Heather Mahoney Named to Avon School Board

Following , the has found the person to help guide the district’s future: former Avon Early Childhood PTA president . 

Mahoney's appointment will run until the current term ends. She will run for election to the board in the November election, and has filed her petition with the Lorain County Board of Elections.

After a round of interviews with several candidates, school officials didn’t waste any time hiring Mahoney, as she got the call just hours after sitting down with the board, she said. 

“I think I was chosen because I truly believe that public education is the best thing you can give your children,” she said. “I’ve lived in the community for just over five years, and as president for the last two years, I’ve been very active with the Early Childhood PTA. It’s, I think, different now, I think we should be getting more excited and more enthusiastic about our schools. 

“I want to stress to younger parents and new students that, from the start, they need to play an active role and be involved with the school district and the community.” 

Mahoney also sat on the levy committee that helped to pass last year’s 5.9-mill operating levy. 

In the months ahead, she and her fellow board members will focus on convincing voters that passing a to pay for a new $32 million middle school is the way to go. 

In her comments, she echoed the remarks of the board, saying the is overcrowded and obsolete, and that the community needs to consider the district’s rapidly growing student population. 

She also addressed school spending and the in state funding losses that will hit the district over the next two school years. 

“Given the economy, it’s been tough on a lot of school districts across the state,” she said. “However, Avon’s always done a great job in being efficient and running a very lean school district. We’re close to spending the least in the state with an ‘excellent’ standard, and I think that means a lot to the taxpayers in Avon. I believe it shows we’re being responsible with their money.” 

In the weeks and months ahead, Mahoney said she’s eager to form new relationships with many of the district’s teachers and administrators, and looks forward to meeting some of them during next week’s regular board meeting on August 16. 

The meeting will be held in the media center of , and will be led by Kevin Romanchok, who is currently the acting president. Romanchok will serve as acting president until January, when a permanent selection will be made.