Mentor Exempted Village School District, Ohio, elections (2025)
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Incumbent Maggie Cook, Robert Haag, Daniel Hardesty, Robert Izzo, Linda O’Brien, and Don Schutz are running in the nonpartisan general election for three at-large seats on the Mentor Exempted Village School District school board on November 4, 2025.
The candidates are divided into two slates: the first including two Democratic-affiliated candidates (Cook and Haag) and one nonpartisan candidate (Hardesty), and the second including three Republican-affiliated candidates (Izzo, O'Brien, and Schutz, also known as Team ISO).[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Heading into the election, one Democratic-affiliated, two Republican-affiliated, and two nonpartisan officeholders served on the board. The two nonpartisan officeholders had either been endorsed by progressive organizations in previous elections or taken progressive stances during past school board votes, effectively giving the board a 3-2 progressive majority.[9]Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag[10][11][12] Two of the five board seats, held by Rose Ioppolo (Republican-affiliated) and Lauren Marchaza (nonpartisan), are not up for election this year. If the Cook, Haag, and Hardesty slate wins election, there will continue to be a progressive majority on the board. If the Team ISO slate wins election, there will be a conservative majority.
While Cook, Haag, and Hardesty do not have a joint campaign website or platform, the three have appeared together at charity events and Meet & Greets. Shared priorities include academic excellence, safety, and excluding what they say are "personal political agenda[s]" from school board meetings.[2][13][7][14][15][16]
- Cook is a speech language pathologist at Chardon Schools. She was elected to the school board in 2021 and has been board president since 2024.[17] Cook says she "believes in academic achievement for all learners, career exploration and training to prepare students for careers of their choice, and safe school practices that apply to both mental health and physical safety."[15]
- Haag is retired but says he has 30 years involvement with the school district as a student, teacher, principal, and board office administrator.[1][14] He says, "Let’s build schools where curiosity leads, focus guides, and experience delivers," which includes supporting "project-based learning, creative classrooms, and the thoughtful use of AI ... [and] focusing on what we’re elected to do: set policy, oversee budgets, and make sure every student can learn and grow."[14]
- Hardesty is a claims supervisor with Progressive Insurance.[2] He says, "If elected, my focus will be threefold: academic excellence, student safety, and fiscal responsibility. ... I bring a collaborative, results-driven mindset that focuses on solutions. I’m committed to working respectfully with all members of the board and the community, keeping our students’ best interests at the forefront."[18]
The Team ISO slate says it will "Return to: Common Sense Decisions, Respect for Taxpayer Dollars by Cutting Waste, [and] Higher Standards in Academics, Safety and Discipline."[8] This includes ensuring "decisions are in alignment with the values of our community, not outside influences ... cutting bloated contracts and excessive administrative salaries - not services that directly impact students ... [and applying] uniform discipline policies that treat all students equally."[8]
- Izzo is chief deputy of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He says, "I am the only candidate for this position with expertise in school safety and security and the background in working with a large scale publicly funded budget. ... I will use that perspective to ... help the board be good stewards of the valuable taxpayer dollars which support our schools."[4]
- O'Brien is retired and previously worked as a management change consultant/officer at Progressive Insurance. She says she would prioritize "Academic Excellence by focusing on the Basics, Character Skill building by balancing accountability and rewards, Preparing Students for Success by broadening the curriculum. teaching to individual learning style and providing an engaging and fun environment."[5]
- Schutz is retired, having previously taught and coached at West Geauga Local Schools and Mentor Exempted Village School District. He says, "I will support strong administrative leadership to enforce existing [disciplinary] policies and create a culture that values order, respect, and learning for all students. ... I believe in top-to-bottom collaboration and a renewed focus on staff morale. When educators feel supported, students thrive. ... I bring proven, hands-on experience to lead real change."[6]
To read Ballotpedia's 2023 coverage of the Mentor Exempted Village School District school board election, click here.
Elections
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Candidates and results
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Mentor Exempted Village School District, At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates are running in the general election for Mentor Exempted Village School District, At-large on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Maggie Cook (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Robert Haag (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Daniel Hardesty (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Robert Izzo (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Linda J. O'Brien (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Don Schutz (Nonpartisan) | |
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Ohio elections, 2025
May 6, 2025
November 4, 2025
Candidate comparison
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
- Mentor Exempted Village School District, At-large (Assumed office: 2022)
Biography: Cook received a B.A. in communication sciences from Thiel College and an M.A. in speech language pathology from the University of Akron. She was a speech language pathologist at Chardon Schools.
Show sources
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Haag received a B.S. in finance from The Ohio State University and a master's in educational administration from Cleveland State University. He was retired but previously worked in the school district as a teacher, principal, and board office administrator.
Show sources
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Hardesty received a B.A. in criminal justice from Kent State University and a J.D. from Cleveland State University College of Law. He was a claims supervisor with Progressive Insurance.
Show sources
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Izzo received a bachelor's degree from Kent State University and a master's degree from the University of Cincinnati. He was the chief deputy at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Show sources
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: O'Brien received a B.S. in psychology from Ursuline College and an M.S. in organizational design and analysis from Case Western Reserve University. She was retired and previously worked as a management change consultant/officer at Progressive Insurance.
Show sources
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Schutz received a B.S. and M.S. in education from Akron University. He was a retired educator and coach with West Geauga Local Schools and Mentor Exempted Village School District.
Show sources
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
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Voting information
What was the voter registration deadline?
- In-person: October 6, 2025
- By mail: Postmarked by October 6, 2025
- Online: October 6, 2025
What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?
- By mail: Received by October 28, 2025
What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?
