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MENTOR, Ohio -- Control of one of Northeast Ohio’s largest school districts is at stake in the Nov. 4 Mentor school board election, where a slate of challengers running on culture-war issues is squaring off against the board’s sitting president and her allies, whose campaigns have emphasized academic performance and financial stability. Incumbent board president Maggie Cook is seeking a second term and is joined on the ballot by newcomers Robert Haag and Daniel Hardesty. While running separate campaigns, the three share a message largely focused on academics and budget issues. They face a slate of newcomers: Robert Izzo, Don Schutz and Linda O’Brien, known as “Team ISO,” who criticize the board’s work under Cook’s leadership. Prominent topics on Team ISO’s campaign website include book bans, restricted bathroom access for transgender students, and strategic spending cuts. The six candidates are seeking three at-large seats on the five-person board, so the outcome of the race is likely to determine the tone and direction of the district as it shapes policy, finances, staffing and curriculum for a district that serves about 7,300 students. The top three vote-getters will serve four-year terms beginning in January. Cook, Hardesty and Haag Cook, in an interview with cleveland.com, said she is seeking another four years to continue building on the district’s momentum. She pointed to improving academics and finances, including Mentor’s rise on the Ohio School Report Cards from 3 of 5 stars to 4.5 of 5 stars for three consecutive years. She said the district has also expanded College Credit Plus and Advanced Placement offerings, grown career-technical education opportunities and reduced career-technical waitlists by becoming an independent provider. Cook also emphasized school safety and fiscal responsibility. “I’m especially proud that we fulfilled my first campaign promise by hiring school resource officers for every building, securing grant funding for officer training, and passing a resolution ensuring only trained police officers carry firearms on school property,” she said. Hardesty, in an interview, said his top concern is preparing for state-level funding challenges. “I would prioritize fiscal responsibility because of the impact of our leaders in the Ohio Statehouse not honoring the promise of the Fair School Funding Plan in their 2026-27 budget,” he said. “Public education is a low priority at both the federal and state level and in turn, the board needs to fully prepare for additional cuts in funding and/or other supports.” He said transparency would guide his approach. “One can be responsive to the community while being a voice of reason, in fact, the two go hand in hand. I will publicly acknowledge an issue or incident before rumors and speculation take over and share what is legally permitted… Transparency is of the utmost importance as a school board member,” he said. Haag said his priority is ensuring a cooperative board that avoids dysfunction. “We must be able to work together on behalf of the students, teachers and families that we serve.” Team ISO Izzo, Schutz and O’Brien did not respond to multiple interview requests from cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer. The slate has been endorsed by Republican state Sen. Jerry Cirino, father of current school board member Rose Ioppolo, along with prominent Lake County Republicans, including Annie Payne, a current school board member running for Mentor City Council. Team ISO’s website argues that rising private school enrollment, a near doubling of homeschooling and continued enrollment declines reflect a growing lack of trust in Mentor schools. They criticized a board vote approving new K–5 book collections — which they describe as politically charged and inappropriate for young students — as one example of decisions they believe have alienated families. Team ISO’s site also criticizes a 3-2 vote by the board to support the Biden administration’s Title IX proposal, which they say “allowed boys to access girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams.” During a March 2023 board meeting, O’Brien advocated against allowing trans students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. “I don’t care how long their hair is. I don’t care how they dress or what pronoun they use. If they have a functional penis then they’re a male. Keep them out of the girls room,” O’Brien said during the meeting. Izzo, the deputy chief in the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, has received an endorsement from Sheriff Frank Leonbruno, who criticized an ad labeling Izzo an extremist. “(When Bob) was fighting to put a deputy in every school in the Riverside School system to protect the students, some of the Mentor School Board members he is running against were fighting to put boys in the girls’ bathrooms,” Leonbruno said. “Perhaps the word ‘extremist’ is being used against the wrong candidate and should reflect on the extremist views of some of the current sitting school board members.” The slate also favors changes to the district’s disciplinary practices, saying the board’s current “restorative” approach reduces consequences based on a student’s background. “With the exception of legal requirements for students on IEPs, Team ISO believes in uniform discipline policies that treat all students equally. We’ll enforce clear expectations, apply consistent consequences, and then provide the support students need to grow,” its campaign website states. Cost-cutting is also on the agenda. Team ISO’s site says it will cut “bloated contracts and excessive administrative salaries” while maintaining services that directly impact students.
