Springboro considers 5 for open school board seat

The five candidates are Stephanie Bindemann, Dan Gudz, Darin Lunt, Shawn Monk and Kenneth Williams, according to a press release from the district.

The board plans to interview the candidates and make a decision within a week.

Applications for the open seat were due March 10.

ORIGINAL REPORT, March 3:

Ron Malone, Springboro Community Schools’ school board president, has resigned from the board, citing health reasons.

“My goal when running for the board was to change the district climate and role the board played in district affairs. While progress has been made in this area, the demands on me as a board member have impacted my physical and emotional health,” Malone said in a letter received late Wednesday by the board.

Malone’s letter of resignation was submitted a day after a districtwide meeting advising staff of Superintendent Todd Petrey’s plan to add a ninth grade principal, shift three other school administrators and cut two central office staffers to help pay for the changes.

“We just have to have a sense of stability in the district,” Malone said in his resignation letter. “That starts with having administrators in the same place for several years.”

This morning, Petrey said he hoped Malone would regain his health and stopped short of denying there was a connection between Malone’s resignation and the staff change plans.

“I’m not positive,”Petrey said. “I don’t know why they would be. It’s a very student-centered decision.”

Petrey said he plans to present the staff changes for approval at the March 10 board meeting.

The resignation also comes a little more than two months since two new members joined the board, apparently bringing consensus to a board and district divided in recent years.

Malone said his resignation was based on impacts to his health, probably due to “agonizing over every decision” during the past two years.

The board is required to replace Malone within 30 days.

“District policy states that the Board of Education will seek qualified and interested candidates from the community and through the news media, word of mouth, and contacts with appropriate organizations,” according to a press release.