Butler County Educational Service Center Governing Board candidates
Elaine Garver, 67, of Lemon Twp.
Occupation: Development officer for Middletown Community Foundation
Previous political experience: 12 years on Butler County ESC Governing Board
Website: n/a
Utawna Leap, 44, of Madison Twp.
Occupation: Licensed real estate agent
Previous political experience: Six years on Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities (appointed)
Website: n/a
Mary Pritchard, 52, of West Chester Twp.
Occupation: Stay-at-home mother
Previous political experience: 16 years on Butler County ESC Governing Board
Website: n/a
Three candidates are running to be elected to three open spots on the governing board for Butler County Educational Service Center.
Incumbents Mary Pritchard and Elaine Garver will be on the ballot again, alongside newcomer Utawna Leap, the daughter of long-running member Walter Leap who is not seeking re-election.
Board members are elected to four-year terms and are paid $1,500 per year. The educational service center serves all 10 school districts in Butler County, but candidates are only elected by voters in the five local districts: Monroe, Lakota, New Miami, Ross and Madison.
“The Educational Service Center is an innovative organization trying to do everything they can to support early education initiatives in the community and help the children in need,” said Garver, 67, of Lemon Twp.
Garver said she’s served on the board around 12 years, and has seen the agency’s ability to help school districts find efficiencies in operations and cost-savings. She said it will be continued collaboration and creativity that will help the educational system further cope with financial cuts, including a reduction to the federal program Head Start.
Seeking her fifth term on the board, Pritchard, 52, of West Chester Twp., said she hadn’t planned on running for another term until the idea of appointing board members for educational service centers was introduced into House Bill 59.
“If the state returns to the idea, I want to see the ESC stay stable,” Pritchard said. “The people should want to hold onto the freedom to choose; it’s important we keep the people involved.”
Utawna Leap, 44, of Madison Twp., said it was her sixth-grade daughter, Lianna Bryant, who inspired her to run for the elected office. Leap said she’s been learning a lot about special education issues since her daughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and subsequently uses an eye-controlled computer to communicate and access school work.
“With the digital curriculum changes, the world is opening up for her,” Leap said. “But the only catch is it’s new and change and it has been a challenge for schools to implement.”
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