Two veteran members are hoping to hold onto their seats on the Shawano School Board in Tuesday’s election, while a challenger is hoping to join the ranks of the board’s recent newcomers.
Incumbents Julie Van Dyck and Marcia Yeager, both of them with 15 years on the board, are seeking re-election in Area 4 and are being challenged by Beth McFarlane. The two top vote-getters will be elected to three-year terms.
If one of the incumbents is ousted, it would add to what’s become a slow overhaul of the board over the last couple of years.
Tyler Schmidt edged out veteran John Granchay two years ago. Derek Johnson and Bruce Milavitz joined the board last year.
The most recent addition, Michael Sleeper, was appointed to the board in October to replace Jim Heinz, who resigned in September amid concerns about the direction the district was headed.
Sleeper is also on Tuesday’s ballot, but has no challenger.
At present, only four members of the nine-member board have served for more than two consecutive terms.
Here are the candidates’ responses to a questionnaire provided by the Leader:
Name: Beth McFarlane
Age: 46
Family: Husband, Jeff; three daughters
Education: BA, University of Northern Iowa 1989
Employment: Social Studies teacher, Shawano Community High School, 1992‐98; business manager, Advanced Veterinary Services, 2006‐present
Experience: Six-year member of Sacred Heart Board of Total Catholic Education (president for two years). I have been involved in Junior Achievement, athletic booster and parent-teacher organizations.
Statement: “I am an experienced teacher who understands the need for communication between parent, teacher, administration and the school board — the entities responsible for making sure our students succeed. Being a taxpayer and small business owner, I understand the need to budget and prioritize in order to have a balance between needs and wants. While I will be a new face to the School Board, I am not new to how a school board functions. I bring to the board different perspectives and life experiences. I believe in and am passionate about education. I want to see our school district not only provide quality programs, but define quality programs that other districts want to copy. I will strive toward this goal while keeping in mind that the money entrusted to us by the hard-working people of this community is to be used wisely and with gratitude.”
Name: Julie Van Dyck
Age: 53
Family: Four children
Education: Master’s degree from Marquette University
Employment: Speech and language pathologist at Menominee Tribal School
Experience: Shawano School Board, 15 years; one of the founders of the Shawano Area Youth Football League; Junior Achievement teacher for middle school students; Rotary member
Statement: “I really do take pride in being a member of the Shawano School Board. It is a good school district, but I think there is always room for improvement. I’ve invested my time into educating myself through seminars offered by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and National School Boards Association because I think it’s important to keep up knowledge of current trends in education. The budget is always a concern. With our new business manager, there will be increased involvement of the board. We want to have a team approach to formulating the budget. We try to deliver the best education possible at a reasonable cost to the taxpayer. I want to look into untapped resources for funding.”
Name: Marcia Yeager
Age: 61
Family: Married, with three grown children
Education: Shawano High School, River Falls University, NWTC
Employment: I have worked for the Wisconsin Towns Association as a bookkeeper for 12 years and also am the bookkeeper for our family owned business, Yeager’s Sugar Shack.
Experience: Shawano Board of Education for 15 years, holding vice president and treasurer positions; member and president of the Wescott Cemetery Association for 26 years; coached volleyball at Shawano High School for seven years, and officiated high school volleyball for 10 years. I was a member and president of the Sacred Heart Booster Club for eight years.
Statement: “I have been very involved in the community throughout my life. I started the Partners In Education Program at Shawano School District, with the help of Cheryl Koening, and remained on board for nine years. I implemented the “Don’t Laugh at me Program” for the Shawano School District, which I think is so important, because it addresses bullying. I am seeking re-election because I truly believe in the value of education. I believe I have the experience necessary to meet some of the challenges that are facing the education system. This past year we have experienced a lot of positives for our district, and I am proud of some of the accomplishments we have made. The building of the Tech Ed Department has not only advanced the learning for our students, but is also building a partnership with businesses in the industrial park with the hopes of bringing revenue into our school. We need to continue to work together as a community and school district, so we can provide the best education for our students. I will continue to work hard and be a voice of the taxpayer.”