PARKERSBURG — Four candidates are running for one seat on the Wood County Board of Education for the general election in November.

The candidates are Rick Olcott, Chad Conley, Randy Modesitt and Ryan Henry.

Former board member Deborah Hendershot stepped down in February to run for magistrate leaving her seat vacant. Olcott was appointed to that interim seat soon after. Voters of Wood County will now decide who will serve the remaining 20 months of Hendershot’s term in the upcoming election.

Olcott is no stranger to the board serving from 2004-2011 and 2019-2022, and has served as president twice, from 2008-2010 and 2018-2020. He said he is seeking reelection to continue his service on the board. He said he understands the importance of education and was personally impacted by teachers growing up.

“So, me being on the board of education is a way for me to give back,” Olcott said. “(Education) is a pillar of the community, but also it’s a foundation for society in general, and that is what’s typically motivated me. Now, I have grandchildren in the system, and that’s why I’m back running now.”

Olcott said his experience spans over 35 years in various roles, including local manufacturing and global supply chain management at DuPont. He said his experience also extends beyond the boardroom, as he has served as a substitute teacher and high school tennis coach. He said this diverse background has given him a deep understanding of the education system and the needs of the community.

In his current role, Olcott said he has been pleased to see the board’s focus on academic excellence and recovery efforts following the impact of COVID-19.

Olcott said that being a board member is a “lifestyle” because it requires a deep commitment to the students and the community. He said they do things such as attend school events, serve on committees, and connect with other community groups and organizations.

“We’re one county, three communities,” Olcott said about the Mid-Ohio Valley.

He said he is particularly excited about the progress being made on the 2022 bond projects such as new security vestibules, auditorium upgrades, and the construction of new elementary schools. He said he is committed to advocating for legislative support to enhance safety measures.

“I’ve talked with multiple legislators about how we can enhance safety beyond our security vestibules and our current platform of resource officers,” Olcott said.

He said there were four areas the board needs to continue to focus on: the bond projects, the academics, the board stability and organizational stability and communication with the public and the emphasis on school safety. He said it was important to maintain board stability, effective communication with the community and a continued emphasis on school safety as they move forward.

“That’s what we’ve got to continue to do well with over the next several years,” Olcott said. “The bonds are going to take us close to four years from now to finish, and so we can’t lose our handle on the steering wheel of making sure all that’s implemented, as the citizens of Wood County have voted for in the bond levy. So it’s important for us to do that.”

He said he lives by the mantra “try to seek to understand and then be understood,” and that has helped him a lot when he gets into tough situations,

“Try to seek to understand what may be going on with the people you’re interacting with, and look at what the issue is before you start passing judgment or trying to solve it yourself,” Olcott said. “And that kept me out of trouble, a lot, to approach things that way.”

Olcott encourages voters to do their homework and understand the candidates and their platforms. He said he is prepared to accept the outcome of the election, whether it results in his continued service or the selection of a new board member.

Conley previously ran for the board in 2022 and said he is running again because he is passionate about education and wants to make sure every student receives a quality education.

“As a parent and community member, I’ve seen some challenges our public school system has faced,” Conley said. “I want to bring a fresh perspective to the board and work as a team with teachers, administrators and families to create positive changes that will make Wood County an example for the rest of the state to follow.”

He said some of the challenges the county is facing is declining enrollment, financial constraints, school consolidations and transparency. He said the loss of enrollment has led to a reduction in state funds and the loss of federal COVID-19 funds has also contributed to a leaner budget. He said he would like to see the board be more financially responsible.

“A major responsibility of board of education members is to be good stewards of our tax dollars,” Conley said. “The BOE in Wood County is several million dollars over budget on almost every project associated with the bond that was passed in 2022.”

He said he could see the future of education being in technology with more remote learning, artificial intelligence tutors and teachers, or a hybrid of these things.

“I don’t necessarily think that is a good thing,” Conley said. “Whatever the future holds for education and whatever adaptations we have to make, I am committed to working with our educators to ensure our children receive the best education possible.”

He said the district does have some wonderful vocational and post-secondary options for students and he would like to see those grow and expand.

“The new VOTEC center has some wonderful programs that expose our students to different career fields that can lead to productive and lucrative careers,” Conley said.

