The Newport Independent School District is holding elections for two seats on their Board of Education.
School board members are elected to serve four-year terms. Elections occur every two years, and the number of school board members up for reelection alternates between two and three board members.
There are currently two incumbents seeking reelection: Ramona Malone and Sylvia Covington.
Longtime board member Julie Smith-Morrow isn’t seeking reelection for the school board, instead opting to campaign for city commission.
Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
INCUMBENTS
Ramona Malone
Ramona Malone is the current chairperson of Newport Independent. She was first elected to the Board of Education in 2010.
“In my current role, I’m responsible for leading the team,” Malone said. “Some of my duties include working with the superintendent, making sure that board members are informed and that we communicate, and helping coach and train new members of the school board.”
She is a native of Cincinnati, but a resident of Newport. She moved to Newport to be closer to her husband’s family.
Professionally, Malone works in the insurance industry and has done so for over 40 years.
Malone told LINK nky she grew up in a home where education was important.
Her involvement in Newport Independent began by volunteering for school events and trying to be an involved parent. That led her to join Newport’s Site Based Decision Making Council which aims to address the academic, social and emotional needs of Newport students in order to set school policy that enhances student achievement. Malone was encouraged to run for the school board at a Site Based Council meeting.
Malone said she is seeking incumbency to continue to impact the students within her community.
“My passion for making sure all students learn I think is what drives me and no matter what the obstacles are, no matter what their background is, making sure that as a school district we offer a very diverse curriculum,” Malone said.
Malone said the success of programs like the theater program helped some students realize their potential, push themselves and acquire skills they didn’t previously have.
“The theater program was very impactful and excited a lot of kids because not everybody is going to be an athlete,” Malone said. “That attracted students, and it stirred up something in them that they didn’t know they had. As a board member, it more than just plays. I saw kids reading and studying scripts, learning how to speak in front of in public.”
Sylvia Covington
Sylvia Covington is an incumbent of the school board. A longtime native of Newport, her parents attended the historic Southgate Street School. Covington is a graduate of Newport Independent.
Covington began her educational career at Newport Independent as a secretary for the school system before serving in various roles as a paraeducator. After her retirement from the school system, Covington holds the position as after-school coordinator at St. Catherine of Sienna in Fort Thomas.
“The hardships of Newport made me determined to want to make it better for the generation that I had coming up through the school system, which was my kids and my grandkids,” Covington said. “I wanted to make it better for my children when they’re growing up, as well as other children in the community.”
Covington told LINK nky that being a school board member was exciting and rewarding because she has an opportunity to make a positive impact on her community.
“I remember when I first started working in the school, a lady said to me one day, ‘you have to meet these kids where they’re at.’ I will always remember that,” she said. “I always put that as part of my goal to meet these children where they’re at.”
Covington said she is able to connect with the student’s struggles because she understands the challenges of growing up in Newport and is able to sympathize with them.
One of Covington’s goals is to continue to advocate for all stakeholders, and she said the constant change to educational policy from state legislators has negatively effected the school system.
CHALLENGERS
Scott Fleckinger
Scott Fleckinger is a small business owner and former resident of Alexandria. He moved to Newport four years ago for the walkability of the urban community.
As the owner of Community Car Care, Fleckinger has experience providing service to his community through the private sector. In the public sector, Fleckinger has served on the Alexandria City Council for seven terms.
Now Fleckinger said he wants to move on to helping the students of Newport, and has launched his campaign for school board.
“Everything that I’ve learned about the school system, it’s it’s no secret that it needs help and I’m hoping that I can give it some direction,” Fleckinger said.
Fleckinger told LINK nky he is looking to return accountability and respect to the school system.
“I look at everything through a businessman’s eyes,” Fleckinger said. “It’s no different than running a business or running a city. Your end product is a new thing you have to produce and you need to produce a quality product. With automotive repair, with a city, it’s a quality of life, with a school, it’s educating children. That’s what I’m looking to achieve.”
Fleckinger said he “doesn’t buy into charter schools” and is a supporter of public education.
“We need public education,” Fleckinger said. “I feel like we’ve got the funds. I think we’ve got the people. Once we engage and get more people trained, then we can build from within. I want the school to be respected.”
Tim Curl
Tim Curl is a Newport native and graduate of Newport Independent.
Professionally, Curl has over 40 years of experience in nursing, nursing education, critical care nursing and home health nursing. He was the former Dean of Nursing for Beckfield College and FORTIS Colleges and Institutes.
Curl told LINK nky he’s at a point in his life where he can give back and is passionate about helping Newport’s public education system return to a respectable level.
“Newport can do a good job preparing people,” Curl said. “Unfortunately right now, our scores are way too low. I think we can do better.”
Curl’s platform is for the school system to focus more on educating its students, citing the budgetary funding distraction revealed in ReNewport’s Education Task Force Report.
Curl also advocates for supporting the teachers in the school system so Newport can better retain teaching talent.
“We have one of highest teacher turnover rates, and part of that I think is because the teachers don’t feel supported,” Curl said. “The money is important, sure, but so are the teachers.”
Lastly, Curl wants Newport to offer and improve its diverse array of educational options such as offering technical education so students can become plumbers, electricians and HVAC technicians. Curl believes offering students different options will activate their enthusiasm for education.
“There’s so much emphasis in pushing all the students to college, but college isn’t for everyone,” Curl said. “Some students graduate college with $40,000 to $50,000 in debt and still don’t get a good job.”
