By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
SOUTHGATE – Incumbent Southgate Community Schools Trustees Timothy Estheimer, Andrew Green and Shawn Sage are running for re-election to their three school board seats, along with challenger and newcomer Angela Angel.
Each were asked why they were running and for their top three priorities. Angel did not reply by press time.
Tim Estheimer
Why are you seeking re-election to the school board?
I am seeking re-election to continue the great work this board has done over the past six years since I was first elected. We have accomplished a lot, including maintaining a proper fund balance with excellent oversight.
We have made improvements to all school buildings and athletic facilities, including a new turf field for Anderson High, a soon-to-open natatorium housing a new pool, and work-out facilities for our wrestling team.
We have improved security and safety in all of our school buildings and have provided A.L.I.C.E. (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate) training for our staff, more secure doors, and have a new camera system linked to the police department. We have hired a former police officer to walk our school hallways, and have a Southgate school resource police officer assigned to our schools.
We provided new laptop Chromebooks for all students in 2020-21 during COVID-19, allowing us to stay connected with our students.
A new International Baccalaureate program opened in the former Northpointe School building, further exemplifying why Southgate is the best choice for students and parents.
Busing was brought back to the district, and we are hopeful that marketing strategies, such as better building signage and senior pictures on light poles in the city, will continue to drive students to our district.
What are your top three priorities and why?
My top priorities are to further secure Southgate school buildings by installing a Smart Boot system recommended by police personnel, to continue to keep our schools, staff and students safe. We are seeking voter approval of a sinking fund ballot proposal to make this possible.
Another item on our list is to use the Sinking Fund to take down the vacant eyesore building on Trenton Road that used to house our school board offices, which was one of my original reasons for running.
All of the other reasons I ran in 2016 have been accomplished and I’m proud of the voters who passed the bond initiative.
My ultimate goal is to continue overseeing the education of our kids and keeping the students and staff safe. It’s been an incredible opportunity watching these bright-eyed kids grow and mature.
Andrew Green
Why are you seeking re-election to the school board?
I have a vested interest as my daughter Carleigh is in ninth grade and has been in Southgate schools her whole life. As a teacher myself, I want to see the best possible educational opportunities, programs, facilities and safety measures for all students in the community where I live.
We accomplished plenty in the last six years but I do not think that our work is done yet. I would like to continue in the next stage of improvements for our students in all the aforementioned areas.
What are your top three priorities and why?
We need to increase school safety, close the learning gap affected by COVID-19 and offer more academic and program choices to students and families.
In this day and age, school safety is a must. We need to train our staff and students to handle adverse situation if they arise, we need to have structures in place to secure our buildings, and we need to do everything possible to provide services for the mental well-being of our students.
We are offering more courses and are continuing to expand course options to provide programs to help close the achievement gap at all grade levels.
Finally, I believe that extracurricular programs and activities are important. We have new facilities for our sports teams, a brand-new pool, a successful band and clubs at all levels. I’m seeing more parent involvement not only at the elementary level, but at the middle school and high school also. It has to be a combination of stakeholder input between the school district and the parents.
I would like Southgate to continue to improve and become a place that parents can be proud of and will want to choose as an option for their children.
Shawn Sage
Why are you seeking re-election to the school board?
Southgate is my home, and I have a vested interest in our schools and our community. I will do everything I possibly can to help our schools and community succeed.
I am a lifetime resident of Southgate. My family grew up in this amazing community and me, my wife, my three sisters and my brother all attended Southgate schools. After my brother graduated from college, he taught in Southgate schools until his retirement. We have four children that attend our schools — one in elementary, one in middle school and two in high school. I have been a coach and mentor in Southgate for the past 11 years for both youth and high school sports.
What are your top three priorities and why?
One of my priorities is increased recognition of student achievements, both academically and athletically. This was one of my main objectives when I first joined the board. In a world full of negatives, I would like our district to focus on the positives. Recognizing student achievements helps build a positive culture in our schools. I would also love to get more parent involvement during the recognition process.
Another priority are safe and secure facilities that our students, teachers and community can be proud of, and not only building new facilities but also maintaining and upgrading our current facilities. We need to do proactive not reactive facility planning.
We need to continue to make sure we are investing in the safety and future of our students and staff. We are currently in the process of upgrading our security cameras as well as installing the Smart Boot system for safety. Prior to becoming a board member, I was able to help acquire more than $300,000 worth of fitness equipment for our students. We want to get this put in place for all of our students to utilize, and in 2023, this will finally happen.
We also need a curriculum that helps support our students while continuing to challenge them. We need to make sure we have a curriculum in place that will help struggling students get back on track with their education. In addition, we need a curriculum that will challenge students who are ready to move on to the next level of their education.