NANKIN — Mapleton Local School District was closed Thursday due to a delay in ongoing boiler repairs at its elementary building.
But not all district buildings were empty.
Mapleton Board of Education members gathered at 7:30 a.m. in the Mapleton HS/MS Media Center to swear in two new members — Kyle Gordon and Travis Kettering.
No candidates ran for the open board seats — previously occupied by Mindy Scurlock and ShaNa Benner — during the November 2025 election.
Scurlock and Benner’s terms expired on Jan. 1 and current board members needed to pick their replacements.
Mapleton Superintendent Scott Smith said 10 applications for the two seats were received. Vince Hartzler, Fred Hartzler and Kathy Goon, the three current board members, reviewed all 10 applications, selected the candidates to be interviewed and conducted interviews with five finalists.
Gordon and Kettering received the trio’s recommendation. Their appointments were made official during Thursday morning’s special meeting.
Gordon and Kettering excited to serve
Gordon, the assistant principal at Madison South Elementary in Mansfield, moved into the Mapleton School District with his family about three years ago.
With his children attending school in the district, he said his family has established roots in the community.
“I saw the need and felt like it was important to be that connection with the community and try to help steer the district in the best possible way to continue what they have going,” Gordon said.
Kettering, a Mapleton High School graduate, also felt compelled to serve the community when he saw there were vacant seats on the board.
“I value the education I received here and just want to make sure it continue and supports the community,” he said.
Neither Gordon or Kettering have served on a school board previously. Both have accumulated experience in roles closely tied to education. Gordon brings administrative experience through his current position at Madison Local School District.
Kettering said he has lengthy involvement with Scouting.
Gordon said he has attended many board meetings throughout his career and is ready to act on the experience he’s gained.
“I’m familiar with how everything works and now I wanted to step into the board side of it as well,” he said.
The communal and family environment present at Mapleton is “astounding,” Gordon said.
Kettering said he wants to help contribute to the district’s efforts to produce well-rounded individuals.
“You like at people who have graduated from here and they make a difference here in our area,” he said. “We have quite a few alumni on staff. I want to continue to support the entire ‘growing up’ process that happens from kindergarten through 12th grade.”