Voters elect Ernst and Pleiman as two new school board members

Voters in the Tipp City Exempted Village Schools district elected two new board members in the Nov. 4 election, according to the unofficial results from the Miami County Board of Elections.

Those elected were Lydia Pleiman and Katie Ernst.

The unofficial results showed Ernst, a write-in candidate, with 2,071 or 42.5 percent of the vote. Pleiman had 1,506, or 30.65 percent. Other candidates, also write-ins, were Karen Kaibas and Joshua Grear with 1,332 and 580 votes, respectively.

The official vote will be certified by the elections board on Nov. 18. There are 101 outstanding absentee by mail ballots and 98 provisional ballots remaining for the board to review, said Laura Bruns, elections director. Ernst said she was “deeply grateful” to the voters. “It is my honor to step into this new role to serve our students and community as a school board member. The overwhelming support for a write-in campaign demonstrates our community’s desire for thoughtful problem-solving focused on student success. I congratulate Lydia Pleiman on her win and look forward to joining the board together to serve our district,” she said.

“I want to thank Karen Kaibas for her leadership, her heart, and her love for our community. It has been a pleasure to work alongside her campaigning over the past nine weeks. Karen, thank you for answering the call to service and for sharing this adventure with me. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in the endeavor. Much gratitude also to our committee, who jumped in with us to build an engaging, informative, and disciplined campaign. I am so grateful to each person who volunteered with Karen and me, giving time, talent, and treasure to our cause. The outpouring of support from friends, new and old, carried our message far beyond what we could do individually,” Ernst said. “Thank you to Josh Grear for stepping in when you saw a need to serve. And finally, to Amber Drum and Rick Mains, I celebrate your service to our community and the literal groundbreaking on your watch. Your leadership will have a lasting effect on our students and our town.”

Pleiman said, “I’m honored and grateful for the trust the community has placed in me through this election. Thank you to everyone who supported me and to all the candidates for their dedication and commitment to our schools. I look forward to working collaboratively to serve our students, staff, and families, and to continue building on the strengths that make Tipp Schools such a special place.” Kaibas congratulated the winners saying, “I appreciate that our Tipp City students will benefit from your experience, your collaborative problem-solving and your continued focus on providing an exceptional education for every student in our district. I want to thank Josh Grear for stepping in to offer his services to the Tipp City school community as well.,” she said.

“I want to thank Katie Ernst, our amazing campaign team, and all the many friends and supporters who also committed themselves to being focused on Tipp City schools and the students through the Board of Education elections. Katie, your steady leadership and thoughtful insight have made this journey meaningful and will serve the Board of Education so very well. To all of you who supported, encouraged and worked beside me, I am profoundly grateful. I walk away from this experience with immense respect for all who serve in local leadership and my continued passion for serving the Tipp City community and children,” Kaibas said. “I want to give my gratitude to Amber Drum and Rick Mains for your amazing service on the Tipp City Board of Education. You led with compassion, clarity and calmness, putting the Tipp City Board of Education on a positive path forward. You always kept our students as your focus while making difficult decisions.” Mains did not run for re-election, while Drum’s petitions for re-election were denied by the elections board because of an error in when they were dated.

In January, Ernst and Pleiman will join Cynthia Dillard, Angie McMurry and Kyle Thompson on the board.