VINCENT – Voters for Warren Local Schools Board of Education will have four positions to fill during the general election in November.

With four candidates, the available candidates are expected to fill out the positions

First-time candidate Clifford Pettey and incumbents Bob Allen and Bob Crum are vying for three positions on the board while incumbent Stacey Greenup is running in a separate race for an unexpired term that will expire Dec. 31, 2027.

Board member Debra A. Proctor is not running for re-election.

Greenup could not be reached for comment. She was appointed to the board Feb. 8, 2024, to fill an open seat following the resignation of Debbie West, who resigned after being hired by the Ohio School Boards Association as their South East Regional Manager. Since she was appointed towards the beginning of the term, Greenup could serve until the next general election, BOE officials said.

She is running to fill out the remainder of that four-year term. There were no other candidates filed to run against her.

Pettey, 54, is a market development manager for INEOS Styrolution. This is the first time he has run for the school board.

“One of the things I wanted to do was just continue the success we have had at Warren in the last few years,” he said. “I think it is important as a school district that we provide good value to the taxpayers while providing a good education to the kids.

“I just want to be a part of that forward momentum we have had here over the last few years.”

He said there will be issues of school funding the board will have to work through as changes are expected at the state level that will indicate how that will go.

“I want to make sure that, no matter what, we continue to provide a good value to the people who live in the Warren Local School District while maintaining a good education, regardless of how the funding models are changed,” Pettey said. “I want to make sure we maintain that level of continuity.”

Allen, 68, is an Infrastructure Business Manager for EL Robinson Engineering and has been on the board for 16 1/2 years. Allen is going to be a write-in candidate as he was not able to get his original candidacy paperwork in on time due to illness.

“I wanted to serve again because I think we are making a lot of improvements,” he said. “We have already made improvements and I want to continue to improve our facilities and the quality of education in the district.”

Allen pointed to the new facilities that Warren has implemented as well as renovations done over the past decade.

“We now have modern facilities with a quality educational setting for students and staff,” he said. “I think that is the biggest accomplishment.

“We have become more efficient in all of our operations, including the physical grounds, transportation and everything within the district.”

The district has finished work on a health center for students, staff and local residents. They are looking to secure grant money to construct some outdoor basketball courts and pickleball courts for students.

The hope is officials can get them off tablets and videogames and to get them more physically active. They are also looking at having walking paths done from campus to the local branch of the Washington County Public Library and the nearby fairgrounds.

“Those are upcoming projects we are hoping we can secure funding for,”Allen said.

Crum, 77, is retired from his investment and insurance business and has served on the board of education for over 25 years.

Crum also mentioned the new and improved facilities, the new health clinic and the expected changes to the Ohio Schools funding model in relation to local property taxes and more.

“I am blessed to be able to serve in Warren Local,” Crum said. “I spent some time in Vietnam (in the military) and I made a decision then I was going to do whatever I could do to be of service for the rest of my life and that is what I do.

“We have some of the greatest people that you can find. All of our staff and employees are all top notch. We are giving them the opportunity to teach and work the way they need to.”