8 candidates to face off in Maple School Board primary

Feb. 8—MAPLE — The School District of Maple will welcome three new school board members this spring; all three incumbents declared they will not be seeking reelection.

During the Feb. 21 primary, voters will determine which of the eight candidates vying for the seats will move on to the general election. District residents will be able to vote for up to three candidates on their ballot, with the top six moving on to the general election.

Three of the candidates are educators; two of them worked for the school district.

Science teacher Dan Cowley of Lake Nebagamon retired in 2022.

"I've invested 34 years of service as a teacher in the Maple School District and during that time did everything in my power, as a teacher, to make it a great place for students to learn," Cowley said. "I take a lot of pride in the Maple School District and want to see it continue to successfully meet the needs of the students who attend it."

The two biggest issues facing the district are funding and the ability to retain quality staff, he said.

"The school board will need to make calculated decisions to navigate these funding challenges so that the education of our students doesn't suffer," Cowley said. "As for retaining staff, for the last 12-13 years, we have lost many excellent staff members for a variety of preventable reasons. I have seen firsthand how these losses have negatively affected the morale of the remaining staff and the quality of the education provided to our students. This will continue to be a problem if the root causes of these losses are not addressed."

He aims to provide leadership and a common sense approach, leaning on his experiences as a teacher, parent, coach and employee in the district.

Retired educator James Streveler taught agriculture, industrial education and adult vocational classes at Northwestern High School and was a substitute bus driver for the district. He also served five previous terms on the Maple School Board, from 2003-2009 and 2011-2020. Streveler currently operates a small beef farm in Cloverland. He said he has positive ideas and experience to offer, as well as qualities that would serve the district well.

"Belief that all students should receive the best and equal opportunities we can provide; the will to train our students to be positively involved in our communities; the ability to communicate about district needs; the vision to see teaching opportunities for student-career preparation; the wish for more class use of school grounds, school forest, and our environment; and last, knowledge of how to balance the budget," Streveler said.

Poplar resident Jay Johnson, an associate professor with the Health and Human Performance Department at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, may be familiar to voters in another capacity, as assistant girls softball coach for Northwestern High School. In addition to his educational background, Johnson has experience in facility construction and fundraising. He has worked on projects ranging in cost from $100,000 to $22 million, most recently the Brule softball fields.

Johnson said he wants to advocate and promote the development of youth through programs, curriculum and facilities within the district.

His background in education, youth programs, curriculum, fundraising, facility development and previous administrative experiences "will provide insight and guidance to provide a positive academic and extracurricular experience for the youth of the Maple School District," Johnson said.

Katherine Brunette of Poplar, a physical therapist with Essentia Health, sees similarities between the medical and educational fields.

"Health care is being challenged in similar ways as our educational systems," Brunette said. "We need to find new and innovative ways to continue to provide excellent education in an environment that is rapidly changing. There are many organizations that schools can partner with to help prepare students for the workforce or furthering their education. To be successful as a district, we will need to build those relationships as we can't keep doing things the way they always have been and still remain a top school in the area."

She pinpointed teacher retention and financial challenges as the top issues facing the district. The Poplar woman said she wants to focus on building strong schools to support strong communities.

A veteran from Hawthorne is also seeking to serve on the board. Chris Jarman, an electrical engineer, served 17 years in the U.S. Navy reserve.

"I'm running for the kids," Jarman said. "I'm called to serve the community. I want to help our kids develop and perform as highly as possible."

He pinpointed student learning loss and funding as the biggest issues facing the school district.

"We need to rebuild the connections between the students, teachers and the community that were lost due to distance learning," Jarman said, and be prudent with the resources the district has.

What does he hope to accomplish on the board?

"I'm a problem-solver," Jarman said. "I bring a can-do attitude, a bit of optimism and a commitment to serving every kid in our community."

Vince Hursh, a senior quality engineer with Cirrus Aircraft, said it would be a privilege to serve the school district. The Maple man said he's thankful for the great teachers and staff at Northwestern and wants that excellence to continue.

"As a husband, father, and member of this community, I try hard to reject passivity, accept responsibility and lead courageously. Serving on the school board is one additional means to be an active participant in the growth and development of our children," Hursh said.

Increasing student achievement needs to be a continued focus, he said, but there are other important issues that need to be addressed as well — the mental well-being of students and the budget challenge.

In addition to being good stewards of the resources the district has, the Maple man is interested in seeking additional opportunities, methods and strategies for the board to consider.

"Collaboration with business is an effective way to inspire and provide experience for students. It's also a means to provide much needed capital to our district," Hursh said.

Business owner Dan Diamon of Poplar wants to see the district take a holistic approach to the care of students and staff.

"How can we create an environment where each student feels supported?" he said, one where they have the tools they need to overcome the negative things going on in their lives and thrive.

Another key component, he said, is creating an environment where every teacher, aide and staff person wants to work in the Maple School District.

"I believe this goes beyond money," Diamon said. "What can we do to create the school that all high caliber professionals want to be a part of? What would that look like?"

Funding education is another big issue facing the district, one that the Poplar man would like to take on.

"We need a system that works for us," Diamon said. "If we bring the right minds to the table and look at how we fund education and come up with a structure that would work better, we could get families from around the state to push for change."

