2025_YSNElectionGuide

4 OC T OB E R 3 , 2 0 2 5 H H H 2025 E L E C T I ON GU I DE H H H Y E L L OW S P R I NG S N EWS YELLOW SPRINGS SCHOOL BOARD There are three uncontested candidates seeking three open seats on the Yellow Springs School Board. Board members serve four-year terms and can be re-elected to successive terms. The three candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot. The News asked the candidates the following questions: 1. How do you plan to stay connected to other governing bodies in the village? 2. What do you think is the best strategy for working through conflict as a governing body, and how do you plan to address conflict, if it arises, when you serve? 3. Your tenure on the board will begin during a time of transition for the local schools, with the succession of a new superintendent and the completion of two major construction projects on both campuses. How do you plan to support the schools in these times of transition through your role on the board, and how do you envision the relationship between the board and school district staf f leadership? 4. As pressure from both the state and fed- eral governments continues to be directed at public schools via waning financial support and a bid for increasing control over what students are allowed to learn, how best can the board support students, teachers and staf f as mandates become increasingly draconian? KRISTI NOWACK MYERS BACKGROUND : Kristi Myers and her family moved to Yellow Springs eight years ago, drawn in large part by the reputation of the schools. A longtime educator herself, Myers said she wanted her kids “to be part of a district of courageous thinkers and advocators; it reflects our values at home.” Myers has taught in public schools for 23 years, most recently in career-technical education. Since arriving in Yellow Springs, she has been active in school and commu- nity life, serving with the Mills Lawn PTO — she was president of the organization for several years — and helping to revital- ize the Yellow Springs recreational basket- ball league after the pandemic. “My heart is in public education,” she said. “That’s my cause; that’s my passion.” As a member of the school board, Myers said she aims to continue the work of outgoing member Dorothée Bouquet in keeping the district connected to state- level education policy. “Educating our community about what’s going on with public education and how we can mobilize and join together — I think this is a chance for us to all kind of start to get back on the same team,” she said. Myers said she would also continue Bouquet’s advocacy for free lunches and expanded special education ser- vices, work to boost community engage- ment with the schools and advocate for expanded opportunities for career men- toring and job shadowing through local connections. “The schools should be the heartbeat of our community,” she said. Finally, Myers emphasized supporting teachers and staf f through professional development, leadership oppor tunities and recognition of their achievements. “We have such a talented staf f and administrative team, and I would love to celebrate and talk about that more — the amazing things that they’re doing and how proud we are of them,” she said. Question responses: 1. The school board does have liaisons with the other governing bodies; people who can communicate and work together. I think levies are going to be kind of a huge, hot-button issue for us, because we may not be able to run levies in the way we have before [based on emerging state legisla- tion]. I think we’ll need to be able to come to the table together, get a coffee, talk about what’s happening and be open about what we plan to do. Workingwith different bodies is exciting tome; the idea of asking, what are you doing? What can we all be doing? How can we all work to further our goals? 2. What I would love to see our board do — and I think there are plans in place — is get extensive training from the Ohio School Boards Association. The OSBA has seen everything — way worse than anything we’ve experienced conflict-wise — and they can give guidance and train- ing. I think we should all agree to sign a social media policy and bylaws that say we’re going to adhere to these policies and hold ourselves accountable, even if that means tough conversations. But I think we all have the goal of putting stu- dents and the district first. 3. We’re going to be feeling our way through at first, because three of us [school board members] will be new. Understanding our roles will be a chal- lenge; I think training would help with that, too. … I have a foot in education, so I understand what the issues are. I think the leadership [between the school board and district administration] needs to be collaborative; collaboration is really important and listening to the commu- nity. I want to try to find a way to work together, because negativity is not good for our kids, our teachers, our administra- tors or our community. 