Seven school board seats up for grabs

Monday, November 5, 2012

Pushed to the bottom of the general election ballot and lacking in the attention and political parties of other races are the choices for school boards.

Yet Putnam County voters in most precincts will find these building blocks of local governance on their ballots on Tuesday.

Eleven county school board positions will be on the ballot, with seven of them featuring open races.

Cloverdale School Board

The Cloverdale School Board, representing Cloverdale Township as well as Jackson, Jennings and Taylor townships in Owen County, has three open seats in Cloverdale Township and an unopposed seat in Jackson Township.

All voters in the district vote on all Cloverdale School Board positions.

In Cloverdale Township, incumbent Donna Fidler is joined on the ballot by Chris Kaufman, Christopher Mann, Tim Powell and Rob Schroer. The five candidates are vying for three open positions.

Cloverdale Township representatives Linda Mann and Dave Brinkman are not seeking re-election.

In Jackson Township, incumbent Bobbi Nees is unopposed in her bid for re-election.

The winning candidates will join current Cloverdale School Board members Duane Huge, Pamelia Hepfer and Brian Asbury.

South Putnam School Board

Two of the three South Putnam School Board positions on Tuesday's ballot will be decided in a match-up of two new candidates for the offices.

The at-large race is between Anthony Heavin of rural Greencastle and Trisha Shrader of Reelsville.

The winner of the race will replace Nancy Wells on the board, but will not take office until Jan. 1, 2014.

In Washington Township, Tim McKean and Angie Nichols are vying to replace current board president Michael Rissler, whose term expires Dec. 31.

Longtime Marion Township school board representative Steve Cash is unopposed in his bid for re-election.

Current school board members not on this year's ballot are Wesley Hacker of Jefferson Township and David Bombei of Warren Township.

North Putnam School Board

Four of North Putnam's seven school board positions appear on the 2012 ballot.

In Monroe Township, Charlie Boller is leaving the board after eight years in office. Vying to replace him are James Bowling and Dustin Osborn.

The race for Russell Township features an incumbent candidate against a longtime educator. Jacquelyn Simpson has represented Russell Township on the board for the last four years, but she is opposed by retired North Putnam teacher and administrator Darrell Wiatt.

Jill Summerlot is unopposed in her bid to replace Debbie Sillery as the Franklin Township representative on the board.

Mark Hoke, whose at-large term runs through the end of 2013, is also unopposed for the seat he has occupied for the last three years.

The remaining three school board members not on the ballot are Travis Lambermont (Clinton), Oliver Haste (Floyd) and John Hays (Jackson).

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  • How unfortunate the Greencastle School Board is appointed and not elected. Anyone who saw Channel 6 News on Sunday night would have to agree.

    -- Posted by Ben Dover on Mon, Nov 5, 2012, at 11:43 AM
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