MILTON — Milton School Board President Joe Martin and Board Clerk Jennifer Johns are facing a contest with two other candidates on April 2.
The challengers are Annette Smith and Dan Hubert. The four candidates will vie for three seats. Board members are elected to three-year terms.
Current board member Dave Holterman, whose term expires in April, opted not to run for re-election.
Hubert did not immediately respond to The 69’s request for an interview.
Jennifer Johns
Johns has served on the board since October 2020.
“I decided to run for re-election because I believe I can have an impact on the students, staff and community. I am passionate about education and can see issues and concerns objectively with the district’s and taxpayers’ best interest in mind,” Johns said.
Johns looks at the district bullishly right now, saying “things right now are good.” She said the most important issue facing the district is how to make it financially sustainable.
“The board will need to continue to address challenges as it relates to poverty, classroom size, technology, state funding, transportation and the health and safety of the students. We will face these challenges as they present themselves, with our core values and mission as our guide,” Johns said.
Joe Martin
Martin has been on the board for six years.
“We will continue our efforts to help the community understand our needs and propose solutions that can fulfill our balanced goal of providing a high quality education for our students and be responsible to our taxpayers,” Martin said.
Martin also sees the need to be mindful of lack of funding.
“My goal has always been to balance a great educational experience for our students with responsible use of our available resources. I am running for the board to continue that mission,” Martin said. “Goals for the future will be focused on doing the most we can with our limited funds.”
Annette Smith
Smith retired from the Wisconsin Department of Instruction two years ago. Since then, she said, she has sought ways to serve and the school board allows her to do that and to use her experience. She worked in the Milton School District from 2000-2005. She also worked in various other districts, including the Oshkosh and Westosha Central High School districts.
Smith also served as the president of the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association. She is the current president of the Milton Public Library board of trustees and the Prairie Lakes Library System. She has served on the Milton Historical Society board of directors and the board for Wisconsin Educational Technology Leaders, of which she was a founding member.
“I want people to stay here and raise their families because their schools are high quality,” Smith said.
Smith also acknowledges a lack of funding to districts across the state.
“We are a low-spending district and we have hit a wall. We have had some challenges with that. I think funding will always be a challenge,” Smith said, adding that a second challenge is finding and retaining quality staff, and said that ties to funding.
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