Election 2011: Russ Spahn, Greenfield School Board

Greenfield Fire Chief Russell Spahn, 5340 W. Whitaker Ave., said he feels a team approach is what the Greenfield School Board needs to face the financial issues the district is up against.

And a good team needs good leaders, which is why Spahn is running for one of two seats this spring.

“The budget is going to be the biggest challenge. How do we balance the budget and still provide quality education for our kids?” Spahn said. “What it boils down to for me is cooperative relationships between the board members.

"The challenges out there are greater than anything I’ve ever seen. We see state funding disappearing so rapidly. We’ve got to come up with something drastic. I wouldn’t even presume to be so arrogant as to say, ‘Here’s my plan; here’s all the answers.’ But as a conglomerate of wise people, hopefully we could figure it out.”

Spahn said one possible solution is to deal directly with the state legislature. He said, however, that is more of a long-term solution. He added another possible solution could be an operational referendum, giving voters an option to help the district.

“That’s the way it’s always been done in America,” he said

A graduate of Greenfield High School, his wife and son also are graduates of the district. He worked in the city's Division of Public Works before the fire department and has a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a masters in education.

If elected, Spahn said he intends to “follow the beliefs of the School Board, give our kids the best education possible and try to figure out how to pay for it.”