LARWILL — Contentious issues in the southwestern Whitley County/southeastern Kosciusko County school corporation of Whitko Community Schools has fostered a larger than usual number of candidates for that school district’s school board.

The field of six candidates, which includes one incumbent, are vying for two slots on a board, which has been challenged in recent years on how to stay competitive in an education climate that has every public school board thinking outside of the box.

Top row, from left are Bill Patrick, Scott Wrestler and Jorell Tucker. In the bottom row, from left are Annette Arnold, Tony Starkey and Richard Thomas.

The District 4 election will feature Richard Thomas and Bill Patrick seeking a spot in that race currently filled by Eric Trump, who is not filed for re-election. In District 5, incumbent Board President Jorell Tucker will face challengers Scott Werstler, Annette Arnold and Tony Starkey.

“I am running for school board to ensure the students in our school district continue to receive a high standard of education, the skills needed to become valuable members of the workforce and to ensure success and longevity of the Whitko School Corporation,” said Thomas. “These are all things I am passionate about. I want to do my part to serve our students, parents, taxpayers, communities and businesses.”

Thomas and his wife have four children in the school system. He is a employed with Depuy Synthes.

“As a graduate of Whitko, I know the value this school brings to the students,” Thomas said. “It gives them the opportunity to be involved, to be part of something. It also gives them the freedom to just be themselves and find their own way with the support of others. Whitko teaches students valuable life skills that can be utilized to ensure successful futures for our youth.”

Patrick is a longtime educator and basketball coach who graduated from Sidney High School and Manchester College. He lists being an advocate for teachers as one of his past achievements and future goals if elected.

“I believe I have a pretty good understanding of school finances,” Patrick said. “I am very concerned about the future of Whitko School Corporation. We need to provide a quality education for all students at a cost that is fair to all taxpayers. Some tough decisions need to be made, but with long-range planning and more transparency. We must be honest and open with the community and the taxpayers. We do not need schools unless we have students. We must have a good product, meaning a quality education and be competitive with surrounding schools. The tax rate is higher than any surrounding community. Excellent teachers make a school, not the buildings. We need good facilities, but it is more important that we have good teachers.” Patrick said the way to ensure good teachers is through competitive salaries.

In District 5, Tucker will square off against three challengers. Tucker, who has held the position of board president three times and who has served on the board since 2008, said his wife and kids are his reason for serving.

“Whitko has an exciting future and we must work to stabilize the leadership of our corporation,” Tucker said “We have begun the process to stabilize our enrollment and budget and to improve our academic success. We are now focusing on strategic planning for the short- and long-term successes of Whitko.”

Tucker lists among his accomplishments on the board as being part of the team responsible for the hiring of new Superintendent Dr. Brandon Penrod.

“We must restore public confidence in the school district,” he said, adding that the board should endeavor to “build stronger ties between the district and the community.”

Werstler is a 1989 Whitko graduate who, along with his wife Rita, has four children who have either graduated from or are still enrolled in the school corporation.

He is the founder, president and CEO of Red Star Contract Manufacturing in Larwill and is a board member of both the Whitko Wildcat Advisory Board for Technology and Whitko’s Project Lead the Way. He has served in the Whitko Booster Club since 2012, and currently fills the seat of vice president for the boosters. In 2018, Scott was recipient of the Whitko “Friend of Education Award”.

“As I talk to residents throughout the school system, I think most people realize the opportunity that exists for students with skills and training in technical fields and trades,” Werstler said. “I have spent a lot of time over the last few years developing a plan with ideas for implementation that would give Whitko a head start on fulfilling this need and figuring out how to finance it.”

Arnold is a 1993 graduate of Whitko High School and has two children with husband Jason who are enrolled in the school corporation.

She is a floral designer and manager of Country Heritage Farm Market, a division of Country Heritage Winery and Vineyard, in Laotto.

“If elected to the school board, I will work to get a long-range plan in place for Whitko,” she said. “I feel that a clear and concise direction needs to be taken to ensure a positive future for Whitko. This direction needs to include the implementation of a plan for student retention and growth. I feel very strongly that additional technical and skills training courses need to be readily available to our students. I am very concerned about the corporation being careful with the taxpayers` dollars and feel that responsible spending is of the utmost importance.”

Starkey, owner of South Whitley’s Fox Products, said he has joined the race for school board because like so many others, he has a growing concern for the future of the school district.

“I’ve been watching what’s been unfolding and I believe the school corporation can benefit from someone with experience in running a large organization, someone with skills in strategic planning and someone with a financial focus,” said Starkey. “This is not a lost cause down here. We’ve hired a good superintendent at just the right time and I have some thoughts on how to approach the competitive nature of education these days.”

According to Starkey, the school corporation’s educators are a highly-valued resource which should be taken care of. “We should take care of our teachers,” he said.