BELLVILLE — Voters in the Clear Fork Valley Local school district will determine the fate of two seats on the school board this fall.
Current board members Carl Gonzalez and Ryan Knuckles are up for re-election. Both are running to retain their seats, alongside newcomers Terry McDermott and Troy Tingley.
Both of the terms up for grabs would commence on Jan. 1, 2024 and end on Dec. 31, 2027.
Clear Fork school board members are paid $100 per meeting, but earn no more than $1,500 a year, according to district treasurer Jon Mason.
Richland Source contacted all four candidates to ask about their backgrounds and motivations for running.
Carl Gonzalez
Carl Gonzalez, 74, resides at 4543 Possum Run Road in Bellville.
Gonzalez has been a member of the school board since January 2016. When asked what he’s been most proud of during his time on the board, he mentioned the construction of new elementary school buildings, installing air conditioning at the middle and high school and avoiding putting an operating levy on the ballot.
“There are people that are really scraping to get by,” he said. “Somebody’s going to have to be their voice.”
Gonzalez is retired. He worked as a UPS driver. If re-elected, he said he wants to continue to examine the district’s curriculum.
“It’s not where it needs to be. It’s been mismanaged and we need to get it back on track,” he said.
Gonzalez also said he wants better communication between board members, administrators and teachers. That will include hiring a new superintendent who communicates with and motivates staff and is present and visible in the district.
“You can’t accomplish something if you think you have all the answers and you’re sitting in an office somewhere,” he said.
Gonzalez said part of his job as a school board member is answering people’s questions. While they may not always like the answers, he said it’s important to him to be honest.
“Like I tell them, I work for you. I don’t work for the superintendent or the treasurer or the school board,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to tell people what they don’t want to hear. You don’t like telling it, but it’s the truth.”
Ryan Knuckles
Ryan Knuckles, 43, resides at 1021 Honey Creek Road in Bellville. He’s wrapping up his first four-year term on the school board after being elected in 2019.
“Being elected to serve as a school board member has been an amazing experience, and one I want to continue,” he said.
Knuckles said the thing he’s most proud of during his time on the board was the way the district handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These times were extremely tough because you have your guidelines you must follow, and on the other hand you have your views and beliefs,” he said. “We made it through 2020-2021 with the best action plan in Richland County. Thank you to our teachers, support staff, and administrators for that.”
Knuckles said he’s been “Valley focused” during his term.
“In the recent year, there has been some contentious meetings and some upset individuals,” he said. “I have done my part to convey and discuss all concerns brought to me as a board member. When you have your district’s best interests guiding your decisions, you make the correct choices, not the popular ones.”
Knuckles grew up in the Valley and graduated from Clear Fork High School in 1998. He’s been a teacher since 2005 and an intervention specialist at Lexington Local Schools since 2009. He’s been elected to multiple positions within the Lexington teacher’s union, serving as building representative, treasurer and president. He’s also coached soccer and basketball at Clear Fork and varsity football at Lexington.
Knuckles earned an undergraduate degree in general studies from Kent State University and a master’s in education from Ashland University with a 4-12th principal’s license.
Knuckles said his priorities if re-elected will be the same as they are now — staying true to the community’s priorities while continuing to improve the school system.
Another goal is to help the district through a pivotal time as the board selects its next superintendent.
“As a current board member, I started a community group with 17 individuals who signed up to help guide us in determining what the next superintendent will look like,” he said.
No matter the outcome of the election, Knuckles said he wants what’s best for Clear Fork.
“No matter my title or position, my thought is, ‘How can I help the district the best? What can I do to make this place better than when I leave?'” he said.
“I just hope and pray that the Valley has continued growth. No matter how the election turns out, I will be 100 percent supportive of the schools in any facet that I can.”
Terry McDermott
Terry McDermott, 46, resides at 6255 Renie Road in Bellville. This is his first time running for public office.
McDermott has worked as a special education teacher Olentangy Orange High School since 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Ohio Dominican University and a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Cincinnati. He’s currently pursuing a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Western Governors University.
Prior to working in special education, McDermott served four years in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
McDermott said his family made the decision to move to Bellville because of the great things they heard about the school system. He said he never planned to run for public office.
He’s running because he disagrees with recent decisions made by the board of education and Clear Fork Supt. Janice Wyckoff. He said those decisions had a negative impact on his daughter, who receives special education services.
“The teachers are fantastic, phenomenal, helpful, but I was just taken aback when I saw the poor leadership from the majority of the board of education,” he said. “I’m just trying to do what I can.”
McDermott said his goal is to bring more transparency to the board.
“Every decision I make will be based on three questions: How does it benefit our students? How does it benefit our teachers and help them do their jobs? How does it align with the community goals and values?”
Troy Tingley
Troy Tingley, 34, resides at 6850 Armstrong Road in Butler. This is his first time running for public office.
Tingley said he’s running because he wants to bring transparency and honesty to the board. He also wants to ensure a quality education for his two children.
“I would like them to have options when they get to high school, whether it be post secondary or a lot of electives,” he said.
“I don’t have an individual agenda. It’s just something I want to do,” he added. “This is my way of getting involved.”
Tingley was born and raised in the Valley and graduated from Clear Fork High School in 2008. He works for his family business, Tingley and Sons Seamless Spouting and Trenching.
If elected, he said his priority would be students and teachers.
“They would come first,” he said.
