Fremont school board candidates Laura Lehmann and Sarah Lewis present campaigns

Editor's Note: This is the third of three articles on the six candidates running for three seats on the Fremont City School board.

Laura Lehman and Sarah Lewis are both running for seats on the Fremont City Schools Board of Education.

Lewis is an incumbent, but this her first election. She was appointed in August 2022, to replace Violetta Rhea, who resigned her seat.

"I pride myself on being an open-minded person. I'm very strong-willed, if you will. I'm a person who will stand up for what is appropriate, or right, but I will also listen to the thoughts and viewpoints of others. With the current board, I think that's something we do very well," Lewis said of her personality and why someone might vote for her.

"At the end of the day, we all serve our community. We all have our little corner of the world that we represent. It's our job to make sure that we do that well," Lewis added. "We have a lot to be proud of in the district. We have all new buildings and the children have more pathways to success now than ever in the history of our school district."

Her reasons to run haven't changed from when she was appointed.

"When the vacancy became available I was looking for a way to give back to the community. I took a test drive with the athletic boosters. They're my people. They're my tribe. But I just didn't feel like it was the right fit for me and my skill set," Lewis said about being appointed to her position on the board.

She comes from a long legacy of Fremont Ross graduates, including her Grandfather John "Big Thunder" Lewis and Father John Lewis III, both of whom are Fremont Ross Athletic Hall of Fame enshrinees.

"So Fremont Ross athletics are very special and important to me, When the vacancy on the school board came about, after learning more about what the duty of a school board member was, I felt that it was more of a fit for what I have to offer. I feel it is a natural extension of what I do for a living," Lewis said. "I have an interesting perspective to offer, as far as my professional experience is concerned. I've always worked with children and families."

Lewis has worked for the Sandusky County Juvenile Court for "almost 25 years," where she is currently the assistant director of the Juvenile Justice Center.

"I took court-involved kids out to do their community service, so that they could not only repay their debt to society, that restorative justice model, but also to help them find and feel value in their community," Lewis said.

She also ran an after-school program for the justice system.

"A huge part of that, was not just helping them with their homework, but helping them build and strengthen their character. It was also helping families. Sometimes it was helping them repair relationships. Sometimes it was helping them communicate more effectively. Sometimes it was just being a support for parents, to help them learn and understand better how to rear their child," Lewis said. "I see kids and families at their worst, but also go from what could be their worst moments, to their best moments."

When she runs into kids she has helped, they often thank her for the positive impact she made on their lives.

"That's the reward. That's awesome," Lewis said. "That perspective, that all kids are different, but there's value in all of our kids."

She was part of the Fremont City Schools Quality and Curriculum Control Committee as the parent member, prior to joining the board of education, and has continued as a board member.

"I am also a very active member of my church. I attend the Church on 53," Lewis said.

She also served on the Sandco Board, for adults with developmental disabilities. She was also appointed by former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft to the governor's council on juvenile justice.

Lewis is a lifelong resident of Fremont and a proud member of the Fremont Ross Class of 1995.

"I am very proud of that. We had an awesome class. I was born and raised here," Lewis said.

Lewis is the mother of a current Fremont City Schools student.

Hopes to bring positivity to district

This is Laura Lehmann's first run for political office, but she is familiar with the district, as a graduate and a parent who was actively involved in her children's activities.

She's hoping to help bring positivity to the district, which would involve actively getting to know parents and students in the district.

"I just want to be a great leader for the kids, and I want to lead by example," Lehmann said. "I'd like to get out there on my feet and get to start knowing the kids, the teachers and the parents, and just see what we can do to bring some positivity to this community. Positivity is needed so badly, and the kids deserve it."

She sees a need for identifying children that are struggling.

"We need to get to the root of why there are so many households with struggling problems," Lehmann said. "There's just a need, in the Fremont school system, and really everywhere, from these kids. They leave school and we don't know what kind of homes they go home to. A lot of them go to broken homes, and that leads to depression."

She hopes that through engaging the families the board might bring in new programs.

"Can we get some programs where we teach them the basics of life: balancing check books, how to pay bills, prioritizing wants from needs," Lehmann suggested. "These are all things I'm going to dig into, when I get in there."

Lehmann looks at the board's role with an expansive lens.

"You are there to implement the laws and rules, and regulations, but also on the other side of it, you are there to be their mentor too, and to be a voice for them, figuring out a way to help these kids," Lehmann added.

With the changes to open enrollment, she wants to identify the reason for students leaving the district. She also wants to find ways to bring those students back to the district.

Lehmann has worked at the Countryside Manor nursing home in Fremont for 25 years. For the first 15 years she did State Tested Nursing. She then moved into the activities department, for which she has been the director for the past four years.

Views on proposed Lifewise religion education program

Because it is a topic that has received a lot of interest by the public, each candidate in this school board series was asked about their position related to the Lifewise religious education program. Four local churches are proposing the Lifewise religious-instruction classes through the Lifewise academy with plans to offer voluntary, optional Bible-based classes once a week at an off-campus location during school hours. The release-time is based off a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

"As long as it doesn't interfere with their major classes they have to take, and it's on their off time... I'm in favor of it," Lehmann said. "These kids need some kind of structure, some kind of good, to better them as a person. I think with them having a program like this, I think it's a good opportunity for a lot of these kids, that are having problems, to have a little escape. That can be their time to let everything go, and they can just focus on good and build them up as a better person. That can take them to different levels of their life. It's definitely a good thing."

Lewis also weighed in on the issue and added her personal opinion, which she separates from the legal issue.

"As a current, sitting, school board member, we are not making a decision on Lifewise. We have the decision put before us, as to whether children should be released for religious instruction, or not. We do not have the authorization to decide if one program is OK, or not. That is not the right of the school board," Lewis said. "I will not speak to any specific program, Lifewise or any other. It's not our job."

She does hold a personal opinion, which she pointed out was said at a board meeting.

"The current policy is that Fremont City Schools will allow release for religious instruction," Lewis said. "I'm concerned about kids missing time from school, especially since we are just kind of climbing out of the COVID rut, as far as performance is concerned, by the students. I also know that character education matters. I am a Christian, but as a parent, I feel it is my job to take care of my child's religious foundation at home and outside of school hours."

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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Six candidates for Fremont School Board: Lewis and Lehmann interviewed