JANESVILLE — Colton Measner, a 2023 Janesville Craig graduate, hopes to make it three times a charm.
Measner told The 69 Wednesday that he intends to run for a seat on the Janesville School Board, the third straight year he has done so.
“I feel like I can give a unique perspective to the board,” Measner said.
He said the issues he’ll concentrate on are safety, accountability, engagement and focusing on positive developments in the district while not dwelling on negative ones. Safety is a strong point in the district, he said.
“I think there is a focus on the negative. An example is the district report cards. I think we are doing a lot of good things and it’s only going to get better,” Measner said. “I think we should start focusing on the positive and not focus on the negative.”
The district had a “meets expectations” rating on its 2024-25 report cards from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. In 2023-24, it was rated “meets few expectations.” Its overall accountability score went up by 5.9 points this year from 55.7 to 61.6.
Measner said he’d like to see engagement in the district increase.
In a statement to The 69, he shared that he felt that he saw “room for improvement” in regards to community and parental involvement, as he has only seen only a handful of community members at school board meetings.
“In contrast, meetings about athletic cuts tend to draw much larger crowds. This difference highlights the need for greater engagement in all aspects of our district, not just athletics. Simply put, caring about every facet of our schools makes a difference,” Measner wrote in the statement.
On the flip side, Measner said the district needs to communicate with the public more as well.
“We have some big things coming down the pipeline. We have another referendum coming down the pipeline and we need to explain that to the public. We have the budget. We have what I call a health insurance crisis,” Measner said. “We have been really good with our budget and we have to explain we are doing good things with our budget. I would love to pay our teachers more but we can’t. There are things we have to do.”
Measner said accountability is another top issue in the district.
“It is also important that our teachers and administrators feel empowered to hold students accountable for their actions. They should be able to do so without fear of negative reactions from parents who may try to overturn disciplinary decisions. Supporting our educators in maintaining high standards is essential for student growth and a positive school environment,” Measner said.
Measner narrowly missed earning a seat on the board in the 2025 election. In the school board election, the top three finishers earn seats.
Julie Richardson was the top vote-getter with 9,826 votes, or 24%. Michelle Haworth had 7,652 votes, or 18%. Tyra Johnson had 6,418 votes, or 15%. Measner received 6,121 votes, also 15%.
In 2024, Measner received just over 19% of the vote with 3,826 votes. Elizabeth Paull was the top vote-getter with 5,840 votes, or 29%. Susan Johnson received 27% of the vote with 5,503 votes. Greg Ardrey had 24% of the vote with 4,798 votes. There were 77 write-in votes.
In Wisconsin, school board terms are three years.
