From left, are Elle Turley, Randy Polston and Matt Deuel. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Shepherd.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Three people signed paperwork to run for Warsaw School Board seats, including two incumbents and one newcomer.

Elle Turley, Randy Polston and Matt Deuel all filed at noon on Wednesday, July 22. Turley and Polston are currently on the board, representing Districts Three and Four; Deuel filed for District 6, which is represented by Jay Baumgartner.

If re-elected, this will be Turley’s second term and Polston’s third term on the board.

Deuel said he chose to run after hearing that Baumgartner intends to retire and not seek re-election. Deuel is co-founder of The Spoonful of Imagination Art Studio and owner of One Voice Media. In 2016, Deuel served on the Warsaw Community Schools’ Strategic Planning Committee.

“My No. 1 goal is to do a lot of listening and learning,” said Deuel. “I’m coming in standing on the shoulders of a great team and am excited to get to know them. I think my passions lie in areas of communication and I think that with the season we’re in, communication is crucial.”

Polston began serving on the board in January 2013 and currently works as the executive director of Combined Community Services. Prior to that, Polston worked 34 years with Warsaw Community Schools and eight years at Grace College. During his time at WCS, Polston taught elementary school for nine years and served as a principal for 25 years.

“The team I’m working with is such a dynamic team,” said Polston on being a school board member. “Everybody brings their own strengths into this group. We all understand each other and will continue to work like a well-oiled machine to impact the lives of all those in K-12. We also want to do what we can as a board to help our teachers and our support staff that are out there on the front lines every day. That support has been crucial.”

Turley began serving on the board in January 2017 and works full-time in marketing for SYM Financial Advisors.

“I’m looking forward to continuing my personal focus, which is to put out the best citizens that we possibly can,” said Turley. “We do all bring our own separate strengths and we work really well together, we work efficiently.”

The deadline for filing to run for a school board seat is 11:59 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21. School board seats for Districts 1, 2, 5 and 7 are not up for election this year.

Election Day is Nov. 3.