Toledo Public Schools received 10 applicants for a recently vacated school board seat, consisting of former TPS board members, candidates for Toledo city council and Ohio house of representatives, as well as educators, a nurse, a social worker, a Lucas County employee manager, and a financial consultant.
The applicants are vying for the seat currently held by TPS board member Stephanie Eichenberg, who resigned last week — effective Dec. 15 — because her family is moving out of the district for an undisclosed “personal reason.” Mrs. Eichenberg, 48, is a registered Democrat and was elected in 2015 and 2019.
The list of 10 applications submitted before Tuesday’s deadline include former Democrat school board members Perry Lefevre and Rev. Randall Parker III. Mr. Lefevre served on the board from 2016 to 2019 and ended his re-election bid that year after failing to meet petition requirements. Rev. Parker was selected by the board in April, 2015 to fill a seat vacated by Cecelia Adams’ appointment to Toledo City Council. He then lost his election bid for the seat that year when Mr. Lefevre and Mrs. Eichenberg won seats.
Mr. Lefevre continues to teach social studies at Northview High School in Sylvania and said he brings a wealth of knowledge to the board as an educator and former board member.
In his application, Rev. Parker wrote that he brings a wealth of knowledge to the board, adding his experience as a program coordinator for youth organizations provides opportunities for future collaborations with the district.
Other applicants for the open board seat include:
● Robert Worthington, who unsuccessfully ran as a 2018 candidate for District 44 Ohio House of Representatives and made two failed bids for Toledo City Council and was also unsuccessful in applying for three open seats. He is currently president of the Burroughs Neighborhood Organization and is pursuing his law degree from the University of Toledo.
● Elgin Rogers, Jr., who currently serves as division manager of property, fleet, and lease for Lucas County. He previously served in various director roles for the Lucas County Auditor’s Office — including as a director of education and outreach — and has served as a higher education teacher and lecturer for various colleges and universities, including the University of Toledo.
● Penny Tullis, who previously served as the YWCA Youth Development Director and was responsible for providing sexuality education for middle schoolers in the district and has collaborated on multiple occasions with district officials on student programs.
● Kamille Berry, an educator who has worked in multiple TPS schools and is currently a teacher at Robinson Elementary School. She wrote that her experience in collaborative teaching and positive relationship building would be an asset to the board.
● Melvin Jackson, a financial service professional and 2020 graduate from Bowling Green State University with a degree in business administration and economics. He wrote that issues of community violence and state tests scores are important to him. He added there is a lack of positive role models for youth in the community and that he could bridge that gap while serving on the board, which currently lacks representation of young men.
● Valerie Smith, the corporate environmental health and safety specialist for The Andersons Inc. She is currently involved in the Toledo Minority Golf Association and wrote that, as someone who works in the safety field, she is concerned about community and school safety.
● Jeffrey Lewis, a social worker who currently works as an ambulatory care manager for Mercy Health. He did not provide a cover letter to the board explaining his interest in the school board position.
● Tiera Taylor, a registered nurse providing senior living and home health care. She did not provide a cover letter to the board explaining her interest in the position.
School board members are expected to review the applications during a special meeting Thursday behind closed doors. The process to choose from the candidate list will then be discussed publicly during the board’s Dec. 14 meeting, said TPS board president Chris Varwig via text message.
Neither she nor TPS spokesman Patty Mazur responded to an inquiry from the Blade as to why board members will review applications in secret Thursday rather than in public.
The last time the board had to fill a vacancy was in 2015 because of seat vacated by Cecelia Adams’ appointment to Toledo City Council. During that time, much of the appointment process was held behind closed doors, with candidate interviews held in executive session during a weekend meeting. Of the previous five appointments to fill board vacancies, three included public interviews of candidates.
First Published December 9, 2021, 12:11 a.m.