Steve Probst of Iron River said he has been consistently impressed with the district's teachers, parents and staff he's connected with and wants to support them.

"I don't have an agenda or an ax to grind," said Probst, with the Bayfield County Forestry Department. "I believe that our schools and our community are deeply connected and that one cannot succeed without the other."

Two of the biggest issues facing the district, he said, are how to prepare students to succeed in a changing world and budget pressures. While serving as the Town of Iron River chairman, Probst said, the board eliminated a structural deficit, put the town's budget on a sustainable track and applied for and received nearly $2 million in grant funds.

"These are the types of solutions that the school board will need to utilize to help our students thrive," Probst said.

He also wants to look at collaborating with local employers to help students understand regional opportunities and make investments to ensure students have the resources they need to be successful.

If elected, Probst said he wants to serve as the bridge between administrators, parents, teachers and community members to work together to prepare the future generation for success.

Age: 40

Residence: Poplar

Family: I have been married for 15 years to my husband, Lenny Brunette. We have three children in the Maple School District: Olivia, Ethan and Emily; and a dog named, Ivy. We moved to the Maple School District from Superior in 2014 as we wanted our children to go to school out here.

Current Employment: I have worked as a physical therapist for Essentia Health for 15 years, with the last five years being in the rehab manager role at St. Mary's Hospital-Superior.

Age: 58

Residence: Lake Nebagamon

Family: I've been married to Judy Cowley for 37 years and we've lived in Lake Nebagamon since 1988. I have one son, Joseph, who graduated from Northwestern in 2004; and three grandchildren, Landon, 7, Benji, 6, and Hudson, 6 months, who also live in Lake Nebagamon.

Occupation: I retired in 2022 from teaching science in the Maple School District for 34 years. During my time as a teacher, I also coached track, volleyball and boys basketball. I served as the Science Department Chairperson at Northwestern High School from 2011-2022. I also served as a member of the school district's Teacher Compensation Committee made up of teachers, administration and school board members from 2015-2022.

Civic and community engagement: I organized and supervised the boy's fifth and sixth grade basketball Hoop League, as well as traveling basketball teams for grades 5-8 for 15 years. I organized and supervised basketball leagues, camps and open gyms for over 20 years. I served as a volunteer member of the Northwestern High School Scholarship Committee and the National Honor Society Committee for several years.

Age: 62

Residence: Poplar

Family: Married my college sweetheart 42 years ago; three adult children; and four grandchildren, with a fifth on the way.

Occupation: I own a promotional marketing company that works with businesses in aviation around the nation.

Civic and community engagement: Past president of Superior Rotary, board member Voyageurs Area Council Boy Scouts of America, youth coach at Mission Covenant Church, numerous boards around the area.

Age: 49

Residence: Maple

Family: Wife of 25 years, three daughters

Occupation: Senior quality engineer, Cirrus Aircraft

Civic and community engagement: Graduate of Northwestern. Moved back to this community to raise my family in 2004. Active member of a local church, having served with a variety of ministries for men, youth and families. Currently serving on the finance board.

Age: 54

Residence: Hawthorne

Family: I have been married 27 years and have eight children.

Occupation: I'm an electrical engineer. I work on projects that utilize Medium Voltage Drive packages.

Civic and community engagement: I served 17 years in the Navy Reserve, two years as a Seabee and 15 years as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer; more than 20-year volunteer with Boy Scouts of America; past president of the Superior Optimist Club; member of American Legion, Knights of Columbus, and parish council.

Residence: Poplar

Personal information: Single; two daughters who graduated from Northwestern High School; 20 years in the Maple School District.

Current Employment: Associate professor of Health and Human Performance with the University of Wisconsin-Superior for 29 years.

Civic and community engagement: Assistant girls softball coach for Northwestern High School. Coached sports related to football, basketball, golf, tennis and track and field at age levels ranging from fourth grade to college. Background in Education, Sport, Commercial and Residential Facility Construction and Fundraising. Projects have ranged from $100,000 to $22 million. Most recently the development of the Brule Softball Fields.

Age: 49

Residence: Iron River

Family: I've been married to my wife, Beth, since 2008. We have one son, Jake, who is in fourth grade at Iron River Elementary.

Occupation: I've worked in the Bayfield County Forestry Department for 24 years as the assistant forest administrator.

Civic and community engagement: I was a member of the Iron River Town Board for four years and was the chairman of the Town of Iron River for five years. I have been a member of the Iron River Planning Commission for the last six years. I am also currently the president of the Iron River Cooperative's Board of Directors. I have coached youth baseball and an RBA youth basketball team. I assist with the local Parent Teacher Organization and chaperone school field trips.

Age: 76

Residence: Cloverland

Family: Married to my wife, Carol, for 54 of my 76 years; we have six children, all graduates of Northwestern High School.

Occupation: Retired Northwestern High School agriculture and industrial education teacher; adult Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College vocational instructor at Northwestern High School; and substitute school bus driver for the Maple School District. Currently operate a small beef farm.

Civic and community engagement: I have been active on town and county comprehensive planning committees, an active church member, a volunteer firefighter and involved in area agriculture. Served five terms on the Maple School Board, from 2003-2009 and 2011-2020.

This story was updated at 1:25 p.m. Feb. 9 with a higher resolution photo of Katherine Brunette. It was originally posted at 5 p.m. Feb. 8.