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Two of the seats for District 2 and District 5 will feature new representatives because incumbents Vicki Englich and Fred Petersen decided not to run for re-election.
In District 4 — which includes the Dakota, Homer, Richmond, Wilson, Pleasant Hill, Wiscoy, Hart, Warren and New Hartford communities — a primary will be held Sept. 9 to decide which two candidates will run for the seat in November.
Three of the candidates either currently or at one time taught at Winona State University. A fourth has worked at Franciscan Skemp Healthcare in La Crosse, Wis., for almost 30 years.
Only one of the candidates —incumbent Kelly Herold — has held a public office.
The Daily News offers voters an introduction to all four candidates, including their bios, their experience and their issues of interest.
DAVID KULAS
AGE: 61
PROFESSION: Retired educator and business owner.
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE: Kulas says he has secondary teaching licenses in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, and that he did substitute work in Winona, Wabasha, Lewiston, Lanesboro and other districts. He taught in the Winona State University computer science department for four years, and says he taught at Holmen High School in Holmen, Wis., for six years.
ON WHY HE’S RUNNING: “I have a background in running a business and in the education field,” Kulas said. “I’ve got an unusual combination of skills that would be helpful to a school district and it’s one that I am familiar with.”
ON THE NUMBER OF GRIEVANCES FILED BY TEACHERS: Kulas said his impression is that, “(Superintendent Paul) Durand came in here, took over from two other superintendents who might have been a little lax to adhering to the contract and the rules in it, and I also understand there were almost 200 policies that hadn’t been updated in I don’t know how long. Things were run a little loose before, and now teachers have to adhere to the contract and the rules. Because they can’t do as they did before. He’s just enforcing the rules, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong from that.”
GREG FELLMAN
Attempts to interview Fellman for this article were unsuccessful. Information was used from past interviews and a draft of a position paper released to the media.
AGE: 51
PROFESSION: Fellman has worked at Franciscan Skemp Healthcare in La Crosse, Wis., since 1980. For the past 12 years, he has been its controller-accounting director.
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE: Has worked on a WAPS budget redesign committee and a capacity reduction committee. He ran for one of two open at-large board seats in 2006, losing to John Goplen and Stacey Mounce-Arnold. He ran for the District Four seat in 2004, losing to Herold.
ON THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD: Fellman says the board should be an oversight entity that “makes decisions that are above board, transparent to all and in the best interest of the whole district.”
ON WHAT HE SEES AS THE BIG ISSUES: “It does appear that the board and the administration and the teachers don’t get along,” Fellman said. “There always seems to be conflict, and that shouldn’t be. There needs to be a better working relationship between all three groups. And as always there will be financial challenges. They are eating out of the fund balance, and I think I can bring some expertise and ask some questions.”
JEAN LEICESTER
AGE: 67
PROFESSION: Retired from WSU in 2006.
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE: Most recently, Leicester was the chair of the WSU’s education department. Before becoming a professor at the university, she taught in middle schools and high schools in California, and was a primary school special education teacher. Leicester was also a principal of a k-12 school in Colorado.
ON WHY SHE IS RUNNING: “My whole life has been leading me to this place,” Leicester said. “Public education is in my blood.”
ON HOW THE BOARD SHOULD RELATE WITH THE TEACHER’S UNION: “I know that it is important that teacher organizations play an important role for advocating for teacher interests. That’s how it should be. They don’t always advocate in a pleasant way, and it just seems to me that in communicating as a board it is important to not get defensive, because that escalates the discussion, and that goes for both sides.”
ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LEADER: “The real measure for me of a leader is how they conduct themselves in difficult times,” Leicester said. “Can you hold your ideals and the goals of the district strong through those times, being mindful that it is important for people to voice their views?”
KELLY HEROLD
Attempts to interview Herold for this article were unsuccessful. Quotes were taken from a candidate forum on Thursday.
AGE: 47
PROFESSION: Professor of communication studies at WSU.
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE: Herold was elected in 2004 to the District Four WAPS board seat. He is the clerk-treasurer and is on the negotiations and legislative committees. His school responsibilities are Jefferson Elementary, the Winona Area Learning Center and Community Education.
ON THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT’S FINANCES: “We are going to start deficit spending this year. Who ever is going to serve on this board has to make some really difficult decisions. We are going to have to cut millions of dollars in the next four years, almost guaranteed.”
ON WHAT HE’S DONE ON THE BOARD: “Since I’ve been on the board I’ve led the way at the ALC, which is a great thing,” Herold said. “Additions to the library at W-K, Madison’s program, Central has a new adult education program there. I’ve done a lot serving on long-term planning, as a legislative lobbyist and as Jefferson’s representative, and I think I will continue to serve the district well.”