4. I think we have to take the hits if we’re the governing board; I think some- times people want to come after teachers or administrators when [legislative man- dates] are made, but if the school board is the pipeline from the government, I think we need to be tough enough to take those hits and keep in mind that our funding could be on the line if we don’t comply [with legislative mandates]. Honestly, it’s going to be a really scary time trying to find ways to still be us when everybody wants us to not be us, but I’m ready to fight. I think one thing I want to focus on is meeting other school board members across the state who are like-minded and try to form a coalition to push our values, because we’re not being heard right now. KIM REICHELDERFER BACKGROUND : Kim Reichelder fer and her family have been part of Yellow Springs Schools for the past eight years, first through open enrollment, before moving into the district. Reichelderfer, her wife, Sandy, and their three daughters now live in Miami Township, where they built their home after falling in love with the Yellow Springs community. “I made the agreement to commute an hour each way for work so we could live near Yellow Springs,” she said. Reichelderfer has been involved with the district through several volunteer roles, including the ad hoc committee that helped shape the sustainability of the ongoing faci- lities upgrade project in the district, and the superintendent’s parental advisory council. “I’ve just tried to help support the schools however I can,” she said. Professionally, Reichelderfer is a licensed mechanical engineer with 17 years of expe- rience, leading a research and development group for a company that makes commercial cooking equipment; she also teaches evenings as an adjunct instructor at Sinclair College. On the school board, Reichelderfer said she plans to focus on three main priorities. First is overseeing the ongoing facilities project. “Finishing construction on time and on budget, or as close as we can — I feel like the community has given us these funds, and we need to be responsible with them,” she said. Second, she highlighted the importance of navigating legislative changes that she worries could harm vulnerable students. “It saddens me to sit through some of the meetings I’ve sat through, learning what some of these changes mean for our students,” she said. “I struggle with the fact that a transgender student — some- times their only safe space is the teachers at school. And now those teachers have to report to their parents. I can’t imagine that.” Finally, Reichelderfer said she wants to help foster a school board culture that is col- laborative and respectful. “Encouraging a school board culture that is supportive and inclusive, free from unne- cessary drama and committed to ensuring every voice is heard — that’s really impor- tant to me,” she said. Question responses: 1 . I think involvement with the other governmental groups, as much as we can, is important. I sat in on the YS Active Transportation Committee’s meeting this week, and that group has good cross-functi- onal representation. I think there are other groups like that — other groups in which we can make connections and have open, honest communication. I feel like that’s lac- king a lot of times. 2. I think conflict arises, as a whole, from differing opinions, but also when there’s a lack of feeling heard. I think if people can sit down and talk and have that communica- tion when there’s conflict, it can be heated at times, but people want to be heard. Sometimes what’s lacking is people feeling understood. … I also think there should be mediation involved when it’s needed. 3. I think [being supportive] goes back to the communication piece and active liste- ning. I’ve been to some of the school board meetings and listened to almost all of them, and it helps to have an awareness of what we’re coming into and being open-minded, active listeners, and talking to the two remai- ning board members as well to understand their points of view and what I may not be aware of that’s happened in the background. 4. I think being involved is a big piece — listening and staying involved. One of my focuses is staff retention, because we’vemade some amazing hires and have a fantastic staff. … So staying involved, listening and under- standing; at every school board meeting, the superintendent has given a report on legisla- tive changes, and I have some resources from other districts as well. … I think it’s important to understand what other areas are doing and how we can incorporate those things, but at the same time, still be ourselves. … The reason we moved here is that we identified with the LGBT community and we wanted a safe place for our kids where they didn’t have to be afraid that they had two moms. … And we picked this village at a time when all the arts were disappearing from schools, and Yellow Springs has a really strong arts-centric program. Math and reading, of course, are really important, but it’s often what’s outside of that that kids take with them. NOBODY WILL EVER DEPRIVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OF THE RIGHT TO VOTE EXCEPT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THEMSELVES, AND THE ONLY WAY THEY COULD DO THIS IS BY NOT VOTING. — FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT