Five candidates are running to fill two spots on the Delaware City Schools Board of Education.

The candidates include incumbent Vice President Ted Backus and four newcomers: Janelle Gasaway, Emmett C. Jarvis III, Kimlyn N. Queen and Heather Ann Rodenborg. Current board member Matt Weller is not seeking reelection.

Voters will select two candidates on Nov. 7.

Ted Backus

“I am a 28-year resident of the city of Delaware,” Backus said. “My wife, Susie, and I have raised three children in the Delaware City School District. We now have three grandchildren, one of which will be enrolled in the DCS preschool program in the fall of 2024. I am a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.A. in Social & Behavioral Sciences. I am currently employed, for the past 11-plus years, at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry as a chief development officer. I am currently a DCS Board of Education member and have served in that role for four terms. I also serve as the DCS board representative on the Delaware Area Career Center Board of Education, currently serving as board president.

“I have dedicated my time and service to public education in the district as a parent, volunteer and board member,” Backus said. “I have seen our district grow in size and achievement during this time. Education changes and develops and the needs of our students change as well. It is imperative to have leadership on the board that understands how things are accomplished and the various dynamics we work in. I love DCS and our community of students, teachers, staff and parents, and want to continue our work of moving our district forward in a positive way.”

Backus said there are three key issues facing the district: growth and its impact on the schools; finances from state and local funding; and student success and preparedness for the workforce and college.

To deal with growth, Backus said the board is reconvening the Facilities Task Force to “study the growth, consider the input from our stakeholders, and partner with community leaders for feedback” in order to complete a new 10-15 year growth plan.

On finances, Backus said the board will continue to lobby state legislature to fix the funding formula for school districts and must lobby against the state voucher system that “will take precious financial resources from public education.”

On student success, Backus said the district’s primary role “is to assure that our students graduate from the district prepared for their future whether that is workforce, military or college” by making sure the curriculum and teaching methods move students forward.

Janelle Gasaway

“I’m a 40-year resident and was the third generation to graduate from Delaware City Schools in 2001,” Gasaway said. “I hold a bachelor’s in Physical Education from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s degree from The Ohio State University. I have two children at Dempsey and am regularly involved with the DCS community in support of their extracurricular activities. I worked for Delaware City Schools as an educational aide and substitute teacher. As a Realtor, I serve as a board director for the Delaware County Board of Realtors. I was inducted into the DCS Alumni Hall of Fame in 2021.

“Delaware City Schools is a great place to learn and work, and it can be even greater with leadership that understands what it’s like to be a parent, educator, student, and supportive community member,” Gasaway said. “I’ve been a parent advocate for years and am passionate about a child’s right to a meaningful education that meets their unique needs. In recent years, I’ve seen a disconnect between the school and the parents/community. I’d like to bridge that gap by increasing communication, awareness, transparency, and a team approach in which we all remain focused on “what is best for the student” always.”

Gasaway said growth and student behaviors are the biggest issues facing the district.

On growth, Gasaway said if elected she would “immediately call on our state and city leaders to join us in addressing the growth we’ve already seen and assisting us in being prepared and proactive for the growth that is yet upon us.”

“This will include talks on projections, building additional facilities, finding sufficient staffing, as well as adequate funding,” Gasaway said, adding it must be a collaborate effort. “… Our class sizes are already too large and the additions we’ve made to our buildings will not sustain what’s projected.”

On behavior, Gasaway said she would “advocate for an updated plan of action to address unacceptable behavior that sets clear boundaries and consequences towards physical violence, disrespect towards peers and teachers/staff, and negative behavior, which also holds the parents accountable.”

“I’d like to get creative and involve qualified behavior professionals to brainstorm ways to better motivate the students to be respectful within the school environment,” Gasaway said

Emmett C. Jarvis III

“I grew up in Delaware attending school at Conger, Willis and Hayes,” Jarvis said. “After graduating, I enlisted in the U.S. Army, which groomed me to be a leader, leading some of our nations best and brightest. Having the privilege to attend and graduate from many schools/courses, including but not limited to, Equal Opportunity Leaders Course, Master Resiliency Training Course (UPENN), Leadership Professional Development Courses and more.

“To be able to serve the community I come from would be an absolute honor,” Jarvis said. “We need strong leadership to take us into the future, one who will place a premium on what’s best for our students by making our schools safe. I am ready to step up and help lead us to be a good example for others as a public servant. Safety is achieved by creating standards of excellence. If everyone understands what the expectations are, those expectations are supported and enforced, then we will have the foundation to create a safer environment for our students to learn/thrive in.”

Jarvis said one of biggest challenges facing the district is safety, and students “deserve to come to school with only one goal, how to get the best education possible.” Jarvis added he believes safety can be achieved by “being transparent across the board,” including “creating/adhering to standards that students, teachers, faculty, staff, administration, and the BOE understand and have been notified of.”

Jarvis said the district should be financially responsible and added “we need new schools.”

“We need a school board that will listen to our taxpayers. I will be that member always listening,” Jarvis said. “We need to prioritize making new schools possible as we adjust to and plan for growth.”

Jarvis said the district needs a zero tolerance policy on bullying.

“I will make this a priority on day one,” he said. “Lets actually protect our students. That also means we need teachers to be protected from being fired for doing their job. I will have teachers’ backs so they can be confident in doing their jobs.”

Jarvis added he will “stay engaged with everyone so that we can rapidly identify issues before they become problems, working with those around me to develop/implement solutions across the board.”

Kimlyn N. Queen

Queen is a certified radiology administrator and the director of system imaging for OhioHealth. She has been with OhioHealth for 34 years and has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and two master’s degrees in Finance and a dual Master’s of Business Administration-Healthcare Administration from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. She recently served on the board of directors for the American Healthcare Radiology Administrators (AHRA) for eight years, including time as president.

“My years of personal and professional experience and my educational background will provide me with the knowledge, skills, and resources I need to be a positive, resourceful, and supportive member of our Delaware City school board,” Queen said. While Queen said she does not have children in the district, she said her God children and friend’s children attend Delaware, and she has friends within the school system.

“My motivation to serve on our Delaware City school board is rooted in my passion for helping to support the growth and development of our students,” Queen said. “I would also like to partner with our superintendent and fellow board members to ensure our teachers and school faculty have the resources they need to help our students and our communities thrive.”

Queen called DCS “an exceptional school system” and said in order to maintain its “outstanding” results, the district needs to be able to attract and retain exceptional teachers and staff. She added the district needs “a strategic, proactive school system growth plan.”

“Although the superintendent has the most direct working relationship with the Delaware City school board, I would encourage the engagement of our teachers and staff in focus groups and committees to help generate new ideas for providing exceptional educational environments, maximizing resources, and attracting and retaining top talent,” Queen said. “I would work with our superintendent, (assistant) superintendent, and my fellow board members to understand our current teach-to-student ratios. The goal would be to identify where we may have an imbalance in class sizes or where we may have instances of overcrowding. Compared to the population projections for the next five to 10 years, reviewing our current facilities, resources, and student population size will also be essential. This would help determine the potential need for additional facilities, resources, and financial funding.”

Heather Ann Rodenborg

“I am currently employed as a chaplain with OhioHealth hospice,” Rodenborg said. “I have a Master’s of Divinity degree and am a board-certified chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains. I am also currently working on my master’s in Social Work with the goal of family counseling. Daily, I work at de-escalating situations, and I am also trained in critical incident debriefing, which is something unique that I bring with me to this position.”

Rodenborg lives and works in the city and has a 3-year-old who will enter the school system next year.

“Over the past couple of years, I have had multiple conversations with parents who have children in the school system around the experiences they have had around bullying,” Rodenborg said. “I’ve also had lots of conversations with staff and how the pandemic has affected them. Given these conversations and encouragement from these families and employees, I decided to run. I want to be able to support the students, parents, staff, and the taxpayers within the school district. I’m running not just for my family, but for all the families and those who pay taxes that support our school system.”

Rodenborg said one of the biggest issues facing the district is funding.

“Local officials need to understand how the decisions they are making around TIF’s is affecting our school system,” Rodenborg said. “The school needs these funds so they don’t have to continue to put bonds on the ballot that can negatively affect local taxpayers. Our residents on fixed incomes shouldn’t be taxed out of their homes and should have a voice at the table when it comes to how their tax money is being spent.”

Rodenborg said bullying is also a big issue and said students, staff, and teachers need to feel safe in the district.

“Our teachers and staff need to feel supported and have someone they can talk with about their concerns,” Rodenborg said. “I also plan to work for advocating for more mental health resources to be available to both the students and the staff. The schools need to be more proactive versus reactive. When issues of bullying are addressed quickly and the root of the problem is found, it can literally save a life.”

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.