One Sheboygan school board seat is up for election April 5. Meet the candidates here.
SHEBOYGAN - This April, three seats are up for election on the nine-member Sheboygan Area School District board. Only one seat is contested.
Mark Mancl and Susan Hein are running for re-election unopposed for two out-of-city seats on the school board.
Christopher Domagalski and Mary Lynne Donohue are both running for an in-city seat after incumbent Marcia Reinthaler did not seek re-election.
Board members serve a three-year term and are paid an annual salary of $3,000. The board President and Vice President, which are elected each year at an April meeting, are paid $4,300 and $3,650 per year, respectively.
The Sheboygan Press asked Domagalski and Donohue why they're running for school board and what issues they would seek to address if elected. Here's what they said.
The Sheboygan branch of the American Association of University Women also hosted a live candidate forum in March. A recording is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsiqCTuJGvs.
Meet the candidates
Name: Christopher Domagalski
Address: 3225 N. Sixth St., Sheboygan
Age: 54
Occupation: City of Sheboygan Police Chief
Education: Bachelor's degree from Concordia University Wisconsin, graduate studies at the University of Virginia and Marquette University
Relevant experience: My relevant experience includes that I am the father of five children, four who have attended Sheboygan area schools. I have served as a volunteer coach and youth mentor in the district and I have served on the boards of nonprofit and governmental organizations. I am a lifelong learner and a good listener.
Name: Mary Lynne Donohue
Address: 418 St. Clair Ave., Sheboygan, WI 53081
Age: 72
Occupation: Pro-bono attorney, community volunteer
Education: Bachelor of Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1971. Master of Arts, UW-Madison, 1976; Juris Doctor, UW-Madison, 1979; Master of Arts, UW-Milwaukee, 2016
Relevant experience: I was in the active practice of law for 33 years, 31 of those years in Sheboygan. I served on the Sheboygan Area School District Board of Education, 1996-2002; alderperson, Sheboygan Common Council, 2012-2021, including chairing the Finance Committee and the Licensing, Hearings and Public Safety Committee and representing the city on the Mead Public Library Board of Trustees. I served on Sheboygan Police and Fire Commission 1999-2004 and Sheboygan Civil Service Commission 2005-2008, and in the community, I served as the president of the boards of Sheboygan Head Start, Family Connections, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, the American Association of University Women and as moderator/president of First Congregational Church. I am married to Judge Tim Van Akkeren and the mother of two wonderful sons.
Why are you running for a seat on the school board?
Domagalski: My decision to run for the school board comes from my lifelong interest in public service and my experience with the Sheboygan Area School District. I come from a family that stressed the importance of education. My mother was an elementary school teacher, and my father was a longtime instructor in the technical college system. Two of my sisters became elementary school teachers and I have taught as an adjunct instructor in the technical college system. I believe that our educational system provides the building blocks for future success and helps to open doors of opportunity. Some of my experience with the district comes from my experience as a father and having four of my children attend schools in the district, with three graduating from North High and one a student at North. I also have experience with the district from my time as a lunch buddy with Big Brothers Big Sisters. By spending time in the schools volunteering, I was able to experience firsthand both the good work done in our schools and many of the challenges we face as a community. I have a strong interest in giving back to the district and helping to ensure that students continue to receive the opportunities and support needed to succeed.
Donohue: I grew up in Sheboygan, and graduated from North High School. I know from that experience, as well as sending our two boys to Sheboygan Area School District schools, that a good, well-funded public education is the very foundation of a healthy, functioning democracy. As a fierce supporter of our public schools, I want to bring my skills, knowledge and deep leadership experience to help the school district work its way back from the disruption and hardship the pandemic has caused for our students, families and staff. The school district has accomplished a great deal in addressing these very tough issues, but so much remains to be done to prepare our children for the future.
What makes you a good candidate in this race?
