Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
One-party scuffle divides School Board race
Bob Ohneiser and Tag Greason agree on at least one thing: It's important to work with the Board of Supervisors on school issues.Ohneiser won the Broad Run seat on the School Board with the endorsement of the local Republicans four years ago. Since then, he has publicly criticized Broad Run Republican Supervisor Lori Waters' vote to cut up to $60 million more from last year's school budget.
They are not, by all reports, speaking, and the same Republicans who endorsed him last time around are shunning Ohneiser in this election. Instead, the party has endorsed a write-in candidate whose name will not be on the ballot.
The Republican endorsement -- parties are not permitted to nominate for School Board races -- has gone to Thomas A. "Tag" Greason.
Phyllis Randall, the Democrat running to unseat Waters, has also endorsed Greason, as has the Loudoun Education Association.
Greason calls himself a Republican, and says he may not agree with every one of Randall's positions. "But [Phyllis and I] agree on one thing. Tag Greason is the right person for the School Board seat. I will have to work with one of them."
Both candidates moved to Ashburn to raise children in a family-centered neighborhood. Ohneiser brings a business and law background. Greason was an Army "brat" who graduated from the United States Military Academy and served five years in the Corps of Engineers. He's now in sales and marketing at Sterling Current Analysis.
Greason's introduction to politics was harsh. The State Electoral Board threw out the majority of his nominating petitions, and he could have faced legal charges.
He dropped off the ballot but decided, when it became apparent no charges were going to be filed, to run a write-in campaign.
His focus, if elected, Greason said, will be teacher recruitment and compensation, curriculum above and beyond the blizzard of standardized tests, and getting the money the schools need both to keep even and to add new programs.
Keeping teachers is key, he said. "My fear is that we turn our county into a training ground for surrounding counties" by not keeping salaries and benefits competitive as the teachers advance in seniority.
Ohneiser can point to one of the few new programs to make it into the curriculum in the last four years -- Mandarin Chinese classes at Broad Run and Loudoun Valley high schools and at Harmony Intermediate.
Ohneiser also pushed through spending to put panic buttons in all schools. If there's a crisis or an intruder, it's lockdown and help will be on the way.
Top on his list for the next four years are the budget and what happens in the classroom -- each students gets less time with a teacher -- if the supervisors cut the schools' request.
Ohneiser certainly does a lot of research, Greason said, but other than Mandarin, "I started looking at things he was trying to accomplish, and there really wasn't anything I could point to. He works tirelessly, but productively is not the same thing."
Ohneiser brings a wide community perspective to the job, he said. He serves on the board of the Good Shepherd Alliance. A recent cooperative program among the schools, Good Shepherd and Wegmans, will bring more food to families whose children qualify for free and reduced price lunches, and a credit for groceries at Wegmans.
"When these groups can work together, there's more we can do," Ohneiser said.
Contact the reporter at ssollinger@timespapers.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.