Fremont school board candidates Alex Gorobetz and Kara Eisenhauer present campaigns

Editor's Note: This is the second of three articles on the six candidates running for three seats on the Fremont City School board.

Kara Eisenhauer and Alex Gorobetz are both running for seats on the Fremont City School board.

Gorobetz is not an incumbent, but is a familiar name because of the 12 years he spent on the board. After not being on the board for two years, he said he misses it, but mostly he wants to be able to use his years of experience to contribute in a possible search for a new superintendent.

Preparing for superintendent's possible retirement

As he told the audience at the Oct. 12 Kiwanis candidate forum that it is his expectation is that Superintendent John Detwiler might be retiring. Gorobetz was on the board when Detwiler was hired.

"I've been off for two years and I miss it," Gorobetz said. "The primary function of the board is to hire and supervize the superintendent and the treasurer, and to develop policy that is consistent with the school district and desires of the community. I think we've done a pretty good job of that. When Mr. Detwiler does retire, he definitely will be missed. This school district has definitely been blessed with good superintendents over the last 50 years."

He said he was on the board during a period where there was significant construction with new buildings, repairs and renovations.

"It was a very active 12 years for the school board. It was among the most transformative 12 years the board has ever had, because the buildings needed to be replaced. They had outlived their life expectancy. Now we have state-of-the-art schools. That was not the case, prior to those 12 years," Gorobetz said.

Gorobetz is retired from the school district, after holding several positions, including having been a teacher for four years, at the beginning of his career and returning, after his retirement, as a substitute principal. He spent the majority of his career as the Special Education Supervisor, a position he stressed went through many changes while he held the position.

"It's important that the school board has a member that was in education, has worked in the schools and understands the day-to-day triumphs, the day-to-day losses, the heartache, the exhilaration. Each day in a school is different. Some days are good. Some days aren't so good," Gorobetz said.

He has also been the member of several other boards, including the Drug and Alcohol board and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Also seeking a school board seat on Nov. 7 is Fremont resident Kara Eisenhauer, who is running her first campaign.

"I am a product of Fremont and I have a vested interest in making sure that we have the highest quality of education for our kids, not only just because I am a product of it, but because I have two young children going through the system, so I want to ensure that we are doing the best for them as well," Eisenhauer said. "I personally feel like the education is not the same. The school systems have to make sure they are keeping up with the times, keeping up with the trends and keeping up with hearing and knowing what the community needs from our schools."

Eisenhauer feels she is particularly well plugged into the what the needs of the children and the desires of the community are.

"We need to know that we are providing the next quality to the next generation of education. Having children going through that next generation, I feel like I would have a great relationship with the community, in order to make sure that we are hearing all ends of the spectrum, so we are staying with the times and meeting the community's needs," Eisenhauer said.

She said those needs are regularly fluctuating.

"I know right now we are still trying to come out of the hump of COVID. I want to make sure we are providing a good education, to build those kids back up."

Safety and security of the children are also paramount to her.

"They need to make sure that we are providing the safest (schools), and are prepared and ready for anything to come to our schools," Eisenhauer said.

She added that with the new schools the current physical safety measures are where they are at the "utmost of advanced levels that that they can be, and I know they work closely with the Fremont police department."

Eisenhauer would also defer to police department guidance for future improvements.

"I trust in our education system, just like I trust in our Fremont police department," Eisenhauer said. "I would follow the guidance of our professionals."

She has a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and taught with WSOS Community Action (now known as GLCAP) for seven years, and runs an in-home childcare. She is a volunteer with the Fremont Recreation Department as a youth coach, with both Emerald's Soccer and with recreation center volleyball. She has also coached basketball, soccer, swimming and baseball. She is also active with Cub Scout Pack 302, assisting with one of the dens and doing fundraising.

Views on proposed Lifewise religion education program

Because it is a topic that has received a lot of interest by the public, each candidate in this school board series was asked about their position related to the Lifewise religious education program. Four local churches are promoting the Lifewise religious-instruction classes through the Lifewise academy with plans to offer voluntary, optional Bible-based classes once a week at an off-campus location during school hours. The release-time is based off a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

"I don't have a problem with the concept," Gorobetz said. "Personally, I think it would be better if it were held after school. My problem is with the disruption of the school day."

Eisenhauer also weighed in on the subject.

"This a law the school board has to follow," Eisenhauer said. "Unfortunately, it is the school board's job to uphold that law and be on that. Since it's a law the school board has to follow through with it.

"It's not going to be a financial (cost) or a liability against the school, so they don't have to worry about the repercussions of it, if anything were to happen, say if there were a car accident on the way to it. That liability would lie with the program that's taking them out."

rlapointe@gannett.com

419-332-2674

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Gorobetz and Eisenhauer, 2 of 6 to discuss campaigns for school board