11 apply to fill Steel's Toledo school board term

7/15/2009

Eleven people submitted applications yesterday to fill a vacancy on the Toledo Board of Education.

The candidates had until noon to express their interest in filling the remaining months of the term of former President Steven Steel, who resigned to accept a seat on Toledo City Council. His term was to expire at the end of the year.

Brenda Hill, a retired Toledo teacher, and Aji Green, a former Chrysler worker, both endorsed by the Lucas County Democratic Party, were among the applicants.

School board veteran Larry Sykes also applied. He was on the board from 1997 to 2007 and recently announced his candidacy for one of the three seats that will be open at the end of the year.

All applicants who want to fill the vacancy will be interviewed tomorrow night by the school board starting at 5:30 p.m. If for some reason the board cannot complete the interviews, a meeting has been scheduled for Friday morning to finish if needed.

School board President Bob Vasquez said he anticipates 15 to 20 minutes per applicant, allowing each board member to ask a question and the applicant to respond.

"It's not the number of people who apply, its the quality of the people that we have," Mr. Vasquez said. "What's going to be more important is to have a cross section of people to consider."

Mr. Vasquez went through this process last year when he was selected to complete the remaining two years of Robert Torres' term. He resigned for a job in Canton.

The board is expected to schedule a meeting this month to appoint a new board member.

By law, it is required to appoint a replacement no sooner than 10 days but no more than 30 days after Mr. Steel's last day, which was July 7.

If the board doesn't fill the vacancy within a month, it will become the responsibility of the Lucas County Probate Court.

The others who submitted applications for the school board vacancy were:

•Phil Baranski, Jr., operations manager for Associated Spring Raymond in Ypsilanti, Mich.

•Rick Briggle, assistant principal and athletic director at Genoa High School who previously taught high school science and college physics.

•Norman E. Drogmiller II, maintenance supervisor for Textileather Corp. who has been active with Bowsher High School.

•Carolyn J. Eyre, a minister at Bible Temple Family Worship Center who ran unsuccessfully for the 48th House District in 2008 and 2006.

•Vince Hornik, a manager with Present American Signature Inc. who has been involved with parent associations at Elmhurst Elementary School and DeVeaux Middle School.

•Jeremy Jakubowski, a paraprofessional with Wood County Educational Services.

•Chris Myers, a webmaster and designer for the University of Michigan school of public policy who ran unsuccessfully as a Republican Party-endorsed candidate for the school board in 2005 and 2007.

•John G. Bull Dog Rust, a longtime lawyer who was unsuccessful as a write-in candidate for the school board in 2007.

Contact Meghan Gilbert at:

mgilbert@theblade.com

or 419-724-6134.