portage school board candidates

padding-top: 8px; .clearfix { padding-left: 16px; Michael OGrady, a resident background-color: #f9d334; Firstly, improving Department of Public Instruction scores, which have fallen over the last five years. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. margin-bottom: .75em; } margin-top: 1px; max-width: 75px; There is a saying that good communities make good schools, and good schools make good communities. Winners are noted with an asterisk. Behnke was on the ballot in the general election on April 4, 2023. I bring a wealth of qualification and experience to the Board: I myself am a K-12 public school educated student. One area of improvement may be to better integrate other extracurricular activities beyond sports such as music, arts, and science throughout the district. I think that taking away money from local school districts to give vouchers to other cities makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, I'm totally against that there is a place for the voucher program, but not to the extent that it's being proposed right now and to rob one entity to give it to another to that extent just makes no sense to me whatsoever. It doesnt focus enough on our future, and the kids are our future. .votebox_legend .non_result_row { .votebox-results-cell--check { WebMattawan Consolidated Schools Parchment School District Portage Public Schools Schoolcraft Community Schools Vicksburg Community Schools Click here to find contact information for your local clerk in Kalamazoo County. We are focused on providing challenging and applicable learning for all students - from top achievers through our IB program, to help for students who need it. .electionsectionheading { margin-right: 10px; Under state law, school board members are state officers who carry out the states .mw-content-ltr td.votebox-results-cell--text, .votebox-results-metadata-p { Rathburn, 55, is the president and owner of Rathco Safety Supply, Inc. color: #0645ad; We need to grasp that we are not only a current and future farm-related district, rather we also are a growing suburban destination town, he said. = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. } Shlimovitz: Well, I would be the only female. But, my advice has always been to do what you can because it will help you learn and understand that your voice and opinion is critical to the success of our educational initiatives. display: inline-block; What specific steps should the board take to ensure that students have a safe and successful academic year in view of Covid-19? background: #4c4c4c; } background-color: #f9f9f9; Learn more about Keving Belson. font-weight: bold; Stevens Point Precincts Reported: 28/28. font-size: 0.9em; Spelling and grammar were not corrected. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). } if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? Like Ives, Levzow also raised two Pardeeville graduates, and hopes to make continual improvements for future PASD students. font-weight: bold; color: black; Larson: As a former PPS student, teacher, & mother of four - 1 PPS grad and 3 current students - Ive experienced Portage Public Schools from multiple viewpoints. (bottom row, from left) Bo Snyder, Dean Prowse, write-in Derek Dee and Kevin Hoffer. Connie Shlimovitz and Dave Voelker are both vying to be the person who fills the chair. Our kids. DR: Why should people vote for you to take a seat on the board? School safety has to remain a top priority. I enjoy having discussions with people who have different opinions or beliefs than my own. vertical-align: middle; overflow-x: auto; margin-top: 1em; Police Chief Troy Williams faces Joan L. Machuca in District 1. State legislature | Being willing to listen, collaborate and find the best path forward is what I do best. Visit the Vote411 voter guide online for Dees responses, Click here for more of MLives Election Day coverage, here for full coverage of Kalamazoo-area elections. overflow-y: hidden; State Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, attended the Portage Central walkout. Please subscribe to keep reading. } top: -1px; I have learned how to have a cool head and diffuse difficult situations, treating everyone with dignity and respect. .contact_office { margin-top: 0.3em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} PORTAGE, MI-- There are three school board seats on the ballot this year for the Nov. 8 Portage Public Schools election. By being there, you tell your child that they, and their education, matter. Few people will have heard of me, but Im a hard worker and I listen to people and Im willing to roll up my sleeves and get to work. This is a great way to give students HOPE after graduation - for a great paying job, that they understand how to do college etc. } I have been a school board trustee since February 2015,when I filled a vacant seat and then won re-election for my first term election seat. padding-bottom: 3px; padding:7px 8px 8px; Donate.

PORTAGE, MI -- All four incumbents will remain in their seats on the Portage Public Schools Board of Education.

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Write-In Derek Dee and Kevin Hoffer their academic success than my own amazing teachers who truly care about!. Where every student can find an activity to enjoy vertical-align: middle ; overflow-x: ;. Published: Oct. 18, 2022, 9:45 a.m be found at Vote411.org other,.

Our community is our strength, they have supported many important referendums. Im running because experience countsespecially as we navigate this pandemic. As a parent of four Portage Public Schools graduates52 years of schooling!I understand parents choices. }

2023 Advance Local Media LLC. If elected, board newcomer Paul Hees has three key items hed like to get to work on right away. DR: What is your opinion on Gov. | The fact that we have an experienced, well-functioning, cohesive board has been key to making good decisions in a time of uncertainty and unprecedented challenge. Michigan is taking longer than many states to count its votes - heres why, Michigan 2020 live election results: President, Congress and ballot proposals, Trump campaign threatens lawsuit to stop Michigan vote counting. It is vital to continuously improve on our tradition of success at PPS. I think we often look at mentoring programs as ways to help academically superior or disadvantaged students, but a large community-based mentoring program can also be a great way to displace some of that work and stress on teachers by extending the circle of adults that kids can rely on. Here is a look at the seven school board candidates: Visit the Vote411 voter guide online for Dees responses, and to learn more about the all candidates and issues on your ballot. text-align: center; Voelker: It's my goal to make every kid that graduates to just be that little half a step better than anybody else when they graduate so they can be one-step up on the world, so to speak, so that they're prepared. The vote will almost certainly come down to mail-in ballots. School districts | } You can cancel at any time. We will continue to proceed with care, listening to the CDC, the Governors office, the county health department, our superintendent, and other experts as we navigate the safest ways to educate students in a pandemic. Seven candidates to appear on ballot for Portage School Board election Published: Oct. 18, 2022, 9:45 a.m. I have been very involved in my childrens education and our school buildings in Portage and want to continue to be involved in a bigger and better way. Please subscribe to keep reading. Kalamazoo and Portage School Board Candidates Explain Why They're Running WMUK reached out to each of the candidates running for Board of Education in }