Domagalski: The experience that I bring to the school board comes from my 30 years of experience as a law enforcement officer and my 12 years as a law enforcement and community leader. My law enforcement experience has given me a very strong picture of many of the challenges we face as a community, how these challenges impact our schools and the opportunities we have as a community to address and mitigate these challenges. These challenges are not unique to our schools, but rather are seen in and impact many of our systems and everyday life. I have experience working within and across systems to solve problems and deliver improved services. My involvement helping to establish a drug treatment court in Sheboygan County is one example of this type of work. I also have significant experience working on the boards of nonprofit and governmental organizations in our community and across the State.
Donohue: A good school board member is smart, pays attention, works hard to understand complex issues, has an open mind, listens intently, isn’t afraid to speak up, works to bring all voices and perspectives to the table, and is always respectful. In a word, this is leadership. I learned this first-hand while serving on the SASD board from 1996 to 2002, including my last year as board president. In the extensive legal, government and community work that I have been involved in since moving back to my wonderful hometown forty years ago, I have learned that an organization is as good as the board of directors that governs it. I bring to this race all the lessons I have learned from my service to the community. Some of those lessons were easy to learn; some of the most important were difficult. But my knowledge, my long-standing commitment to this community, and my energy will make me a good school board member.
What are the most important challenges facing the schools during the pandemic? If elected how will you address them?
Domagalski: The most important challenge facing Sheboygan schools is keeping the children of Sheboygan in school and engaged in their education and development. The pandemic has caused disruption in all our lives, but has impacted many of our children more severely. We must be focused on assessing where students have lost ground academically as well as identifying the social and emotional impacts that have also resulted. If elected I will work with the other board members, district staff, parents, students and business leaders to identify these ongoing impacts and ensure that district resources are focused on closing the gaps and mitigating the impacts the pandemic has had on student development. The school district is an economic, social and cultural driver in our community. Many of the negative impacts of the pandemic on our students will negatively impact our community long term if not addressed. When making decisions in response to the pandemic going forward, I will be cognizant of the long-term impacts and potential outcomes associated with my decision making. The board will need to continue to be forward looking and preparing the district to adapt to a world of continuing change. This includes tracking and planning for enrollment changes and ensuring that the district has the right infrastructure and resources to support the district’s future needs.
Donohue: Two challenges related to the pandemic stand out, although there are many to pick from. The first is the toll the pandemic has taken on the academic performance and mental health of students, families and staff. The isolation, uncertainty and anxiety caused by the pandemic have deeply impacted our students, which, in turn, impacts students’ learning and academic performance. Some children have processed this upheaval and are adjusting well to being back in school. But many have not. We need to make sure that our students are supported academically, feel safe in their buildings, and have access to ample counseling and mental health services.
The second issue relates to the federal money that the district has received to assist in COVID-19 recovery. ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds from the federal government have been a true lifeline for our district as it struggles to cope with COVID-19 costs and chronically underfunded state revenues, as well as major staff shortages, including substitute teachers. ESSER funding will not continue indefinitely to help with these issues. To the extent that ESSER funds are used (and reasonably so) for operational costs, budgeting for loss of those funds will be particularly challenging within the next two years. If the district focuses, as it is currently doing, on bringing student achievement back to pre-pandemic levels, setting our sights for even higher academic success will require thoughtful, imaginative and innovative fiscal planning.
How to vote
To vote, people must be registered and present a photo ID. People can register to vote online at myvote.wi.gov, in person at their municipal clerk's office or at the polling place the day of the election.
People can also register to vote by mail by printing out the voter registration form from elections.wi.gov and mailing it to their municipal clerk.
In-person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on April 5.
People must vote at the polling location of the ward they live in. Because of redistricting, some wards may have changed. People can determine their voting location at myvote.wi.gov or by calling their municipal clerk's office.
Reach Maya Hilty at 920-400-7485 or MHilty@sheboygan.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @maya_hilty.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan school district: Meet candidates running for school board
