SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES — Five of the eight candidates for Hancock County Board of Education participated in a candidate forum Thursday, organized by the Hancock County Education Association. Participating were, standing at left, Melanie Donofe, co-president of the HCEA and moderator, and candidates Christina Fair, Ed Fields, Jim Horstman, Danny Kaser and Phil Rujak. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — With much attention on the actions of the Hancock County Board of Education in recent months, residents Thursday had an opportunity to hear directly from some of the candidates hoping to fill three of the board’s seats as part of the May 10 election.

A candidate forum, organized by the Hancock County Education Association and held in the Weirton Room of the Millsop Community Center featured five of the eight candidates appearing on the ballot answering questions from the association, as well as the audience in attendance.

HCEA Co-president Melanie Donofe, who served as moderator, explained the event was a way to introduce the candidates and inform voters, especially school district employees, about each of them and their stance on various issues.

“So many teachers and service personal said, ‘We don’t know who these people are,'” Donofe explained, noting a set of seven questions had been sent to the candidates prior to Thursday.

Taking part in the forum were candidates Danny Kaser, the incumbent and current board president from Grant District; and Christina Fair, Ed Fields, Jim Horstman and Philip Rujak all from Clay District.

Fair and Fields both are former school board members, while Rujak is a former educator. Horstman noted he has one son who is a student in Hancock County Schools and one who is a teacher in the system.

All expressed an appreciation for the efforts of school employee associations, with much of the focus of the evening directed toward perceived lack of transparency and communications issues within the school district.

“When you say nothing, people think you’re hiding something,” Rujak said, pointing to what he felt was a lack of information during the COVID pandemic and recommending the idea of having someone dedicated to being a spokesperson for the school system.

Fair noted, when she previously served on the board, an annual report on the district’s budget was prepared for the public, and similar projects could be undertaken now. Fields recommended rotating school board meetings among the various school campuses and having board members attend more events.

“If you go into the schools you may get more people at meetings,” Fields said, while also claiming he has been told of instances where calls from parents go unanswered.

Kaser admitted there have been missteps, pointing to issues discovered under a previous superintendent.

“We will be recovering from some of those issues for a long time,” Kaser said, adding the board hasn’t always been on the same page.

Candidates also agreed there was little representation of local educators from members of the Legislature, with Kaser said he has attempted to reach out to discuss issues and seldom hears from them.

Fields recalled regular meetings with legislators during his previous term, saying he isn’t aware of such gatherings locally these days, but that he does have some connections in Charleston through his continued involvement in the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

“I still have a relationship with those folks and they call me,” Fields said.

Horstman said he feels state lawmakers have opted to invest in private schools and alternative learning opportunities as payback for recent conflicts.

“I think the Legislature has turned on teachers since the last strike,” he said, noting such changes in the state’s educational landscape are taking funding away from public education and, therefore, hurting youth.

When asked about ways to improve morale among staff and students, all said improved visibility of the board and administration would assist in those efforts.

Fair explained, on the first day of her previous term on the board, another board member took her to all of the schools, describing the importance of keeping up contact.

“That was the norm,” she said. “That’s what I was told you have to do.”

Rujak noted similar efforts made by former presidents of Weirton Steel Corp. who would walk the production floors or have in-plant meetings with employees.

Fields said the breakdown of communication was evident with last summer’s turf replacement project, where, he said, school officials had no input on scheduling. The project resulted in delays and rescheduling of football scrimmages.

Other topics included whether professional and service personnel were considered equal in the district and the quality of education offered.

In addition to the five participating candidates, those seeking a position on the board include Gerard Spencer of Butler District; Seth Cheuvront of Grant District and Gregory Baldt of Clay District.