Two Incumbents Lose School Board Seats
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Former Harrison Elementary Principal Randy Polston defeated incumbent Christie Gale for the Warsaw School Board District 4 seat 1,572 votes to 731.
Hal Hoffman, Tippecanoe Valley School Board District 2 incumbent, lost his seat to William T. “Tom” Craft 1,065 to 1,132 votes.
Polston said by phone Tuesday night he received the news from the county clerk’s office.
“I’m very excited to reconnect with the students, the staff and Warsaw Community Schools and to move our mission forward as a benefit for all Warsaw students,” Polston said. “I’m very excited for Jan. 1.”
During the school board candidate forum in October, Polston said he believes Warsaw Community Schools needs to audit employee climate. Last night, he said if one has not been started by the time he begins on the board Jan. 1, a climate audit will be the first thing on his agenda.
Among other goals, Polston said WCS needs to maintain what it’s earned to this point. All of WCS’s schools received “A’s” from the state, and he said WCS is doing some great things that need to continue.
Five months ago, Polston said he didn’t know Gale. Since then, he’s gotten to know her. “Based on what I’ve seen, I just want to pat her on the back and thank her,” he said, wishing her luck in her endeavors.
Gale took office in January after Kent Adams stepped down from the board to become the Winona Lake clerk-treasurer. Gale was appointed by the current school board over Chuck Sauders.
Polston concluded Tuesday, “I want to express my sincere appreciation for the community’s support, thoughts and prayers. I am thankful for getting out the vote and supporting me.”
With no opposition, Jay Baumgartner won the Warsaw District 6 school board seat, and Curt Hermann won the District 3 seat.
Craft sees his victory at Valley over Hoffman as a call for change.
“I think that was the biggest thing, change,” Craft said by phone Tuesday night.
He said Valley’s school board members usually don’t have to run for re-election and his race against Hoffman was the first contested race in a long time.
“I am really very excited,” Craft said. “My phone has been ringing for some time from people calling me and congratulating me. I am excited and looking forward to this journey in my life. It’s going to be fun, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Since he’s new to the board, Craft said when he first gets in he will sit back and get a feel of the situation and how things are run. “It will be a learning process,” he said.
Dave O’Brien ran uncontested for the Tippecanoe Valley District 1 board seat.
Triton School Board candidates Kevin Boyer and Amy Middaugh also ran uncontested for their at-large and District 3 seats respectively.
Wawasee’s incumbents will keep their seats on the board.
For this election for Wawasee, there were just two at-large positions. The board can not have more than two people from each district.
Three board members not up for re-election this year are from each of the three districts, so only one person in each district could win. With candidates in three districts, the two top vote getters won the at-large seats.
Incumbent Mike Wilson received 3,214 votes to Brent Robinson’s 2,435 for District 1.
Incumbent George Gilbert received 2,700 votes compared to Brandy Maney’s 1,634 in District 2.
Heidi Rozow received 2,362 votes for District 3.
Since they received the most votes and are not from the same district, Wilson and Gilbert will get to retain their school board seats.
In a telephone interview this morning, Gilbert said going forward the budget is always a problem that the board will continue to tackle. He hopes the state legislature will provide more funds to schools so teachers’ salaries can be helped.
This month the Indiana Department of Education and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett released school grades. Wawasee’s schools’ grades went down except for the high school, which earned an “A.” Part of the criteria for the grades included ISTEP and other testing.
Gilbert said Wawasee plans to do better with state testing.
He said he was pleased Indiana has a new education superintendent with Democrat Glenda Ritz defeating Bennett. He feels the “A, B, C” grading system is something that caused teachers to teach to the test.
“I don’t think we need that at this point,” he said. “Wawasee administrators and teachers are working hard and we will get to where we need to be.”
Gilbert has served two four-year terms on the board.
“We have a good school system and we will move forward,” Gilbert concluded.
Six-year incumbent Wilson said in a telephone interview today, “I don’t know that there’s any particular thing I want to do. I want to use the experience I have and try to make Wawasee better for students, for parents and everyone involved.”
He agreed that the budget is always a foremost issue with the board. “We will work hard to be as fiscally responsible as we can and keep our buildings up and schools going.”
With Republican Mike Pence winning as governor and Ritz being a Democrat, Wilson said he wasn’t sure what that would mean for Indiana schools.
“I think the effect the past superintendent (Bennett) had at the state level ... he was going too far with using test scores for teacher pay and those things,” Wilson said.
Whitko School Board had only one race. Georgia Tenney received 1,262 votes to Phillip Menzie’s 546 votes for the District 1 race.
Joseph Begley was unopposed for the District 3 race.
There were no contested races for Wa-Nee School Board.
Voters could pick two candidates for the at-large seats, with candidates being Christina Eshelman and Shawn Johnson. Eric Brown was uncontested for the Wa-Nee Olive Township race, while Don Lehman was unopposed for the Scott and Jefferson townships race.[[In-content Ad]]
Former Harrison Elementary Principal Randy Polston defeated incumbent Christie Gale for the Warsaw School Board District 4 seat 1,572 votes to 731.
