The other two board members, Dave Grant and Tom Leeds, will have their four-year terms expire in January, 2028.
The board hires and evaluates the district’s superintendent and treasurer, sets policies in which schools operate, and approves the hiring of faculty and staff to administer these policies, according to district documents.
They’re elected to serve four-year terms and may serve unlimited consecutive terms.
Here is a look at the four candidates:
Tim Carpenter
Tim Carpenter has been on the board since January 2014 and has served as president the last two years.
That experience, Carpenter said, is critical as the district continues planning for a new high school. He said there is “unfinished business” in the district and he’d be “insane to quit now.”
He’s looking forward to the day when shovels are placed in the ground and the new school becomes closer to a reality.
Carpenter, 41, is earning his master’s degree and he called education “a pathway to better opportunities.”
He is a senior scientist specializing in coating and material systems at GE Aerospace.
Since only one person is running against the three incumbents, Carpenter believes residents are pleased with the current board’s performance.
He and his wife, Missy, have been Monroe residents since 2012 and have three daughters, Hazel (2025), Lucy (2028) and Greta (2030), attending Monroe Local Schools.
Bobbie Drew
Bobbie Drew has two children, and for the first time, she pulled them out of the school district and is home-schooling them.
Drew said she was “blown off” by school officials and board members too many times when she brought up concerns of bullying and inappropriate curriculum.
Drew said she felt like she was sending her two kids “to the camp of the enemy every day.”
Now she hopes to give parents “more of a voice” in how the district operates, she said.
“God gave me a big mouth for a reason and I plan to use it for the good,” she said.
A real estate agent, this is the first time Drew, 46, has run for any office.
She hopes to examine the district’s curriculum and get rid of any “nonsense” taught in the classrooms.
Drew also is concerned about the many planned residential developments and the impact of those additional residents on enrollment and expenses in the school district.
“We have to let the school catch their breath,” she said.
A.J. Fullam
Vice President A.J. Fullam has been a board member since January 2022.
He and his wife, Tekila, have been Monroe residents since 2018 and have two daughters – one attending Monroe Elementary and one at Monroe Primary.
A 2002 graduate of Fairfield High School, Fullam holds a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing and works as the marketing director for a local automotive dealership group.
He said he’s seeking re-election for a simple reason: the work the board has started is “crucial for our children’s future, and I believe consistent, proven leadership is essential to see it through.”
Four years ago, he ran on “a promise to tackle our district’s most pressing challenge: overcrowding.”
He said the board delivered on that promise by passing the bond for a new high school with no tax increase.
“Now, my commitment is to finish the job,” he said. “I am running again to provide the steady leadership required to ensure our new high school is built on time and on budget, to maintain our district’s strong record of fiscal responsibility, and to continue supporting the excellent teachers and staff who are the heart of our success.”
Debbie Hagedorn
Debbie Hagedorn has been a board member since 2022.
Her and her husband, Tom, have been Monroe residents since 2003 and have raised three children in Monroe: Diana (2016), Zach (2022) and Tori (2023).
“We had a great experience with our children and I want other residents to have a great experience,” she said when asked why she’s running again.
A graduate of the University of Cincinnati and Bowling Green State University, Hagedorn serves the community as a member of the planning commission for the city of Monroe.
She believes once a new school is built, some of the overcrowding in the district will be alleviated.
Monroe has one of the top performing school districts in Butler County and Hagedorn thinks the district plays “a major role” in attracting new residents.
She has worked for more than 20 years in the steel industry, where she is a customer account representative for Cleveland Cliffs in Middletown.
Her husband Tom serves on Monroe City Council.
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