(Le Mars) — Local school board elections are slated to occur on Tuesday, September 8th. Polling times for Le Mars is from 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m. Akron, Westfield, and Hinton the polling times are scheduled from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and at Remsen and Kingsley the election hours are between 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m. Plymouth County Auditor’s office says voting will take place at the same precincts. For Le Mars, voting will happen at both the Le Mars Convention Center and also at the Courthouse Annex building.
Meet The Candidates
Three people are seeking two At-Large director positions with the Le Mars Community Board of Education. KLEM news visited with each candidate and their comments and views are featured in the following text.
(Le Mars) — School board elections are scheduled for Tuesday, September 8th. KLEM news recently visited with the three candidates seeking two election positions to the Le Mars Community Board of Education for an At-large district position.
Angela Catton
(Le Mars) — Tuesday, September 8th is election day for local school board elections. Today we begin our series of reports focusing on the candidates seeking a position with the Le Mars Community Board of Education. We begin with Angela Catton. Catton is seeking an at-large position. There are three candidates seeking two seats for the position. Catton says its important for people to get involved with their local community, and she is following her own advice, and that is why she wants to serve on the Le Mars Community school board.
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Catton, an employee with NIPCO, says she has been very active with the Music boosters with the Le Mars Community School, and she encourages people to take an active role with the student’s education.
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Catton says she believes in collaborative action when dealing with local school issues.
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Adequate school funding has been an issue facing school districts for many years, with several school districts having to face the difficult task of cutting programs, faculty, and even some curriculum. Catton explains how she would react if the Le Mars Community school district would be faced with that dilemma.
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Catton says it is important to maintain a strong school, as it helps with economic development for a community, and she wants to see Le Mars Community continue to grow.
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The school board candidate says teachers should be allowed to teach, and not be overwhelmed with various regulations that distract from teaching students.
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Those are comments by Angela Catton who is seeking an At-large position with the Le Mars Community Board of Education.
Mark Hemmingson
(Le Mars) — We continue our series of reports profiling the candidates seeking a position on the Le Mars Community School Board. Three candidates are seeking two At-large positions. They include Angela Catton, Mark Hemmingson, and Pat Murphy. Today we visit with Mark Hemmingson.
After being off the school board for one term, Hemmingson is wanting to serve again on the Board of Education. He explains his reasons for wanting to participate in decisions that affect the education of this community.
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Hemmingson is seeking an At-large position, but many wonder why he didn’t run as a candidate from district 3? There are no candidates from district 3 in this upcoming school board election.
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Hemmingson explains he has an interest in the school district’s curriculum, as well as with its transportation.
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The school board candidate further explains his concerns.
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School funding has been a state-wide issue with the governor, state legislature, and local school districts. Hemmingson says adequate school funding will continue to be an on-going concern, not only for the Le Mars Community school district, but for school districts across the state.
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The cost of educating students is constantly on the rise. Hemmingson says he wants to make certain the school board is communicating with the teachers to better understand what programs and curriculums are best suited for the educating of Le Mars Community students.
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A topic that has been discussed is whether Le Mars Community School District should retain its district directors, or if it should go to an all at-large positions board. This year, as mentioned earlier, no one is seeking the District 3 position, and District 5 has an incumbent running unopposed. Hemmingson offers his views on the topic.
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As mentioned earlier, polls for the Le Mars school board election will be open on Tuesday, from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m.
Patrick Murphy
(Le Mars) — Today we focus our attention on the Le Mars Community School District Board of Education election. There are three people seeking two seats for the At-large director positions. The candidates include Angela Catton, Mark Hemmingson, and Pat Murphy. During this segment our attention will be with Pat Murphy, a longtime school board member seeking re-election. Murphy, who says he has been a board member for 19 years, says he still has an interest in public education.
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Murphy says several people encouraged him to seek another term on the school board, and he says he wants to see some continuity remain on the local school board.
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Murphy says he has a special interest in school finances and funding of public education.
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On the topic of school funding, Murphy and other school district officials were frustrated this past legislative session when first, state lawmakers did not act in a timely manner regarding funding of public education, and second, the legislature did not allocate sufficient funding, and third, Murphy was disappointed in Governor Brandstad’s veto of the $55 million legislative compromise one-time funding for schools. Murphy says school officials need to constantly visit with state lawmakers to help them understand the need for additional school funding.
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Murphy says Iowa has fallen in terms of high superiority of quality education. He believes the state legislature must decide if they want Iowa to again rank at the top of the nation for education. He further states, if that is to happen, more money must be allocated.
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The long time school board member says the Iowa legislature claims that education is a top priority, but their actions fail to display it. Murphy was asked if additional money is the answer to getting Iowa education back on top, or if there are other factors to consider. He says the state needs to make an “investment” to the future.
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Murphy says the formulas used for public education are often times confusing, as well as disappointing, in the sense that allocated funds can only be used in a specific area, and may not be used for a greater need, leaving school districts with their hands tied.
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