Hal Hoffman, Tippecanoe Valley School Board District 2 incumbent, lost his seat to William T. “Tom” Craft 1,065 to 1,132 votes.
Polston said by phone Tuesday night he received the news from the county clerk’s office.
“I’m very excited to reconnect with the students, the staff and Warsaw Community Schools and to move our mission forward as a benefit for all Warsaw students,” Polston said. “I’m very excited for Jan. 1.”
During the school board candidate forum in October, Polston said he believes Warsaw Community Schools needs to audit employee climate. Last night, he said if one has not been started by the time he begins on the board Jan. 1, a climate audit will be the first thing on his agenda.
Among other goals, Polston said WCS needs to maintain what it’s earned to this point. All of WCS’s schools received “A’s” from the state, and he said WCS is doing some great things that need to continue.
Five months ago, Polston said he didn’t know Gale. Since then, he’s gotten to know her. “Based on what I’ve seen, I just want to pat her on the back and thank her,” he said, wishing her luck in her endeavors.
Gale took office in January after Kent Adams stepped down from the board to become the Winona Lake clerk-treasurer. Gale was appointed by the current school board over Chuck Sauders.
Polston concluded Tuesday, “I want to express my sincere appreciation for the community’s support, thoughts and prayers. I am thankful for getting out the vote and supporting me.”
With no opposition, Jay Baumgartner won the Warsaw District 6 school board seat, and Curt Hermann won the District 3 seat.
Craft sees his victory at Valley over Hoffman as a call for change.
“I think that was the biggest thing, change,” Craft said by phone Tuesday night.
He said Valley’s school board members usually don’t have to run for re-election and his race against Hoffman was the first contested race in a long time.
“I am really very excited,” Craft said. “My phone has been ringing for some time from people calling me and congratulating me. I am excited and looking forward to this journey in my life. It’s going to be fun, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Since he’s new to the board, Craft said when he first gets in he will sit back and get a feel of the situation and how things are run. “It will be a learning process,” he said.
Dave O’Brien ran uncontested for the Tippecanoe Valley District 1 board seat.
Triton School Board candidates Kevin Boyer and Amy Middaugh also ran uncontested for their at-large and District 3 seats respectively.
Wawasee’s incumbents will keep their seats on the board.
For this election for Wawasee, there were just two at-large positions. The board can not have more than two people from each district.
Three board members not up for re-election this year are from each of the three districts, so only one person in each district could win. With candidates in three districts, the two top vote getters won the at-large seats.
Incumbent Mike Wilson received 3,214 votes to Brent Robinson’s 2,435 for District 1.
Incumbent George Gilbert received 2,700 votes compared to Brandy Maney’s 1,634 in District 2.
Heidi Rozow received 2,362 votes for District 3.
Since they received the most votes and are not from the same district, Wilson and Gilbert will get to retain their school board seats.
In a telephone interview this morning, Gilbert said going forward the budget is always a problem that the board will continue to tackle. He hopes the state legislature will provide more funds to schools so teachers’ salaries can be helped.
This month the Indiana Department of Education and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett released school grades. Wawasee’s schools’ grades went down except for the high school, which earned an “A.” Part of the criteria for the grades included ISTEP and other testing.
Gilbert said Wawasee plans to do better with state testing.
He said he was pleased Indiana has a new education superintendent with Democrat Glenda Ritz defeating Bennett. He feels the “A, B, C” grading system is something that caused teachers to teach to the test.
“I don’t think we need that at this point,” he said. “Wawasee administrators and teachers are working hard and we will get to where we need to be.”
Gilbert has served two four-year terms on the board.
“We have a good school system and we will move forward,” Gilbert concluded.
Six-year incumbent Wilson said in a telephone interview today, “I don’t know that there’s any particular thing I want to do. I want to use the experience I have and try to make Wawasee better for students, for parents and everyone involved.”
He agreed that the budget is always a foremost issue with the board. “We will work hard to be as fiscally responsible as we can and keep our buildings up and schools going.”
With Republican Mike Pence winning as governor and Ritz being a Democrat, Wilson said he wasn’t sure what that would mean for Indiana schools.
“I think the effect the past superintendent (Bennett) had at the state level ... he was going too far with using test scores for teacher pay and those things,” Wilson said.
Whitko School Board had only one race. Georgia Tenney received 1,262 votes to Phillip Menzie’s 546 votes for the District 1 race.
Joseph Begley was unopposed for the District 3 race.
There were no contested races for Wa-Nee School Board.
Voters could pick two candidates for the at-large seats, with candidates being Christina Eshelman and Shawn Johnson. Eric Brown was uncontested for the Wa-Nee Olive Township race, while Don Lehman was unopposed for the Scott and Jefferson townships race.[[In-content Ad]]
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