Olentangy BOE incumbents face no opposition in election

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Incumbents Julie Wagner Feasel and Dave King will face no opposition on Nov. 7 as they seek re-election to the Olentangy Local School District board of education.

Julie Wagner Feasel

A district resident since 1997, Wagner Feasel was appointed to the Olentangy BOE in 2006. Also a member of the Delaware Area Career Center school board, Wagner Feasel works for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce as its vice president of communications.

She and her husband, John, have two daughters, both graduates of Olentangy High School.

Wagner Feasel said she should be re-elected based on her dedication to Olentangy Local Schools.

“My agenda is to make decisions that are best for the students of our school district,” she said.

As for the most pressing issue facing the district, Wagner Feasel said the lack of state funding and the growth of the district go hand-and-hand.

“Most people don’t realize that the Olentangy Local School District receives less money from the state on a per pupil basis than private schools,” she said. “This fiscal year, Olentangy will receive approximately $582 per pupil from the state, whereas private schools will receive $1,267. Then, when you throw our continued growth into the mix and our state funding has never kept up with the growth in our district.”

In order to address the funding issue, Wagner Feasel said the board has to educate members of the Ohio General Assembly.

“This budget cycle we made great headway, and the House was poised to put into the state budget a fair funding fix,” she said. “However, due to an unexpected deficit in state tax collections, the money was not there to include a fix for Olentangy. I will continue to work with our elected officials to come up with a solution.”

Dave King

A district resident since 1978, King and his wife, Pat, have one son, a graduate of Olentangy Liberty High School. An architect since 1970, King has operated his own practice since 1978.

King said his understanding of the Olentangy school system runs deep, and he’s active on various boards and committees. Along with serving as BOE president and vice president during his two terms, he is a member of the district’s development committee (chairman for a decade) and is a BOE liaison for the following board committees: policies, finance and audit, facilities, and business advisory council.

The success of the school district over the years, King said, has helped spur substantial enrollment growth, which he thinks the district has handled well.

“The Olentangy Local School District has been very successful in its management of our enrollment,” he added, but it has created a financial burden on the district as “fair and appropriate state funding continues to be a challenge.”

To address the funding issue, King said the BOE and administration need to continue to reach out to state officials and state education-related boards to allow for the district’s concerns be heard.

“I wish to continue to be involved at the board level with continuing some significant initiatives, including the district’s strategic plan and increasing financial support,” King said.

Wagner Feasel
http://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/10/web1_Wagner-Feasel.jpgWagner Feasel

King
http://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/10/web1_King.jpgKing

Gazette Staff

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