Leading the Charge: Women Candidates in the South-Western City School District Board Election

-

The South-Western City School District (SWCSD) Board of Education election on November 4, 2025, is shaping up to be a critical race, with three at-large seats open for a four-year term. What stands out in this election is the strong presence of female candidates, two of whom are incumbents and one a first-time challenger, all bringing a wealth of experience and community commitment to the table.

Six candidates are running for the three available spots, and three of them are women: incumbent Camille Peterson, challenger Chelsea Alkire, and challenger Kelly Dillon. This election is noteworthy not just for the number of candidates but for the clarity of the platforms being presented, with the candidates running on two distinct slates that have received endorsements from local party organizations, despite the nonpartisan nature of the school board office.


Camille Peterson, who was appointed to the board in 2023 following a resignation, is running for re-election. She is a Licensed Social Worker with degrees from The Ohio State University and a long history of involvement in the community. Her biography highlights 21 years of residency in the district, active involvement in the PTA at local, district, and state levels, and prior co-chairing of a district middle school levy campaign in 2019. Peterson's stated objectives, if elected, center on Student Achievement & Equity, Support for Educators & Staff, and Fiscal Responsibility & Community Engagement. She, along with Alkire and Dillon, is running on a slate endorsed by the Franklin County Democratic Party.

Chelsea Alkire, another strong female candidate, is running for the board for the first time. Alkire is an educator who has worked in schools for 13 years, including nine years within SWCSD, where she currently teaches English Language Learners. Her involvement includes PTA membership at three SWCS schools, coaching sports, and serving as a Link Crew advisor. Alkire's key messages emphasize ensuring all students receive free lunch and breakfast to meet basic needs, offering equal opportunities across all schools in the large district, and guaranteeing that all stakeholders are being heard.

Completing the slate endorsed by the Democratic Party is Kelly Dillon, who, like Alkire, works as an educator. The candidacies of Peterson, Alkire, and Dillon offer voters a vision focused on high-quality education, support for the district's teachers and staff, and a transparent, community-engaged approach to district finances and policy.

These women are running against three male candidates: incumbent Chris Boso, Steve Feucht, and Jason Gocha, who are running on a slate endorsed by the Franklin County Republican Party.

The presence of multiple women candidates with backgrounds in social work, education, and years of volunteerism underscores a trend of dedicated, professional women seeking to shape the future of their local school district. As contract negotiations between the board and the South-Western Education Association (SWEA) loom in the background, the outcome of this election will undoubtedly impact the direction of one of Ohio's largest school systems. Voters have a clear choice between candidates, with the women of the election bringing substantial experience directly related to the classrooms and community life of the district.

--

Bibliography


Ballotpedia. "South-Western City Schools, Ohio, elections." Accessed October 23, 2025.


Ballotpedia. "South-Western City Schools, Ohio, elections (2025)." Accessed October 23, 2025.


"Six candidates are running for three seats on the South-Western City Schools Board of Education on Nov. 4, 2025." Ballotpedia News, October 16, 2025.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Making My Own Decisions

-
Image
 Growing up, I could have been a better decision-maker. I tended to go with the flow and complained if I didn't like the options. I met my husband at the end of my final year of undergraduate studies, and we became a team and made all our decisions for the next fifteen years together. I mean literally every decision. We had a rule that if it was over $100, we would also discuss purchases; it worked well and took the pressure off of him and me by doing it together. My last big buy without him present ended up in a telephone call to buy an Oculus for our son. I got the impulse to buy one at the store; they were on sale, and I secretly called Keith while Liam played with something. We discussed the pros and cons and whether or not I thought it would have any actual longevity as a purchase; I naturally thought yes, so Keith and I agreed, and I told Liam, and we bought it.  My desktop at the moment, smiles and memories. Now, I'm the sole adult in this family, parenting and doing ev...
Read more

Widow

-
Image
Even now, just over four months in, the word widow seems foreign. The first time I used it to describe myself, I cried on the phone to a stranger at the VA. Keith was a central part of my world, and now that world seems smaller and less grand. That world was unbearable in those first few days, but in time, I have learned to manage and carry that pain with me.  Amy & Keith The first days were some of the most challenging days of my life. Without Keith in the world, I could not focus, eat, or understand what was happening and how it was happening. Planning his funeral was one of the worst days. I could not wrap my mind around what I was doing and why. I could not bring myself to the realization that this was happening to us. And still, all I could worry about was Liam and how this affected him.  Now it seems like everyone I know affected by his death is getting back to "normalcy," and we are still back at the beginning, trying to figure it all out. It is strange to suddenly...
Read more

Strother West Roberts (1842-1897)

-
Image
My third Great Grandfather, Strother West Roberts, was born on November 1, 1842, in Blaine, Kentucky, the heart of Eastern Kentucky, to John C. and Esther (Abbott) Roberts. Strother’s younger brother, Reuben C. Roberts, was born the following year on April 9, 1844; three more younger brothers and a sister joined the family. Two siblings, including his only sister Martha, died before Strother was ten years old. By the age of Nineteen, the United States had broken down into the Civil War. Both Strother and his younger brother Rueben were enlisted into the Union Army into the 14 th Kentucky Regiment, Company G, at Camp Wallace in Lawrence County, Kentucky. [1] The Union’s 14 th Kentucky Infantry Regiment of the Civil War was a highly accomplished and engaged unit throughout the intense years of the American Civil War. In its three-year tenure, the unit engaged in many battles from their home city of Louisa, Kentucky, to distant battlefields in Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia. Stro...
Read more