5 vying for 3 spots on Miamisburg school board

Miamisburg School District candidates include Christopher Amsler, Chris Keilholz, Ann Niess, Shelbi Nunery and Ryan Riddell.

Miamisburg School District candidates include Christopher Amsler, Chris Keilholz, Ann Niess, Shelbi Nunery and Ryan Riddell.

The ballot for Miamisburg school board will show six candidates for three spots, but only five of them are officially still in the race.

The candidates include incumbents Christopher Amsler and Ann Niess and challengers Chris Keilholz, Shelbi Nunery and Ryan Riddell. Jad Mubalat, another challenger, recently withdrew from the race and endorsed Nunery.

Amsler, a retired firefighter, paramedic and fire inspector and three-term school board member, said voters should feel that he is a listener first and take everything into consideration before making a decision.

“I am a lifelong resident of the community with roots of education — coaching and 33 years of employment with the Miamisburg and Miami Valley Fire District,” Amsler said. “I care about the kids’ education — opportunities for success and growth. I care about our facility that we employ and strive to provide them with tools to teach and educate.”

Keilholz, a restaurant owner/operator, said voters should consider him as the best choice because he shares and upholds the values that matter most to the community: “integrity, accountability, and a commitment to high-quality education.”

“These principles have guided me throughout my life, and I am eager to apply them to support our students, teachers and families,” Keilholz said. “With a deep respect for public education and a passion for service, I’m ready to help our schools thrive.”

Niess, a retired special education, kindergarten and first grade teacher with 30 years experience, is vying for her third term on the board. She said voters should consider her as the best choice because she shows up in the schools and attends events to which she is invited.

“I study the data to see where support is needed,” Niess said. “I attend many trainings to learn about many education issues, understand how schools are funded and to learn about circuit court decisions. Education is simply my passion.”

Nunery, an educator with a decade of experience in public schools, served as an interpreter for Deaf students. She is an American Sign Language teacher, department chair, lead teacher and member of her school’s leadership team.

She said voters should elect her because, as a teacher with a master’s degree in educational administration, she brings both professional experience and personal investment to the table.

“With my background in education and a parent to three students in the district, I understand our schools from multiple perspectives,” Nunery said. “I’ve seen what works well and where communication or support can be strengthened. I’m not driven by politics or personal agendas but by a genuine commitment to doing what’s best for students and the staff who serve them.”

Riddell, who works for Keller Williams Community Partners, said voters should elect him because he is “not a politician,” but instead “a listener, a servant, and a steady voice of reason.”

“I believe our district needs leaders who will focus on what’s best for our students by bringing common sense values, fiscal responsibility, and a focus on academic outcomes with every decision,” Riddell said.

Top priorities for each candidate

Amsler said his top priorities, if re-elected, will be continuing to strive to listen to students and staff, balance the district’s financial needs and wants to ensure “every dollar spent is being valued and spent wisely” and to continue to be available to listen to any student, parent, staff member of community member who has a concern or an idea.

He said he would do so by working with city and township officials and school district administrators.

Keilholz said his top priorities, if elected, will be improving academic achievement, strengthening staff support, and enhancing student discipline.

He said he supports expanding career pathways beyond traditional college routes and doing more to connect students with vocational training and career exploration programs.

“As someone who didn’t attend college myself, I deeply appreciate the wide range of opportunities available to students today,” he said. “Programs like the Career Technology Center (CTC) are outstanding, but unfortunately, limited space means some students are turned away.”

Niess said her top priorities, if re-elected, will be supporting efforts to reducing absenteeism, continuing to communicate with legislators to improve districts’ dwindling share of state funding and advocating for what is needed to help district test scores, “whether that be smaller class sizes, strong preschool programs or intentional interventions.”

She said she will support district social workers and attendance officers with ideas and programs aimed improving attendance and continue to communicate with legislators about funding, plus encourage grant writing. She also said she will study data with others, hypothesizing what may be causing the lower scores and testing those hypotheses “to find out the true reasons versus guessing,” then figure out where support is needed and what kind of support is needed.

Nunery said her top three priorities, if elected, are academic excellence for all, student-centered learning environments and transparent communication and safe schools.

She said plans to “support data-informed decisions that identify student needs early and provide targeted interventions, enrichment opportunities, and strong professional development for teachers” to ensure every student reaches their full potential. To foster inclusive learning environments, Nunery said she will “prioritize classrooms that adapt to diverse learning styles and needs,” including those with IEPs and advanced learners, by investing in resources, technology, and engaging teaching practices.

For transparency and safety, she said she will advocate for open communication between the board, families and staff. To promote both physical security and emotional well-being through “consistent safety measures alongside mental health and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) initiatives.”

Riddell said his top priorities, if elected, include student development/ expanding learning opportunities, common sense leadership/parent engagement and fiscal responsibility/good stewardship.

“I want to help make sure every student has access to quality education, every parent has the opportunity to be informed and included, and every dollar is spent with purpose,” he said.

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