- In-person: November 4, 2025
- By mail: Postmarked by November 3, 2025
Is early voting available to all voters? Yes
What are the early voting start and end dates? October 7, 2025 - November 2, 2025
Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required? Photo
When are polls open on Election Day? 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Noteworthy endorsements
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
| Noteworthy endorsements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorser |  Maggie Cook | Robert Haag | Robert Izzo | Linda J. O'Brien | Don Schutz
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| Government officials | |||||
| State Sen. Jerry Cirino (R) source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Concord Township Trustee Board Member Carl H. Dondorfer source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Mentor City Councilmember Janet A. Dowling source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Mentor School Board Member Rose Ioppolo source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Mentor School Board Member Virginia Jeschelnig source 1 source 2 | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Lake County Recorder Becky Lynch (R) source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Mentor School Board Member Annie Payne source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Lake County Commissioner Richard J. Regovich (R) source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Lake County Treasurer Michael Zuren (R) source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Organizations | |||||
| 1776 Project PAC source 1 source 2 source 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| North Shore AFL-CIO source 1 source 2 | ✔ | ✔ | |||
Campaign finance
Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Lake County Board of Elections. Click here to access those reports.
About the district
The Mentor Exempted Village School District is located in Lake County, Ohio.
District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[19]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $10,903,000 | $1,468 | 9% |
| Local: | $84,095,000 | $11,320 | 70% |
| State: | $24,768,000 | $3,334 | 21% |
| Total: | $119,766,000 | $16,121 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $121,576,000 | $16,365 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $112,680,000 | $15,167 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $71,243,000 | $9,589 | 59% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $12,381,000 | $1,666 | 10% |
| Administration: | $10,809,000 | $1,454 | 9% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $18,247,000 | $2,456 | 15% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $5,527,000 | $743 | |
| Construction: | $3,523,000 | $474 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $968,000 | $130 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $0 | $0 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 7,067 | -2.8 |
| 2022-2023 | 7,267 | -2.2 |
| 2021-2022 | 7,429 | -1.3 |
| 2020-2021 | 7,529 | -2.8 |
| 2019-2020 | 7,738 | -0.5 |
| 2018-2019 | 7,778 | 0.2 |
| 2017-2018 | 7,765 | -0.2 |
| 2016-2017 | 7,778 | -1.2 |
| 2015-2016 | 7,874 | 0.2 |
| 2014-2015 | 7,859 | -0.5 |
| 2013-2014 | 7,899 | -2.2 |
| 2012-2013 | 8,071 | -1.3 |
| 2011-2012 | 8,174 | -1.7 |
| 2010-2011 | 8,310 | -1.6 |
| 2009-2010 | 8,447 | -0.9 |
| 2008-2009 | 8,523 | -2.3 |
| 2007-2008 | 8,721 | -3.4 |
| 2006-2007 | 9,017 | -1.5 |
| 2005-2006 | 9,153 | -3.3 |
| 2004-2005 | 9,455 | -3.4 |
| 2003-2004 | 9,777 | -1.1 |
| 2002-2003 | 9,886 | -1.4 |
| 2001-2002 | 10,026 | -3.2 |
| 2000-2001 | 10,342 | -1.2 |
| 1999-2000 | 10,464 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Mentor Exempted Village School District (%) | Ohio K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.2 | 2.9 |
| Black | 4.3 | 17.0 |
| Hispanic | 4.2 | 7.8 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 5.0 | 6.3 |
| White | 84.0 | 65.8 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Mentor Exempted Village School District had 403.26 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 17.52.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 6.33 |
| Kindergarten: | 30.03 |
| Elementary: | 170.25 |
| Secondary: | 184.38 |
| Total: | 403.26 |
Mentor Exempted Village School District employed 3.00 district administrators and 22.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 3.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 40.00 |
| School Administrators: | 22.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 45.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 160.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 15.40 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 14.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 1.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 5.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 118.04 |
| Other Support Services: | 614.00 |
Schools
2025 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This is a battleground election. Other 2025 battleground elections include:
- Mayoral election in Helena, Montana (2025)
- Mayoral election in Omaha, Nebraska (2025)
- Georgia Public Service Commission election, 2025
See also
| Mentor Exempted Village School District | Ohio | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The News-Herald, "Robert Haag, candidate for Mentor School Board, November 2025," September 19, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The News-Herald, "Daniel Hardesty, candidate for Mentor School Board, November 2025," September 19, 2025
- ↑ The News-Herald, "Maggie Cook, candidate for Mentor School Board, November 2025," September 19, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The News-Herald, "Robert Izzo, candidate for Mentor School Board, November 2025," September 19, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The News-Herald, "Linda J. O’Brien, candidate for Mentor School Board, November 2025," September 19, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The News-Herald, "Don Schutz, candidate for Mentor School Board, November 2025," September 19, 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Facebook, "Dan Hardesty for Mentor Schools," October 3, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Team ISO For Mentor School Board, "Home," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ The News-Herald, "Candidate profile: Virginia Jeschelnig for Mentor School Board, November 2021," October 13, 2021
- ↑ The News-Herald, "Mentor School Board candidate November 2023: Lauren Marchaza," October 17, 2023
- ↑ The News-Herald, "Mentor School Board candidate November 2023: Rose Ioppolo," October 17, 2023
- ↑ The News-Herald, "Mentor School Board votes 3-2 not to support Ohio’s Title IX resolution," March 16, 2023
- ↑ Facebook, "Dan Hardesty for Mentor Schools," September 11, 2025
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Friends of Robert Haag, "Robert Haag," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Maggie Cook For Mentor Board Of Education, "Issues," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ Dan Hardesty Mentor School Board, "Home," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ Maggie Cook For Mentor Board Of Education, "Meet Maggie," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ Dan Hardesty Mentor School Board, "About Daniel," accessed October 7, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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