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WOODSFIELD — A Meet the Candidates night for candidates seeking a seat on the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District Board of Education is set for Oct. 12.
Neil Ritchie, president of the Switzerland of Ohio Education Association, said the event will allow residents to submit questions for the board candidates to answer. He said all four of the candidates were invited to participate in the upcoming forum. There are two available seats for the SOLSD Board of Education — seats that board members Jerry Gust and Sarah Smith currently hold. While Gust has thrown his hat back into the ring, Smith will not run for reelection this year. In addition to Gust, seeking election are Ken Darby, Kenneth Phillips and Janice Tenley.
Ritchie said he is hoping all the candidates attend the forum which will give voters the opportunity to hear candidates discuss important issues.
"It's a great way to let the candidates speak and find out what they stand on, and see how they want to work for the public. This gives them a forum, a chance to talk to the public," he said.
Ritchie said the event will be a nonpartisan, unbiased and impartial format that will follow a set of guidelines. Rita Walters, a retired teacher from Switzerland of Ohio Local Schools will moderate the event.
Ritchie said time limits for all comments will be strictly enforced to retain fairness for candidates and the audience.
Each candidate will have two minutes to introduce themselves during opening remarks. The moderator will then ask a question submitted from the audience where the candidate will have one minute to answer each question. A person keeping track of the time will hold up a sign to indicate when a candidate has 15 seconds remaining and another when the speaking time is up.
Candidates will also have two minutes for a closing statement, if time permits. He said all candidates will rotate the order in which they respond to questions.
Those attending the forum will have two opportunities to submit questions for candidates to answer — written questions will be accepted throughout the event and can also be submitted through the soea.ohea.us website. All persons submitting questions will be kept confidential. The submitted questions will be screened by the SOEA to ensure they are applicable to all candidates, not personal in nature, and are addressed to subjects relevant to the forum.
Ritchie said props are not allowed in the room, along with campaign literature, buttons, signs, clothing or any other campaign-related items. However, a table will be available outside the room for candidates to place campaign literature or materials.
This is the second time the SOEA has held a Meet the Candidates event with the first occurring in 2016.
The free event is open to the public. The forum will begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Swiss Hills Career Center located at 46601 Ohio 78, Woodsfield.