kelly mccarthy for north ridgeville school board
TRANSCRIPT
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7/27/2019 Kelly McCarthy for North Ridgeville School Board
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Kelly McCarthy
1.Office sought: North Ridgeville School Board
2.Political party: N/A
3.Age: 42
4.Place of birth: New Castle, PA
5.Home address: 38095 Vista Lake Way, North Ridgeville, OH 44039
6.Length of residence in that community: Total of 30 years.
1973-1997, (I was in college from 1989-1997, but North Ridgeville was still home). My family
and I moved back to NR in November 2007.
7.Occupation: Stay at Home Mom
8.Employer: My Daughter, ;-)
9.Elected office experience: I was appointed to the NR School Board in May 2011. I was
elected that November to fill the remaining unexpired time of that term. As a member of the
NR School Board, I have served on the Policy Committee, District Leadership Team, the
Endowment Fund Committee, Citizens for Better Schools Liaison, and as a Commissioner with
the Department of Parks and Recreation. Recently I took on the responsibility of calling
on the communications committee to begin meeting again. As of January 2012 I have served
as the North Ridgeville Board Member on the Lorain County JVS Board of Education. As a
member of the JVS Board I have served on the Policy Committee, Educational Foundation,
and the Finance Committee.
Prior to being on the Board of Education I have served many elected positions in several
service organizations, including North Ridgeville Early Childhood PTA. I am also the 2nd Vice
President of the North Ridgeville Lions Club.
10.Education (please list only schools graduated from): - 1989, North Ridgeville High School;
1994,The University of Akron - BA of Sociology; 1997, The University of Akron - MS Ed
11.Marital status: Married
12.Name of spouse: Frank McCarthy
13. Children: Megan McCarthy, 3rd grade
14.Organizations: North Ridgeville Lions Club
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7/27/2019 Kelly McCarthy for North Ridgeville School Board
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15. Should you be elected what are three specific areas youd like to change, address, improve,
or future research, and how specifically would you go about it?
The biggest challenge facing the North Ridgeville School System is our infrastructure. Many of
our schools have outlived their usefulness. They are outdated, overcrowded and a burden on
our finances. I am working with the Citizens for Better Schools and the district to help passBond Issue 33 that will build our community a 3-8 school building. Passage of Issue 33 will
allow us to take our three oldest buildings, the Middle School, Fields Sweet and Wilcox
Elementary, off line.
Additionally, I have spoken to the Superintendent to find out what we can do in the short
term to get students out of our Middle School so that our children are not continually
exposed to the current conditions in that building.
Another problem facing our district, and many others, is the ability to serve the diverse needs
of our students. I believe we do an excellent job serving the educational needs of the average
student. However we struggle to meet the full needs of our educationally challenged andgifted students. The district doesnt have the resources needed to meet the demands to keep
these students engaged and challenged. While I support our Superintendent in developing
programs to address these needs, such as all-day kindergarten and the Ranger Academy, the
real fix needs to be in state and federal funding for our schools. This is a challenge that is not
easily solved, but I intend to keep working with the best interest of all children in mind.
16.Whether for past accomplishments or future goals, why should voters elect you?
North Ridgeville voters should elect three people for the School Board who they think will
make the best decisions for all of the children in our district. As someone who believes in
public education and respect for educators, I am one of those candidates. I am dedicated tomaking sound leadership decisions that balance the need to be fiscally responsible with the
need to provide quality education for all students. These decisions impact the future of our
children and our greater community. I grew up in North Ridgeville and, with my husband,
have chosen to raise my daughter here. I believe we owe it to our children to give them the
resources needed to enable them to reach their full potential. I am committed to continuing
my involvement in making North Ridgeville a premier school district.