Mequon-Thiensville race draws a crowd

Mequon - Seven candidates - two of them incumbents - are throwing their hats into the ring for three open seats on the Mequon-Thiensville School Board this spring.

The large turnout can be attributed, in part, to a number of hot-button issues that have bubbled to the surface within the past year, including the controversial decision to move to a trimester schedule at Homestead High School in the fall.

As with many districts, Mequon-Thiensville has been facing budget shortfalls, which also has caused concern within the community as the debate between property taxes and competitive educational opportunities continues.

The field of candidates, running on a variety of platforms, will be narrowed to six after the primary election Feb. 21.

In the weeks ahead, each person will be spreading the word about their candidacy and sharing their viewpoints. Below is a brief synopsis of each candidate's views.

Ed Allen

Allen has two kids in the school system - an eighth-grader at Lake Shore Middle School and a freshman at Homestead High School. He is running on a platform with fellow candidates Gary Laev and Cheryle Rebholz that criticizes the School Board's decision in July to move to a trimester system.

"Math will not be taught year-round and for me, personally, that's a very big issue," Allen said. "The school district has been facing many issues, but I want my kids to continue having a chance at a quality education that adequately prepares them for the future."

Allen, a partner in the firm Eclipse Design Technologies, said he has 25 years experience dealing with budgets ranging from $1 million to $1 billion.

"I think my experience in budgeting would be an asset to the School Board," Allen said. "I can take a look at what the school district is facing because I know what it's like to run a business."

Stephanie Clark

Clark has been involved in a variety of nonprofit organizations, including leadership roles in PTOs for Steffen Middle and Homestead High schools. Running for School Board, she said, was another means of giving back to the community.

With about 80 percent of Homestead graduates going on to four-year colleges and universities and 20 percent moving on to technical schools, the military and the workforce, Clark said she would like to embark on curriculum and initiatives "that get kids thinking globally."

Because she has served in a variety of capacities in the school district - other roles include serving as president of the PTO Council and a seat on the Mequon-Thiensville Parks and Recreation Committee - Clark said she would be able to bring multiple perspectives to the board.

"I might be new to this, but I believe in this school district; I've got the passion," said Clark, who has two children in the district. "I see the big picture. I understand all of the moving areas of our school district."

Gary Laev

Laev, the owner of a Grafton-based distribution business, said he is concerned about what he perceives to be a diminishing emphasis on a core subject - math - through the new trimester system. The subject area is a key part of the day-to-day operations of his business.

"I believe in the concept of kids first," said Laev, who has children at Lake Shore Middle and Homestead High schools. "I am extremely concerned about what's been happening this past year. (The trimester schedule change) is going to impact people in high school and those who are about to start going there."

Laev said his varied professional and educational background - he has degrees in electrical engineering and German literature - bring a unique, global perspective to the School Board.

"There is something wrong," Laev said of current practices. "If I'm on the School Board, I'll be representing the voters, as opposed to special interests ... within the school system. This current board has a habitual history of backward planning."

Roman Larson

Larson, a 2011 graduate of Homestead High School, said he is willing to balance duties on the School Board as he studies political science and education policy at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. If elected, Larson said he would fly in to attend regular meetings on the fourth Monday of each month. He also would be willing to attend the work sessions, held the second Monday of the month, via teleconferencing.

"I think this could be an example of a 21st-century model of education," Larson said. "I'm willing to stay involved and engaged with the use of technology assisting."

Throughout his time at Homestead, Larson helmed an after-school tutoring program that he describes as giving him an "intimate perspective" on the importance of curriculum and district practices.

"As a student, I think I can bring a different kind of perspective to the board that's not being offered at the moment," Larson said.

Cindy Miske

Miske, an incumbent, is completing her first term in office. She said she is seeking re-election because she would like to continue having an active role in two initiatives she has been involved with in recent years: the Community Conversation Task Force that has included collaboration with the business community and the city of Mequon and village of Thiensville. She also has been actively part of strategic planning committee within the district.

"I want to see these processes through," said Miske, whose youngest child attends Homestead High School.

Miske said she has a background in business, most recently starting a small work-from-home operation in the past year.

"I'm able to step back and look at everything from a broader perspective," she said. "I gather the facts and then step back and look at an issue from the community's and school district's perspective."

Cheryle Rebholz

Rebholz, the owner of Mequon-based Faces II Esthetic Salon, has sent two of her three grown children through the school system and said she is concerned about the direction the district is heading with a move to the trimester system at Homestead High School.

Looking at it from a business perspective, Rebholz said she believes the district needs to do more to remain competitive with surrounding districts, particularly with a growing number of options locally - including virtual, charter, private and parochial schools, as well as homeschooling.

Rebholz said she would like to see a greater emphasis placed on technical and trade schools for students interested in pursuing that route. Rebholz said the nearby Milwaukee Area Technical College North Campus is an ideal venue for such a partnership.

"You can't just offer a one-sided liberal arts education," Rebholz said. "There is a disconnect out there between what is being taught in school and the jobs that are out there."

Michele Ziegler

An incumbent, Ziegler is completing her first term in office and said she has more to offer on the School Board, particularly because of her background in education that spans 23 years and includes a current role as assistant professor and chair of Cardinal Stritch University's undergraduate special education department.

"We've started some good things and have made some good progress over the past few years," said Ziegler, pointing to the program Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) for students in the academic middle as one such example.

Ziegler, who has two children attending Homestead High School, said she also views her involvement in the community she has been part of for 17 years as an asset she brings to the board.

"I think I have a strong connection to the community," she said. "I want to make sure our students have the best education possible."

Incumbent Ann Brownfield is not seeking re-election.

School Board members serve three-year terms and are not paid.