Two incumbents, five challengers vying for three Brunswick school board seats

BRUNSWICK — Three Brunswick Schools Board of Education spots are up for grabs among a field of two incumbents and five challengers in next week's general election. Christina Guk did not respond to multiple attempts to reach her. Mary Weinhauer Age: 44 Education: Bachelor of arts degree from Ohio State University Family: Husband, Gary, and three children Job History: Former high school teacher in both traditional and virtual classrooms Website: facebook.com/MaryAWeinhauerBCS Kim Goessler Age: 52 Education: Bachelor of science degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from West Virginia University Family: Husband of 26 years, David, and two children Job History: Worked as an internal auditor at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh and then at National City Bank in Cleveland for a little more than four years; worked in client financial management at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) for five-plus years Website: n/a Paul Offill Age: 55 Education: Bachelor of science degree in sports administration and business from Liberty University Family: Married with two children Job history: Owner of OFG Inc./The Princeton Center since 1994 Website: http://www.o-fill.com Jennifer Engelke Age: 49 Education: Brunswick High School and Hondros College graduate Family: Husband, Eric, and three children Job history: Realtor Website: facebook.com/jenengelkeforbrunswickcityboardofeducation Glenn Gilley Age: 67 Education: Bachelor's degree in religious education from Midwestern Baptist College Family: Wife of 45 years, Linda; two children; and four grandchildren Job history: Currently working as associate pastor at Brunswick's Grace Baptist Church, past longtime service as a youth pastor in Ohio and Michigan Website: n/a Alison Hanudel Age: 40 Education: Master's degree of education in exceptional student education Family: Husband, Stephen, and two children Job history: Intervention specialist for Cloverleaf Local Schools since 2012, previous work as long-term substitute and small group instructor for Wooster City Schools Website: facebook.com/AlisonHanudelforBrunswickCitySchoolBoard Christina Guk Education: Associate of arts degree from Cuyahoga Community College, licensed emergency medical technician Family: Husband of 52 years, Lawrence; two children; and four grandchildren Job history: Currently working at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, service as Brunswick Hills Township zoning clerk for zoning commission and zoning board of appeals, retired USPS mail carrier Website: n/a What makes you the best candidate for the position? Weinhauer: I am the best candidate for this position because I am an experienced educator, I am a parent of three current Brunswick students, and because I have served in this role for four years. It is crucial to have a parent on the school board in order to consistently remind leaders of the parents' point-of-view when making decisions. To excel at this role, you must be accessible and available to hear the concerns of community members and I have proven that I am willing to do just that. I will put students first. Always. Goessler: I have been very involved volunteering in many capacities in the Brunswick Schools for the past 15 years including serving as a member of the school board since September 2020. I am a very level-headed, data-driven person with a financial background who is able to see and understand the big picture. I do not have a personal or preconceived agenda other than to continue to work tirelessly to ensure the success of every student, by providing a rigorous curriculum, relevant experiences and meaningful relationships and to ensure we are doing so in a fiscally responsible way. Offill: Members need to be able to bring options that superintendents don't have. As a longtime business owner, I have a broad base of knowledge, experiences, and contacts that can be drawn upon. Forty years of tools collected primarily out in the community, not just classrooms. Professional teachers go to high school, college, get certified to teach, and return to the classroom. Teachers are awesome but they are not skilled at working with executive leadership at the superintendent/CFO and community levels to provide solutions. I am. Engelke: Honesty, integrity, hardworking, and compassion. I truly want what is best for all our students and our community. I want to support our administration, make a difference and serve our community. Gilley: I don't want to call myself or anyone the best candidate. We're the ones who decided to step up and do it. I believe it's time for a change and that I can make a difference. Hanudel: My background and experience in public education. I have taught over 10 years in public education in a variety of classroom settings. I am a member of the Brunswick Early Childhood PTA. I have been a high school track and field coach, and junior Olympic volleyball coach for ages 10 through seniors, and middle and high school basketball coach for area programs. I am also currently an OHSAA volleyball official. I have a master's of education in exceptional student education. I hold a K-12 intervention license that includes both mild–moderate and moderate-intensive needs as well as PK-12 physical education license. I also have endorsements in reading, adapted PE and computer/technology. What is the biggest challenge facing the school district and how would you address it? Weinhauer: The biggest challenge that we are facing is closing the learning gap caused by COVID-19. Our teachers did a phenomenal job of providing instruction via hybrid and remote learning, but we know most students perform best when they are learning in person. We lost valuable time with students and need to provide support to teachers to get back on track. We also need to expand our mental health resources. We have had disruptions to learning for nearly two years now and it would be naive to think we can go back to normal in an instant. Goessler: The biggest challenge facing our school district is overcoming the many setbacks that resulted from or were exacerbated by the COVID pandemic including learning loss, mental health struggles, professional development gaps, and resource shortages, to name a few. We need to listen to and respect the concerns of all interested parties including our students, teachers, parents and community members and then work to ensure we are providing the best possible educational experience for all of our students. Offill: Most superintendents and school boards know there is a disconnect between the system and the community. It shows up in the national news every day. One of the primary responsibilities of the school board member is to be a liaison between the superintendent and the community, bridging that gap in communication and perception, advising the superintendent and the CFO. This is currently not the case and my goal is to fill that gap.I will support our students, parents, teachers and the superintendent, to the best of my ability, without conflicts of interest and/or personal gain. Engelke: I think the biggest challenge for our city and school district is staffing shortages. Substitute teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria staff are in high demand. Those that are working are pulling double duty most days to help cover the shortage. Our neighborhood eateries are offering signing bonuses and high hourly wages, and still are unable to fully staff their businesses. To be honest, I am not sure how to fix it. My hope is people start feeling more comfortable to go back to work. Our schools and community need them to, so they can survive and thrive. Gilley: I believe Brunswick has a lot of challenges in front of it and that if we can bring the district back up to an A rating on the Ohio Report Cards that it would solve a multitude of issues. Hanudel: Keeping all students in school and safe while facilitating a normal learning and social environment so that all of our students can receive the best possible education. In the current pandemic, this means following the recommendations of medical and public health experts. Also, this means ensuring inclusion of all students by making sure that funds are appropriately allocated towards programs that promote relevant experiences and relationships, such as clubs, organizations, community engagements, and others. Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.