Ford will join board Monday

Sometimes, says incoming Jay School Board member Phil Ford, it’s a matter of saying no.

Ford, a retired Jay Schools administrator and teacher, joins the board Monday along with Krista Muhlenkamp. He was unopposed for the seat representing Richland and Knox townships outside of the City of Dunkirk.

Muhlenkamp defeated Amanda Campbell in a race for the seat representing Wabash, Noble, Pike and Madison townships after Greg Wellman chose not to run for a fourth term. And Kristi Betts earned a second term on the board with an election victory over challenge Mitch Waters.

As Ford joins the board, he’s going to be focused on the school system’s finances.

“We have to make money matter again — not valuing money over kids — but spending money like it’s our own money,” he said in a recent interview. “You have to be responsible for that money.”

A 1968 graduate of Dunkirk High School, Ford attended Ball State University, graduating in 1972. He then took a job teaching chemistry and biology in Amelia, Ohio, before returning a few years later to teach at Jay County High School.

After about 20 years in the classroom and an eight- or nine-year stint as president of Jay Classroom Teachers Association, Ford made the transition to administration, serving as dean of students and later athletics director at JCHS.

He left Jay Schools for five years, serving as athletics director and assistant principal at Wes-Del High School, then returned to JCHS as athletics director. Prior to his retirement, he was principal at JCHS.

“Jay County has been very, very good to me,” said Ford. “I’ve gotten to do things I never thought I’d have an opportunity to do.”

Today, as the school corporation copes with declining enrollment and the resulting drop in state financial support for the general fund, Ford believes the situation is dire.

“I look at where we are financially, and we are a train wreck,” he said. “Every piece of data says we’re headed for bankruptcy.”

Facing up to that situation will require some tough decisions by the board, Ford said.

“How painful is it going to be? I don’t know. But the longer you wait the more painful it will be,” he said. “I’m not sure the recognition is there (on the part of the board) how dire the situation is.”

Among the painful potential choices weighed by the board over the past several years has been the closing of schools. Though Ford declined to rule anything out, he said a broader approach is needed.

“If we don’t start spending money differently, it doesn’t matter how many buildings we close, we’re still going to be broke,” he said.

Ford stressed, however, that he has no interest in micro-managing from the board level and expressed confidence in new superintendent Jeremy Gulley.

“Jeremy Gulley cares about Jay County,” he said.

But taxpayers and school patrons can expect him to continue to hammer away at the matter of school finances.

“People will know what’s on my mind,” he said.