He said as a parent of two students in the public school system, he feels its extremely important to have a member of the board who has a child in the system as they hear the concerns students are facing and speak with teachers often. He said he is also a strong advocate for parental freedom.

“Although I am running for a seat on a public board of education, I strongly support a parent’s right to choose how they educate their children,” Conley said.

Henry, who has lived in West Virginia for 14 years after relocating from Ohio, said he has four children in the school district and that he would bring a diverse set of professional and personal experiences to the board. He said he has worked in human resources and business operations, including a role at Marietta Memorial Hospital, and currently serves in the Army National Guard, specializing in heavy equipment operation.

“I’ve had the opportunity to gain a lot of different perspectives through my work and military service,” Henry said. “I believe this well-rounded background will allow me to approach the challenges facing our school district with a unique and informed lens.”

As the president of his homeowners association board, Henry said he has overseen community improvements and emphasized the importance of teamwork and collaboration. He said this experience has prepared him for the collaborative nature of serving on the board of education.

“I’ve initiated a lot of milling of our hillside, a lot of cleanup, a lot of upkeep of the development,” Henry said. “I completely redid the front entrance landscape. I had a community picnic to keep all involved in a social kind of hour for adults, and so kids could play around.”

He said education and student wellbeing are top priorities and expressed concerns about recent changes in the school system, such as the shift from textbooks to increased technology use, and a perceived lack of accountability for students.

“I want to ensure our students are receiving a well-rounded education that prepares them for the real world,” Henry said. “This means holding them accountable, but also providing the support they need to succeed.”

He said he believes in the importance of individualized support and fostering a culture of growth and learning from mistakes. He said addressing issues like bullying and mental health is also a key focus. He proposes bringing in motivational speakers to engage students and parents in a non-confrontational way, aiming to foster understanding and change from multiple perspectives.

“I think that would be beneficial for us and just communication in general,” Henry said.

While acknowledging the need for facility upgrades, Henry said the justification for multimillion-dollar school construction projects might not be needed, arguing that the focus should be on improving educational outcomes and supporting teachers rather than appearances.

“I want to be a good steward of the community’s resources and ensure we’re making decisions that truly benefit our students and educators,” Henry said. “I’m committed to gathering input from all stakeholders and making informed, evidence-based choices.”

Henry said he is dedicated to the potential of every child and has a desire to create an environment where students can thrive. He said he is the kind of person in the corner cheering others on and showing them the resources and the things that they need to utilize to be better.

“So I’m certainly not going to treat this position any differently if I was to be elected into it,” Henry said. “Because that’s just my whole heart, genuine opinion of every scenario.”

Modesitt is a retired teacher with over 36 years of experience in the education system and has also previously served as the director of Henderson Hall for nine years. He said he believes his extensive background in teaching and leadership can bring valuable insights to the board and he expressed his desire to contribute positively to the local school system.

“I just felt that after attending a few of the board meetings, I was in a pretty decent position and capable of making good decisions in regard to the local school system,” he said.

Modesitt said he has heard some negative talk surrounding the board’s spending decisions, but he is hesitant to criticize without fully understanding the rationale behind them.

“Having not been in the discussions regarding some of the decisions that they’ve made, it’s very difficult for me to say positive or negative things about it,” he said.

Modesitt said he is particularly interested in learning more about the current bond projects and the decision-making process behind them. He said he believes it’s important to have a comprehensive understanding of the board’s actions before forming an opinion. He also stressed the importance of having teaching experience on the board, as it provides a unique perspective on the challenges and needs of the school system.

“I think teaching experience is a necessity,” Modesitt said. “You have to have been in a classroom, and you have to have been in charge of a classroom, to actually understand and to make good decisions. In regard to that, I don’t think someone outside the system is very capable of coming in and making decisions for the school system or the board, that’s just my opinion.”

He emphasized the need for real-life problem-solving in mathematics education saying these are the things students will use when they get older.

He said while he continues his campaign, he remains open-minded and focused on being fair and honest.

“I try not to get too high or too low. I don’t get frustrated very easily. And I don’t get overly excited, very easy either, ” he said. “I think I can add positive things to the board. And I think with my teaching experience I can work well with teachers, and work well within the system, and I understand the school board pretty well.”