EATON — The Preble County Educational Service Center (ESC) board held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 26. During the meeting, the board discussed educational politics and the upcoming election.

Superintendent Mike Gray distributed information on the two candidates for governor, highlighting their stances on education. He added, the candidates are saying all the right things at this point, but Gray wanted the board to be informed on what each was saying.

He also distributed “questions [the board] would want to ask their legislators,” which he received from the Western Ohio Advocacy Network (WOAN). Senate Bill 216 was derived from this group.

Senator Matt Huffman, who was instrumental in getting SB 216 passed, has noted, he is looking at this group of superintendents to move forward. He is interested in looking at graduation and state testing.

“We may see another change in how we do that,” Gray said. “He is really reliant on the Superintendents of Western Ohio. He said, bring anything back that we want and he is going to call us.”

Board President Rhonda Schaar asked, “It doesn’t have to be based on these questions?”

Gray responded that it did not. They simply wanted to provide questions for legislators.

Board Member Kevin Johnston added, he had been in a meeting with District 43 Representative J. Todd Smith, who is running for the full term. During that meeting, Johnston noted, Smith “did not hide his support of voucher and charter schools.”

“He was quite open that he thought we should give a choice to every boy and girl in Ohio. I will leave it at that,” Johnston said.

He added, he recently attended the School Safety Awareness Day put on by 21 agencies. The event was well attended. It featured several moving speakers, sharing their history with school safety issues.

Preble County ESC will hold its next Regular Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 5:30 p.m., in the Educational Service Center Conference Room.