Dear editor,

Ive had several requests from the community to share my statement to the school board on Monday night. Here is my statement I read to the board:

“My grandfather is a former employee of Wheeling/Pitt Steel. Back in his prime he was ranked high up in the corporation. He spent many of those years with his colleagues investing into buildings. Those investments were designed to produce more steel in the shortest time possible. They were designed to increase efficiency. Many of those investments came at the cost of replacing workers with machines. The buildings and the machines in them were the assets to the corporation and the corporation continued to enhance those assets.

“In education, buildings are not the assets. Here in Warren County the assets are the 370 professional staff, support staff, and 39 administrators that work with the children of this county every day. We are the machines that churn out the production. We are the oil that makes things run smoothly. We are the steel that support the children. We are the assets.

“When I look at the board before me, I see an architect, I see a proven businessman and lawyer in the oil/gas industry. Both have worked very hard and are very successful in their industries. The problem as I see it is a mismatch of industry. Your decisions are driven by the belief that is hardwired in your DNA that the assets are buildings and machines. Just like it is engrained in my grandfathers DNA. In education the assets are not the buildings and machines, it’s the people in them.

“My grandfather is 94 years old and a very hard individual. He has lived his life rarely apologizing nor expressing remorse for anything. In recent years, he has told me as he reflects back he has one major regret. That regret is how he treated people. With budgeted revenue this school year of 74 million, the highest that it has been in 8 years, please use that revenue and invest it wisely. Thank you.”

Matt Menard

Warren