NEW KNOXVILLE — Three candidates are seeking election to two seats on the New Knoxville Local Schools Board of Education.

The three candidates are incumbents Brittany Clark, 36, and Brian Hoge, and newcomer Heather Jurosic, 48, all of New Knoxville.

Clark is a 2008 graduate of New Knoxville High School and a graduate of Wright State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2010 and Ball State University in 2014 with a Master of Science in Nursing. She is employed as a lead nurse practitioner at Kettering Health Medical Group and works out of the Kettering Troy Hospital.

She and her husband, Jared Clark, built a house in the country outside New Knoxville on her family farm. They are the parents of two children, Coy, 9, and Cali, 6.

Jurosic is a registered nurse, PCMH health coordinator at Grand Lake Health. She and her husband, Nathan, have three daughters.

Hoge is currently a member of the board of education. He didn’t respond to an email with questions concerning the election.

Do you currently hold the seat you are running for?

Clark: “Yes, I am currently on the New Knoxville Board of Education. I was appointed to my position in January 2021. I have learned so much in the previous two years and feel I work well with the other board members and school administration. I am looking forward to serving a full term in the future.

Prior experience:

Jurosic: “I have worked at Grand Lake Health for 26 years and fulfilled many roles. Some of these roles include charge nurse; working as a team with the nurses, physicians, and other interdisciplinary team members, served on several committees and have chaired committees. I helped to pioneer a new program for our community members in my current position as the PCMH Health Coordinator. I help patients with their chronic care conditions and help to coordinate their care. I also help patients transition from being discharged from the hospital to the outpatient setting. All of these experiences have strengthened my organizational and leadership abilities.”

Clark: “The Board of Education is the first public office I have held. I feel that my experience as a lead nurse practitioner as well as many other leadership and community roles and activities have given me the confidence and experience needed to represent the people of New Knoxville School District.”

Why are you running for office?

Clark: “I am running for this position because I am currently on the board and have thoroughly enjoyed the position. I am also running for the office because I am passionate about New Knoxville School. I feel we have one of the best school systems in the state and I am proud to live here and thrilled my children get to attend school here. I am looking forward to continuing to learn about public education and to continue representing the community and the school.”

Jurosic: “I was raised in New Knoxville. I went to school in New Knoxville and so did my children. It is time for me to give back to my community.”

What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected?

Jurosic: “I hope to work with the board as a team and continue to carry out positive goals for the children. I feel we have had some great additions to the school (the addition of the gym to help with practices, starting the FFA, teachers getting more education on needs that children may have, etc.). I hope to continue to work on things that help prepare our children for their future goals. We need to highlight our outstanding staff at New Knoxville schools, to bring more interest to our community and to our school.”

Clark: “Currently, New Knoxville School is in a good position. We just received a 5-star rating from the state and are very proud of this accomplishment, as only 75 districts in the state received this designation. I hope to keep this positive momentum going.”

What do you feel needs to be done to make your board of education be more successful?

Clark: “I believe the New Knoxville Board of Education is currently successful. We have a group of members who get along and work together but are also able to challenge each other. The board also has a good relationship with the teacher’s union and administration at the school.”

Jurosic: “I want to continue with the momentum that the board already has. I feel they have done a tremendous job.

If elected, how will you open the lines of communication between yourself and the people you represent?

Jurosic: “They can email me at the board, or they can contact me, and I will set aside time to talk to them directly.”

Clark: “I am involved in many activities and organizations in our community and will always take the time to speak with people and answer questions when needed. I am very approachable and open to conversation. If you cannot find me coaching my children’s soccer team, playing in the bell choir, or walking at the town park, I am always available via my school e-mail which is listed on the school website.”

What challenges do you feel your school district faces today and in the future?

Clark: “I feel the biggest challenge New Knoxville School has at this time is to assure our enrollment numbers stay up. We are closely monitoring enrollment, as our older classes are quite small. Luckily, the younger classes and newest classes coming in are all good size and this is encouraging.”

Jurosic: “I feel like social media can be a positive, but it can really be a negative. This has really impacted people’s mental health in the last several years and that is something we really need to watch in our children going forward.”

Additional comments?

Jurosic: “I really appreciate this opportunity and am excited to give back to the community.”

Clark: “I am looking forward to serving the citizens, students, and staff of New Knoxville School District. I graduated from this school, my children attend this school, and I will do my best to assure we provide the best opportunities for all students in our district.