border-bottom: 1px solid grey; The Rootstown Local School District 7 Renewal Tax Levy 11 Springfield Local School District (Suffield E, split 2) 8 Additional Income Tax Prowse, 51, is a stay-at-home dad who spent a lot of time helping in the schools. color: white; } Providing the support our students need to achieve their greatest potential creates a good environment for our students. Information on other state, county and local primary races can be found at Vote411.org.

PORTAGE, MI -- All four incumbents will remain in their seats on the Portage Public Schools Board of Education. Droppers, 63, is a senior vice president working in private wealth management. color: white; About 200 schools across the nation joined the walkouts, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Portage School Board candidates give views on education. margin-top: 0px; WebTwo candidates are seeking the vacant city seat on the Portage School Board left open by Mary Ann Kindschi. Dees name will not appear on Portage ballots, but has filed as a write-in candidate. I am a PPS Graduate. 8107 Mustang Drive, Portage, MI 49002 overflow: hidden; I feel my commitment to excellence, my love for this community and my 12+ years of experience qualify me for another term on the PPS Board of Education, especially when considering the current challenges we face. Ballotpedia features 407,096 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers.

WebCurrent: Candidate Information; Candidate Information 2023 Candidate Forms. .widget-row { Extracurricular activities are abundant, where every student can find an activity to enjoy. My wife and I chose PPS for the educational opportunities for our kids, two of which currently attend. Before joining the district, my kids received a solid foundation of learning through Charter, Homeschooling, and the Math and Science Center.

letter-spacing: 0.03em; Spelling and grammar were not corrected. .inner_percentage.Republican { } } Keith Crowell, 60, has over 20 years of experience working in senior executive positions in healthcare and other nonprofit organizations. I think thats a benefit. Angie Engelmann did not respond to requests for comment. I want all children to have the opportunity to grow to love learning & experience the pride in themselves when they have truly done their best. But we need to let families know about programs like Early Middle College that provide free vocational training and college experience. } She is on the National Dairy Promotion & Research Board and Foremost Farms USA Board. When members have connections to the school district, such as a spouse employed within it or a business working with it, then those board members must abstain from voting on such items as personnel or technology, according to Portage School District Administrator Charles Poches. One silver lining of COVID-19 is that we have seen increased community engagement with our board. Theres even an Archery Team! Crowell: The effectiveness of our students education begins with the involvement and support of parents. Portage Republican mayoral candidates John Cannon, on right, and Austin Bonta participate in a debate held by the League of Women Voters at Woodland Park on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. overflow-x: scroll; font-size: .9em; left: 0px; Learn more about Emily Crawford. } Randy Van Antwerp, 70, is a retired packing industry executive with bachelors and masters degrees from Western Michigan University and a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. In 11 years on the board, Ive developed positive relationships with school administrators, teachers, parents, and Portage citizens. MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. Each student deserves the best resources, technology, teachers and role models to succeed. background-color: grey; } text-align: left !important; width: 57%; .non_result_row div { The election for these seats will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. } Knowing your childs teachers, coaches, and other parents is a huge step in supporting your students success in education, as well as their social and emotional success. How much class time do we lose each year from illness that might be mitigated with better hygiene? width: 50px; What are the most important safety issues facing our schools? Five candidates are vying for three seats on the Pardeeville school board in the Tuesday, April 4th election. While learning is paramount, engaging kids, empowering kids and giving them hope is key to assuring kids on the future. display: block; They genuinely care about the students & their academic success. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { What are the most positive characteristics or qualities of the school district ones that support student academic achievement and personal development? It requires regular drills to maintain preparedness. Incumbents Kurt Droppers, Teresa Novaria, Rusty Rathburn and Bo Synder are challenged by two candidates, Kevin Hoffer and Dean Prowse, and write-in candidate Derek Dee for four seats on the board leading Portage schools. Shlimovitz:I think we need to start to take a look at the entire picture, we tend to take a look at just staffing or just programs or just technology and I think we dont do a very good job of how they work together. This will be an asset to the Board. padding-bottom: 8px; I think we really need to improve on our communication and Act 10 hurt every district immensely, but I think we need to get back to that whole idea of consensus building, making decisions together. Federal courts | } max-width: 600px; overflow-y: auto; } PORTAGE, MI -- There are seven candidates looking to win seats on the Portage Public Schools Board of Education. This summer the park will have a celebra. There is an us vs them mentality currently present and a feeling that decisions are being made in secret. } font-size: 16px; Larson: Portage has amazing teachers who truly care about students! Primary votes Tuesday backed two newcomers in the three-way race for Portage County executive. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. WebTwo seats on the Portage School Board are up for election April 6, with one incumbent running unopposed and the other facing a challenger. .inner_percentage, .inner_percentage.Nonpartisan, .inner_percentage.Independent, .inner_percentage.Constitution, .inner_percentage.unknown { Droppers is a senior vice president working in private wealth management. Teachers, parents, students, and community members want to be heard and respected.