusky School district with people from all over." Murray obtained a bachelor's degree in math and economics from Bucknell University, then earned a master's in economics from the University of Toledo. She has worked as a computer programmer and analyst in Virginia and in Ohio. Prior to this, she was a graduate of Sandusky High School. Murray's top priority for the district is academic achievement. "The way I can best help improve our academic outcomes in Sandusky Schools is to support the professionals within our district who do amazing things," Murray said. "My biggest hope is that we can find consistency in the delivery of education for all our students from every walk of life and challenge each of them to be their best." Murray also wants to improve the district's financial stability. There are resources needed for students' success. These resources can be difficult to provide without support from the federal and state governments. "I promise that I have learned and understand school finance and that we continually search for other resources and the best way in which to use them for the benefit of all," she said. Collaboration between the city and school district is also something Murray cares about — it's a relationship she said has been improving in recent years. "Our three new buildings, the Rec at Mills, internships, workforce development at our Career Center and career tech offerings at (the high school) are ways in which the district has worked with the city," Murray said. "I will continue to work towards building this relationship by supporting economic growth opportunities that will help our students and families." School board roundup In two separate races, seven people are competing for four seats on Sandusky Schools' board of education. In one race, incumbents Shelisa Johnson, Thomas Patterson and Ebony Sizemore are seeking to retain their seats against challengers Mark Harper and Whitney Pohorence. In the other race, incumbent board president Martha Murray is competing against challenger Monicia Hall. Another school board member, Jennifer Chapman, is not up for election this term — her term does not expire until the end of 2025.