Election 2022: Meet the candidates for Lakeview School Board
Three candidates are running for two open seats on the Lakeview Schools Board of Education in the Nov. 8 election.
Board President Eric Greene and Trustee Sara Johnson are seeking re-election, with Jason Moore vying for a seat to serve a district that includes seven schools and a student population of about 4,000. The district is currently implementing $47 million in improvements following a bond measure that voters passed last spring.
The candidates are running for the open seats to serve alongside Kathleen Moore, Mary Jane Cipcic, Aisha Coulson-Walters, Melissa Metzger and Leah Ortiz.
The following information was submitted via questionnaires provided to each candidate:
Eric Greene
Growing up in the Belding area, Greene moved to Battle Creek in 2001, spending 11 years as a reporter and managing editor for the Battle Creek Enquirer. In 2012, he began working at Kellogg Community College, where he currently serves as vice president for strategy, relations and communications. He and his wife share two sons who currently attend Lakeview High School. He has served on Lakeview's school board since 2015, and was elected president in 2018.
Greene stated that during his tenure on the Board of Education, he has helped plan two voter-approved bond projects that collectively led to $70 million worth of upgrades for the district's buildings; advocated for policies that empower students and families, including fair dress codes and accessible alternative education; championed fiscal responsibility; helped conduct two superintendent searches; and led the board as president through the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The most pressing issue in Lakeview is the shortage of teachers, bus drivers, food service workers and other personnel across the district who work together as part of a large system to deliver education and services to our students and families," Greene wrote. "In Lakeview, we have increased salaries and other benefits to attract applicants. We must continue to be competitive when it comes to pay, but we must also make sure Lakeview is a place where employees are empowered to do their jobs effectively, offered opportunities to master their skills and afforded chances to advance their careers."
Greene stated that he is running for re-election, "because I want all Lakeview Spartans to succeed in the classroom, in extracurricular activities, in their chosen professions and in life. I sincerely believe in the life-changing power of education, the importance of public schools in society and the positive impact that school board members can have on the future of their community."
Sara Johnson
Johnson is a certified teacher with 17 years of classroom experience, the last nine with Lakeview Schools. She additionally currently serves as the program director of Burma Center in Springfield and her volunteer work includes facilitating workshops for Catalyst, a global nonprofit that helps build workplaces that work for women. She is married with two children who attend Lakeview schools.
Johnson stated that addressing Lakeview's staff shortage is among the district's most pressing issues and cited being fiscal stewards of the district among the greatest priorities for the Board of Education, as the district is receiving about $7.5 million combined from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
"These funds could be used to strengthen our infrastructure to serve our most vulnerable students," Johnson wrote. "Children need help relearning how to be in community with each other. We should expand opportunities for social interaction and relationship-building. We also need programming to address the learning gaps that widened during the pandemic. However, $7.5 (million) in spending shouldn’t be decided by one person. I recommend establishing an advisory committee with representation from as many constituent groups as possible – including students themselves."
Johnson is running for reelection because, "I have a unique understanding of the challenges and rewards of teaching, what it means to be an educator, and what that looks like specifically in this community. My background as an educator helps me ask questions that others might not think to consider. In addition, I’ve invested the last six years working with and for organizations that advocate for equity and inclusion for all. I have people who will hold me accountable to bring their perspectives to the table."
Jason Moore
Moore is a 1993 graduate of Lakeview High School and is married with two children, one a graduate of the district and the other currently attending Lakeview High School. He is a vice president and partner of a commercial construction company, and has volunteered in various roles for the district over the last 25 years.
Moore stated that teacher attraction and retention is among the biggest challenges the district faces, in addition to a need for better support services for students struggling with mental health due to the effects of the pandemic.
"We need to show our educators and community that we can be responsible stewards of money when received," Moore wrote. "I would support anything that would help classroom teachers to close the learning gaps created during this time. We also need to recognize that we have a staff shortage, and we need to put teacher recruitment and retention on the forefront, while supporting and creating initiatives for all students' mental health and wellbeing."
Moore is running for a seat on the Lakeview Board of Education because, "As an active community member for the past 25 years and now having a junior at LHS and a LHS Grad '21, I see the growth and evolution since I graduated, and it has inspired me. I have always valued serving my community and recently have felt that pull towards the school board. I hope to bring a distinct and unique perspective to the group along with a fiscal mind."
Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Election 2022: Meet Greene Johnson Moore candidates for Lakeview School Board
