Former Ledgemont Grad Joins Berkshire BOE
Ledgemont High School graduate Brandon Townsend will take his seat on the Berkshire Schools Board of Education in January, filling the vacancy left by Jody Miller, who did not run for re-election.
Ledgemont High School graduate Brandon Townsend will take his seat on the Berkshire Schools Board of Education in January, filling the vacancy left by Jody Miller, who did not run for re-election.
Townsend, 40, was the third — and final — generation of his Montville Township family to attend Ledgemont Schools, which merged with Berkshire Schools on July 1, 2015, following years of fiscal difficulties.
Between experiencing the loss of Ledgemont Schools, his longtime interest in public service and Miller’s encouragement, Townsend was motivated to run for an uncontested seat on Berkshire’s board in the Nov. 4 election. He secured the position with 1,569 votes, according to the Geauga County Board of Elections.
“The board members thought I’d be a good fit. It’s always been in the back of my mind to run for school board,” Townsend said. “The big reason I’m passionate about Berkshire Schools is watching Ledgemont fail — seeing what it was like when they had to make cuts three times and levies never passed.”
Townsend recalled the years leading up to the district’s demise.
He and his wife, Mandy Wolske Townsend, whom he dated while at Ledgemont High School, graduated in 2003. Townsend began working as a tool and die maker at the family business, Townsend Machinery on Clay Street, keeping the couple in the area — unlike many of their classmates.
“Only one other girl from Ledgemont stayed in the area. A poor school district chased a whole generation out of Montville,” Townsend said. “Everyone from Ledgemont wanted to raise a family somewhere else, to get away from the school. Over a spread of six years, one or two stayed. No one wanted to stick around.”
People could see the school district was underperforming and were uncertain about its future, he said.
Born and raised in Montville Township, Townsend said he understands why the area could not support its own school district, which included Montville and Thompson townships.
At the time the merger with Berkshire was being considered roughly a decade ago, the area consisted largely of family farms and few businesses to help support a school district, he said.
Townsend also acknowledged why the merger was difficult for residents to accept.
“My grandfather (Raymond Townsend) was on the school board. Our family has always been very heavily involved in Ledgemont,” he said. “My kids would have been the fourth generation to go through Ledgemont. We were kinda die-hard Redskins. But we couldn’t get a levy passed.”
Living in a small, somewhat isolated district in the northern part of the county, Townsend admitted he was unaware of Ledgemont’s financial condition at the time.
“I was in denial about how bad the situation at Ledgemont was until I got into Berkshire and I thought, ‘Wow this is what a school is like!’” he recalled, adding he has noticed many Berkshire alumni return to the district to raise families.
Most of the younger generation from the former Ledgemont district now attends Berkshire Schools. While leaving Ledgemont behind was difficult, Townsend said he is grateful his youngsters — Hazel, 8, Ben, 14, and Charlotte, 16 — are attending a district that offers diverse opportunities.
“One of the biggest things I like about Berkshire is they’re not afraid to nudge kids toward the trades,” he said.
When Townsend was in high school 25 years ago, he said students were often encouraged to pursue four-year college degrees. He praised the Berkshire Workforce Development Center in Burton Village and Auburn Career Center for promoting skilled trades as viable career paths, noting his daughter Charlotte hopes to become an architect.
“Rural kids don’t want to go sit in a classroom for four more years,” he said.
Overall, Townsend said he believes Berkshire Schools is moving in a positive direction.
“I’m pleased with everything so far that’s going on. I’m not joining (the school board) to ruffle feathers,” he said. “I’m happy with the education I’m seeing my kids get. I’m in it to continue to serve the community.”
After witnessing both the decline of Ledgmont Schools and the growth of Berkshire, Townsend said he feels a sense of purpose as he begins his role on the board.
“I’ve seen some of the things that Ledgemont went through, so I feel like I might be able to avoid that,” he said. “I feel like I might be able to bring something to the table. It’s my first time in office — I don’t know what I’m getting into, but I’m willing to figure it out. I’ve got a lot of help.”
