Victoria Drewley emphasizes state funding advocacy, clearer communication if elected to Medina City School Board

Victoria Drewley, a candidate for the Medina City School Board of Education, said she would prioritize state-level advocacy for school funding and improved district communication if elected, during a candidates forum recorded by Medina TV and the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce.

Drewley, who moved to Medina in 2011 and said she and her husband have four children in the district, told moderator Jared Frey she has been active in parent leadership roles, including PTO leadership, partnership council, the district facility committee and serving as chairperson for Kids First Medina.

"My primary goal as a school board member is going to be to maintain my advocacy for school funding for fair funding at the state level," Drewley said. She added that local fiscal responsibility is also important so the district can show it is doing everything possible while state funding has lagged behind the cost of educating students.

Drewley said she would work with fellow board members, the district treasurer and other districts to bring concrete numbers to Columbus to illustrate funding shortfalls. She praised the district treasurer’s presentations and noted the district will soon publish a five-year forecast.

On local finances, Drewley said reliance on local levies has grown because state funding has "not kept pace," and that puts pressure on community members who must vote on levies. She said maintaining fiscal responsibility locally would strengthen the district’s case when advocating for more state support.

Communication within the district was another focus. Drewley said repeated feedback from community members centers on inconsistent follow-through and uneven communication across school buildings. "The complaints that I'm hearing are with follow through when something happens not hearing the resolution and with consistency," she said, adding that the district’s new website and text-message system are tools she would like to see used more to notify families about meetings and outcomes.

On relationships with administrators, Drewley said board members must trust staff expertise while serving as a conduit for community concerns. "I think it's important to address any issues that we would have openly and right at the time that they happen," she said, and that sometimes additional data or explanation is needed to resolve misunderstandings.

Drewley said she supports engaging legislators earlier in the legislative process to help prevent unfunded mandates reaching the local level. "If the state's not gonna give us more money for operating costs, then it's gonna be very difficult for us to work those into our everyday expenses," she said.

Toward the end of the interview, Drewley reiterated a campaign focus on advocating for funding, maintaining fiscal responsibility and being accessible to community members. She provided a campaign website, drewleyformedina.com, for viewers seeking more information.

The forum was presented by the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce and Medina TV; moderator Jared Frey encouraged viewers to "vote early at the Board of Elections or in person on November 4."