Voters in the Worthington school district will elect two members to fill seats on the Worthington Board of Education on Nov. 6.

Three candidates' names will be on the ballot: Julie Keegan, Geoffrey P. Scott, and Charlie Wilson.

Wilson is the only incumbent. He took office last February after being appointed by the board to fill the unexpired term of Gary Tyack after Tyack resigned.

The other seat open will be that of current board president Bob Horton, who is not running for re-election.

Board members are elected to four-year terms.

To assist readers in making informed decisions, ThisWeek asked four questions of each candidate. Their responses, which were limited to 100 words each, follow the basic information about each candidate.

Name: Julie Keegan

Address: 6675 Lakeside Circle W., Worthington 43085

Number of years living in district: total of 10 (7 while attending Worthington Schools; 3 as an adult)

Education: B.S.B.A. The Ohio State University; J.D. George Mason University School of Law

Occupation: Currently at home

Name: Charlie Wilson

Address: 1116 Baumock Burn Drive, Columbus 43235

Number of years living in district: More than 21 years.

Education: B.S. in Business Administration (Concentrations in Accounting & Finance), University of Kansas ("With Highest Distinction"). J.D., New York University School of Law ("Summa Cum Laude").

Occupation: Associate Professor of Law, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

Name: Geoffrey P. Scott

Address: 805 Olenhurst Court, Columbus 43235

Number of years living in district: Lifetime resident, 39 years

Education: Worthington 1986 / B.S. Education, Ohio State University 1990 / J.D., Capital University 1997 / LLM Taxation, Capital University 2002.

Occupation: Attorney, Blaugrund Herbert & Martin, Inc.

One of the challenges facing the board is the negotiation of a new contract with the Worthington Education Association. The health insurance agreement included in the latest contract did not save as much money for the district as was projected. Should this influence salary increases in the next contract? Do you believe Worthington teachers' salaries are too low, too high, or just about right?

Keegan: Although the latest contract did not save as much money as was projected, 2007-08 projected health insurance costs are lower than district costs for 2004-05. The cost of insurance should be considered an important piece of the compensation package and therefore relevant in the next contract negotiation. Worthington teachers, in general, are paid fairly. Worthington teachers' salaries are at neither the top nor the bottom of the pay scales in central Ohio. Employing teachers with high levels of education and experience drives up the average salary; however, strong teachers make the difference in providing quality education to our students.

Wilson: The cost of all benefits, including health insurance, will always influence salary increases. In Franklin County, the Worthington teachers' pay scale ranks seventh and trails the teachers' pay scales in Upper Arlington, Dublin, Bexley, Grandview, Gahanna and Hilliard. I believe that Worthington compares very favorably with the academic standing of those districts, with whom we compete in the recruitment of teachers. If that is so, we must be prepared to face the fact that our teachers' pay scale may need to be improved. In the end, we must both attract and retain the best teachers available

Scott: Total teacher compensation, both benefits and salaries, should be competitive with similarly situated school districts like Dublin, Arlington, Olentangy and New Albany. If salaries are higher, then some of the cost of benefits may be shifted to the teachers to reach a balanced package. For example, in Dublin salaries are slightly higher, but their board does not contribute to the teachers' HSA, as does Worthington. The WEA and administration are sensitive to the taxpayers' concerns over who bears the cost for the increase in health care expenditures and that public employees generally have more generous coverage than the private sector. I am confident we will work together to equitably share the costs to maintain the support of the public.

The latest state report card rated the district "continuous improvement," the equivalent of a grade of "C." Is this simply an unfair grade, as some have said, or does it indicate that the district is not meeting the needs of some of its students? What changes, if any, are needed?

Keegan: Worthington maintained its "Excellent" rating for six straight years. Each year more tests and measures are added. The district provided an excellent education prior to the "Continuous Improvement" rating and continues to do so following the assignment of that rating. However, the district is not meeting the needs of some of its students and has already begun plans to focus resources in these areas. The rating should be viewed as an opportunity to focus on these groups and address weaknesses while still "holding our heads high" with the knowledge that we are an outstanding school district.

