Board members unanimously chose Keeley Davidson, a school parent and insurance industry employee, who is also a life-time resident of Butler County’s New Miami Village.
In 2020 the four sitting members on New Miami’s school board also appointed Tari Jo Slagle, a former New Miami teacher, to fill its fifth seat due to no candidates in fall 2019.
It’s Davidson’s first political office but she’s already focused on a priority list she’ll push for on the board.
“The top of my list is getting kids staying in school,” she said referencing the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
New Miami is currently holding live classes with optional masks for students.
The tiny district, which is north and adjacent to the 9,500-student Hamilton Schools, had two candidates for three open board seats in the November election.
Not having enough candidates running for local school board seats is a rarity and such a situation allows a board’s sitting members to solicit, interview and vote on appointing an applicant to join them on the board.
The district’s K-12 schools are housed on a single campus in one building in the Village of New Miami.
The Ohio School Boards Association officials have previously told the Journal-News not having enough candidates “is not unusual and happens in about two or three districts a year statewide” among Ohio’s 610 public school districts.
Davidson’s reasoning in seeking the appointment was to “give back to the community.”
“I just wanted to be able to make a difference and help in whatever way I can,” she said.
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