Elections produce school board turnover

An 18-year veteran of the Gillett School Board was unseated, and incumbents in Oconto and Oconto Falls also were defeated in the April 1 election. Nanette Mohr earned 176 votes in the Gillett School Board election, ranking her last of four candidates on the ballot. Mohr served the Gillett School District for the past 19 years, with the exception of 2001-2002. Mohr declined to comment on the election. The results are as follows: Jamie Heroux 199 John Timm (i) 195 Brandon Lee Nygaard 179 Nanette Mohr (i) 175 School Superintendent Todd Carlson said Mohr did an outstanding job on the board and based her decisions on what was right for the students and the community. “We will miss the dedication Nanette had to her position, putting in many, many hours on committees, at workshops, attending conferences and meetings,” he said. Newcomer Jamie Heroux and incumbent John Timm were elected to three-year terms. Brandon Lee Nygaard was also on the ballot. Heroux said he is excited to be elected and will bring problem-solving skills, energy and professionalism to the position. His goal is to create an efficiently run district that has the best interest of the students in mind, he said. The Charter Governance Board’s recent decision to transfer computer equipment to the traditional school is a step in the right direction, according to Heroux. The school district operates two charter schools, CrE8 at the elementary school and GOAL at the secondary school. “A lot of the steps they’re taking right now to get technology in the classroom are very good, and a long-range plan on the future is a must,” he said. The newly elected board members will begin their terms April 28. A ceremonial oath of office will be administered at the board’s May meeting. Oconto Falls Oconto Falls School Board incumbent James Spang placed third on the ballot, behind winners Jan Stranz, an incumbent, and challenger Stephanie Leanna Wijas. Duane Rogatski rounded out the field, in fourth. Spang, elected in 2011, served one term. The results are as follows: Jan Stranz (i) 464 Stephanie Leanna Wijas 379 James Spang (i) 297 Duane Rogatski 235 In an email to the Times Herald, Leanna Wijas said she is honored to represent the Oconto Falls School District. “The unique perspective I bring to the board is that I am a mom of young kids in the district. While the board members are still parents, and quite a few have had children go through the OFSD, I believe that having children in the district gives me passion to work hard for them,” she wrote. She said she will rely on skills developed as a small business owner and her experience as a director for other organizations. “I am just grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the decision-making process for our district and look forward to working with the board to make the best possible decisions for our district,” she said. They will take the oath of office on April 14 and officially begin their term on April 28. Oconto The Oconto School Board also experienced turnover. For the rural seat, incumbent Diane Nichols, School Board president since 2009, lost to Linda Green, who returned to office after losing in the School Board election in 2013. Both women joined the School Board in 2007. For the school district’s city seat, Ryan Herald beat Jennifer Thiele. Neither has served on the board previously. The School Board will hold its reorganizational meeting with the new members on April 28. The results are as follows: Rural seat Linda Green 1,039 Diane Nichols (i) 525 City seat Ryan Herald 943 Jennifer Thiele 538 Suring The Suring School Board experienced no change. The same seven members have served since 2004. Incumbent Eugene School Jr. successfully reclaimed his position representing the towns of Bagley, Maple Valley and Spruce, beating Erika Olson Schindel. Two other incumbents ran unopposed and were re-elected: Cathleen Lundgren for the towns of Doty, Mountain and Riverview seat, and Mark Strehlow for the town of How seat. The results are as follows: Eugene School Jr. (i) 206 Erika Olson Schindel 176 Cathleen Lundgren 363 Mark Strehlow 340 Lena Lena’s School Board incumbent Lori Dufeck, running unopposed, was re-elected with 133 votes.