Wilson: The state report card rating is not entirely fair because it assigns a "C" grade to the Worthington Schools even though we passed 29 out of 30 state standards -- certainly laudatory by any ranking. No district our size, or larger, passed more state standards. The state rating does, however, indicate that we are not meeting the needs of a small but important segment of students. We must focus more resources on our students with individual education plans and students who do not speak English as a first language. Our goal must be to meet the needs of every student.

Scott: The "C" grade does not necessarily mean that the district is not meeting the needs of some of its students. I am more interested in how our students in the subgroups that did not meet AYP compare to those same subgroups other districts. If our students in these subgroups are testing in the top 20 percent when compared to other districts, we know our teachers are doing a good job of meeting their educational needs. We need to create an accountability system that allows for such comparisons, which will give parents the tools they need to make informed decisions about their children's education.

An issue has recently arisen about the current board's tendency to "micromanage" the everyday duties of the administration. Do you believe there is any validity to that criticism? What do you believe is the proper role of the school board?

Keegan: I believe current board members seek information from administrators to help them make the best decisions possible. I suspect it is difficult to find a balance in holding the administration accountable while still allowing these professionals the autonomy required to do their jobs. The appropriate role for the board is actually enumerated in its own procedures which state, in part, that the board should "set policy that produces the educational achievement needed by district students." Further, "[T]he board should conduct its business openly, soliciting and encouraging broad-based involvement in the decision-making process by public, students and staff."

Wilson: There is little basis or context for that charge. One person raised it after attending one board meeting - only the first or second that person attended - and that hardly makes it an "issue." The proper role of the board is to determine overall educational policy, to amass a deep understanding of the school district's issues, to determine whether our taxes are being spent wisely, to represent residents, to ask questions to make certain that our programs are effective, and to support our extremely hard working administrative team. If this means long and detail-oriented board meetings, then so be it.

Scott: The board acknowledged in subsequent meetings that the September 10 board meeting was an example of undesirable micromanagement of administration. By all accounts from those both inside the schools and without, this meeting was the culmination of a prolonged drift toward micromanagement. As a result of that realization, the Sept. 24 and Oct. 8 board meetings were better examples of the proper role a school board should fulfill: A school board should express the community's values by focusing on broad educational policy issues and leave day-to-day decisions to the superintendent and her administrative team.

Much has been discussed lately about the success of the Phoenix school and the need to provide other "alternative" types of educational opportunities to Worthington students. Is this something you favor? How much will this cost taxpayers?

Keegan: I support efforts under way to review our elementary schools and high schools and, with the input of staff, administrators and parents, allow individual schools to make changes that will better meet the needs of their student populations. No school should implement change solely for the sake of change. Likewise, our middle schools have and should continue to "tweak" programs based on best practices and successes experienced at Phoenix. It is impossible for any candidate or any district employee at this point to provide cost data since no firm decisions have been made about changes for the district in this area.

Wilson: I strongly support providing our students with increased learning options and opportunities. This board has initiated a process that will empower our teachers and principals to introduce innovative programs so that we can serve the needs of all our students. The Phoenix school is just the first step. Before the board will approve them, all such programs will have to be supported by data showing that they will increase student achievement and are cost-effective. It is time for us to make the schools fit the kids, instead of making the kids fit the schools, at minimal additional cost to taxpayers

Scott: I am in favor of creative, educational programs that make kids and teachers excited about learning. We must take calculated risks and invest in innovative ideas to grow our educational programs. The greatest risk we face is refusing to invest to meet new educational challenges. With that said, there are basic teaching methods that have proven successful for over 100 years. The challenge is implementing the right mix of tried and true methods and innovation. I would support our building principals by giving them greater flexibility to make their schools different. However, I am not in favor of creating 19 "alternative" schools."