Novinska, Hughes Lead In Greendale School Board Primary
GREENDALE, WI — Results from Greendale's primary election for the Greendale School Board will narrow the field of six candidates seeking to fill two seats on the board.
The leaders in the race will progress to the general election in April, where Greendale voters will decide who earns the responsibility of serving on the Greendale School Board.
The primary comes with a mishmash of candidates, all with unique perspectives and goals for a district that has, like others across the country, been tasked with navigating the fallout of the pandemic.
Greendale School Board Primary Election
Unofficial results as of 9:36 p.m. on Tuesday. Results will be added and updated as they come in.
Thor Misko - Incumbent: 723
Tony Novinska: 917
Robert Kobleska: 867
Tassia Hughes: 944
Brian Bock: 761
Lorin Michael Schuhardt: 360
Candidates On The Issues
Dominating much of what candidates told Patch was a desire to improve academic achievement and strategy for navigating school safety measures as the pandemic continues.
Thor Misko, the incumbent since 2019 and current vice president of the Greendale Board of Education, said the district's priority "must remain on recovering learning loss from the pandemic and improving the academic achievement of every student."
"I have seen schools both succeed and fail, and I know the importance of school leadership to increasing the quality of education for its community," Misko said in a statement.
Misko said he's focused on the "ABC's - (A) access and opportunities for students, (B) better support and systems for staff, and (C) cost conscious decisions for residents."
The others, challenging Misko and seeking to fill the other available seat, have also expressed viewpoints on academic success.
Anthony Novinskia said an "uptick in dealing with social issues has overshadowed the decline in academic achievement."
"My top priority is raising the bar on academic achievement while maintaining fiscal responsibility," Novinska wrote. "Since 2010, I am seeing a decline in academic achievement. Specifically, math, language and reading."
"And, while the school district has done a good job overall in dealing with the Covid pandemic, three of my opponents, with the backing of the Teacher's Union have decided that they do not wish to move forward to normalcy any time soon," Novinska said. "A vote for them is a vote for continued academic decline and further covid restrictions far beyond what would be warranted," Novinska added in his statement.
Robert Kobleska spoke on academics, transparency and stability in the district.
"Academic excellence and achievement is at the top of my list. Greendale hasn't had stability in the district because we've had a revolving door in the Superintendent's Office for a number of reasons. We are now blessed to have Kim Amidzich," Kobleska wrote.
"Too often I have heard from parents and residents (who had or never had kids in the district) that they have reached out to the School Board and never heard back from them," Kobleska said. "If elected, I view the parents/residents of Greendale as my boss. I serve them and I owe it to them to get back to them and explain my reasoning or the boards reasoning on issues."
Tassia Hughes pointed to a desire to advocate for students in her answer to why she's running.
"I believe the primary work of the board of education is to advocate for our students. Children need to feel safe emotionally, physically and socially in order to thrive in a learning environment," Hughes said. "Children learn better when they aren't hungry or worried about being bullied by a child in their class. When outside stressors are removed, we all learn better. I also believe that the board must advocate for the teachers so they have the best possible environment to work in."
Hughes wrote one of the most pressing issues facing the district as well is maintaining quality staff.
"As a school board member, I would develop partnerships with local educational programs to help give the district a better avenue for hiring new graduates," Hughes said. "I would also look for ways to make substitute teaching more accessible to Greendale parents."
Brian Bock said a pressing issue facing the board is the lack of an effective dialogue between the community and the board, and within the board itself.
"As a healthcare worker, it is essential I listen to the patient and help guide their therapy for the best outcome," Bock said. "Listening to and coordinating with others is a skill I will bring to the board. I guarantee to listen to all members of the community and make a decision for the best outcome for the students of Greendale."
"The current board has struggled to be proactive in dealing with the pandemic and our schools. The reactive approach has led to frustration from all sides," Bock wrote.
"The biggest difference between me and all other candidates is my drive to fully understand an issue from all sides," Bock said.
Want to learn more about the candidates? See a list of them below with links to their responses to our questions:
Lorin Michael Schuchardt
Editors note: Patch reached out to all six candidates with questions about their campaign platforms.
This article originally appeared on the Greendale Patch
