Four candidates for the Mason City Schools Board of Education addressed voters at a Mason Chamber–hosted candidate forum, emphasizing school funding, staffing and career-readiness partnerships and outlining approaches to student safety and mental health. Incumbent board president Ian Orr, incumbent board member Charles Galvin and challengers David Charpentier and Danny Timmets participated; Wendy Spatz did not attend.

The forum was presented as a chance for voters to compare how candidates would support district policy on issues such as workforce-aligned programs, facilities planning, fiscal accountability and student well-being. Moderator David Yost noted the business community’s interest in career readiness and asked candidates how the board could bolster partnerships with employers and training programs.

Why it matters: Board members set policy, approve budgets and influence long-term planning for the district; they do not run day‑to‑day operations. Candidates’ stated priorities signal what policies they would support if elected and what issues the district’s business and parent communities are watching heading into the Nov. 4 election.

On career readiness and experiential learning, candidates praised existing programs and proposed expansion. Ian Orr, identified in the forum as board president, credited the district’s experiential learning program and said “each and every comet should discover purpose here, and and uncover their potential,” noting interest in bringing off‑site programs back into district buildings so more students participate. Multiple speakers credited Joe Schroeder and Debbie Gentine for building employer relationships; David Charpentier described a skilled‑trades workshop that graduated 20 students and said the program will expand about 33 percent this year with a new welding component. Charles Galvin and Charpentier also pointed to partnerships with local manufacturing leaders and a regional manufacturing hub as important avenues for job shadows and apprenticeships.

On facilities and enrollment, candidates said Mason’s enrollment has been largely flat and commended prior boards’ long‑range planning. Charles Galvin said the district executed a master facilities plan and obtained state support through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, allowing some projects without new local levies. David Charpentier and Ian Orr emphasized the district’s consolidated campus footprint and the value of making large schools feel small to preserve connections as the district plans for the future.

Funding and staffing were presented as the most urgent issues. Challenger Danny Timmets called school funding “the most pressing issue” and urged close forecasting and engagement with the district treasurer and state legislators. Ian Orr and other incumbents described state funding uncertainty — including recent state legislation discussed at the forum — as the “largest external threat” to the district’s long‑term plans. Charles Galvin flagged staffing risk, saying roughly one in four teachers will be eligible for retirement in the next five years and stressing the challenge of replacing experienced educators who help make Mason a “destination district.”

On fiscal accountability, candidates cited external measures used to assess performance and efficiency. Charles Galvin referenced the Ohio state report card and cited third‑party rankings to argue the district delivers high outcomes at comparatively low operating expenditures per pupil. Ian Orr gave a brief breakdown from a recent fiscal report, saying about 62 percent of district dollars go into the classroom and noting the district’s relatively low central‑office spending and low effective property tax millage rate in the county.

Student safety and health also drew sustained attention. Candidates described mental‑health supports and partnerships with local providers, the presence of therapy dogs and student resource officers in each building. Charles Galvin emphasized “hardening” measures and partnerships with the city and police, while David Charpentier urged investing in technologies that support safety and operational efficiency (for example, providing turn‑by‑turn navigation for bus drivers to reduce paper maps). Several candidates stressed programs and extracurriculars that boost student connection as preventive supports for mental health: “connection matters,” Charpentier said.

What candidates will do next: Forum participants reminded voters the election allows selection of up to three candidates on Nov. 4. Candidates invited voters to attend regular board meetings and to follow district communications for further detail on policies and budgets.

Ending: The forum provided voters with a side‑by‑side view of candidate priorities, with recurrent themes of fiscal uncertainty at the state level, a focus on preserving and replacing experienced staff, expansion of career‑connected learning, and an emphasis on mental‑health supports and school safety.