West Holmes voters elect three to school board; unopposed candidate wins unexpired term
Voters in West Holmes Local Schools elected Tina Zickefoose, Ezra Day and Hans Ramseyer to three full-term seats on the district board, while Joel Yoder won an uncontested race to fill an unexpired term through Dec. 31, 2027. The results narrow the field of decision-makers who will oversee budgets, staffing and any future levy proposals that affect local taxes and school services.
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West Holmes residents chose three new full-term members for the Local Schools Board of Education in a competitive election that saw relatively tight margins among top vote-getters, while an unopposed candidate received strong turnout in a separate contest for an unexpired term.
Tina Zickefoose emerged as the top vote-getter in the full-term race with 1,703 votes, representing 30.68 percent of the tallied votes in that contest. Ezra Day finished second with 1,611 votes (29.03 percent), a margin of 92 votes or roughly 1.65 percentage points behind Zickefoose. Hans Ramseyer secured the third full-term seat with 1,265 votes (22.79 percent). Andrew Jones finished fourth with 971 votes (17.50 percent). Aggregating those totals, the three winning candidates accounted for 4,579 of the 5,550 votes cast across the full-term contest, or about 82.5 percent of the votes when counted at the candidate level.
In a separate race to fill an unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2027, Joel Yoder ran unopposed and received 1,916 votes — 100 percent of ballots in that contest. Yoder’s raw vote total exceeded any single candidate in the full-term race, roughly 12.6 percent higher than Zickefoose’s 1,703 votes, indicating a strong voter response even in an uncontested contest.
The newly elected trustees will step into responsibilities that shape district finances and services. School boards set local budget priorities, negotiate labor contracts, lead superintendent evaluations and determine whether to pursue levy renewals or new tax measures that directly affect property owners and the scope of educational services. Given persistent fiscal pressures on Ohio districts statewide — from inflationary costs to fluctuating enrollment patterns — board composition can materially influence how the district balances classroom needs against tax implications for Holmes County residents.
The narrow difference between the top two vote-getters underscores a competitive electorate and suggests the incoming board members will need to demonstrate broad community engagement to build consensus on potentially divisive issues such as facility investments, curriculum choices and staffing levels. Meanwhile, the unopposed election for the remainder of the term signals continuity for that seat at least through 2027.
Turnout details and official next steps, including the date new members are seated and any planned organizational meetings, will be available from the district as it completes certification of the results. For Holmes County residents, these election outcomes determine who will be responsible for near-term fiscal decisions and long-term strategic choices affecting schools and local taxes. Voters interested in the board’s agenda should monitor district communications and upcoming board meetings for proposals and budget priorities.
