Primary will whittle list of high school board candidates

By Patricia Bogumil

Staff Writer

Electors living in the Waterford Union High School district go to the polls Tuesday to decide which four of five candidates seeking election to the WUHS Board of Education will advance to the Tuesday, April 3, spring election.

The five candidates include incumbents Kevin Malchine and Don Engler and challengers Deanna Stever, Dan Jensen and John Gultch.

Information provided by each candidate  follows.

• Kevin Malchine said he is seeking re-election to continue the traditions of quality education and excellent extracurricular activities  at WUHS, all provided while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

With new state legislation that gives school boards more leeway in working with teachers and staff comes the Board’s responsibility to treat all employees fairly and with respect, he said.

“It would be my goal to make WUHS the place where the best and brightest teachers seek to work,” Malchine said. “Anyone who has experienced Waterford High School knows we are very fortunate to already have an exceptional faculty.”

With two children currently attending WUHS and another who has graduated, Malchine said he has personal insight into the diverse activities that are offered.

“My family has seen firsthand the advantages of the Advanced Placement (AP) courses, numerous clubs, athletic opportunities and community service organizations that prepare students for college.”

His ownership in businesses in the community have allowed him to observe the benefits of cooperation between local business and the school, said Malchine.

“Additionally, being a farmer and a landowner in multiple municipalities, I feel I bring a well-rounded understanding of the impact the property taxes have on communities,” Malchine said.

“Most importantly, I believe that when a community member has a concern or question, I will listen with an open mind and take their message to the board room.”

• Don Engler said he is seeking re-election to continue the School Board’s work of keeping education of students as the No. 1 priority.

Engler described the WUHS Board as being very unique, with no hidden agenda held by any of its members. “The students and staff are incredible people to work for. I am honored to be a part of this community and Board,” Engler said.

The most pressing needs and issues that the Board must face right now are with the new changes in our government, said Engler.

Working with the state’s new laws is very challenging, Engler explained, adding: “We have incredible students coming into our building as freshmen and leaving as fine adults. The teachers we have are responsible for a large part of that.

“Somehow we will make it work to keep everyone working hard towards the same goals.”

Engler noted that the WUHS Board is the only office to which he has sought election. He has served on the WUHS Board for almost six years.

“The first three years I didn’t say much. I listened and learned. There are still things that I learn every day about the way schools are run,” he said.

Engler said that when he sees other school districts’ problems, “I feel proud of our administration and staff for working through things and keeping the goals of our school in tact.”

Engler said he likes to think that he is making a difference with his work on the WUHS Board.

“I am always here to listen to any concerns brought up by anyone in our community about our school,” he added.

At WUHS, Engler volunteers as a baseball coach and said he finds much satisfaction in helping boys become men on the baseball field. He estimates he has been involved in coaching baseball in this community and others for about 20 years.

“I like to help people,” Engler added. “I am an electrician by trade and love helping out at our school with different projects.”

Those projects include working on the football concession stand, the light poles for walking down to the lower parking lot, the new baseball and softball fields behind Woodfield School and the new concession stand/press box at the baseball field.

“I look forward to donating my time for future projects as well,” Engler said.

• John Gultch gives one main reason for his seeking election to the WUHS Board. “I believe the Board needs a better representative of the taxpayers.”

Gultch said the most pressing issue the Board must address can be desdcribed in two words: “fiscal responsibility.”

“The Waterford Union High School Board has failed to balance their budget for years without raising taxes,” he explained.

This year, Wisconsin’s school districts have been given a unique opportunity to actually control their spending, said Gultch, who is currently a member of the Drought Elementary School Board.

“I will use my experience of balancing my personal budget as well as that of Drought Elementary School to control spending.”

Gultch said that, for many years, the Drought school board has dealt in a responsible manner with decreasing revenues from the government as student enrollment declined.

Gultch has served on the Drought School Board for four years. He is a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association.

• Dan Jensen said he hopes to be elected to the WUHS Board to offer new, educated and sound viewpoints for fiscal responsibility of school budgeting.

In addition, Jensen would hope to promote advanced technological learning, cost savings and a K-12 consolidation.

Among the Board’s most pressing needs or issues, said Jensen, are:

• holding the line on taxes while fostering new avenues of learning by utilizing technology-based access;

• fully implementing the new Wisconsin Act 10 budget tools to save District resources;

• performing a complete review of present methods of District employee evaluations; and

• establishing short- and long-term goals for District consolidation into a K-12 format.

Jensen is currently the president of the Waterford Graded School District Board, a position he has held for the last three years.

“Having worked closely with our administration with the approval and rollout of the 1:1 computer program at Fox River Middle School, I believe I have a unique viewpoint to help further the WUHS commitment to applying new avenues of technology to study learning and education,” Jensen said.

Jensen said that with having three sons attend Waterford public schools, he has been given great insight into areas that need support and direction.

• Deanna Stever describes herself as a life-long resident with strong roots that go way back through many generations.

Stever said she is running for election to the WUHS Board because “it’s time for new eyes, ears and voices to bring positive change for our community, students/children and taxpayers.”

Just because WUHS has continued to do things the same year to year doesn’t mean that things are running as effectively or fiscally sound as they could be, Stever said.

Fiscally, other districts have seen a large tax deduction, but WUHS has not utilized many of the tools offered to ensure the tax deduction our community deserves, Stever said.

In fact, taxes increased for the Waterford district, she added.

Stever, who attended WUHS in her youth, said the current Board and administration lack community respect and protection that must be earned.

If elected, Stever will help create an environment in which members of the community feel comfortable in bringing concerns to the School Board and feel confident those concerns will be addressed.

Stever said that her paralegal and banking experience will assist her in bringing a sound background to the WUHS position. She lists common sense as one of her biggest attributes.

Stever said she will provide new ideas that could potentially unite the WUHS feeder schools along with the high school “to work together as a team and better our entire WHS district.”

If elected, she will work “outside of the box” with new ideas and create an open door policy in which community members can address their concerns “and the Board will listen and protect as well as respect the community.”

Stever suggests that the WUHS Board must review various aspects of the school to ensure they are in line with the state of the economy and the community.

Stever is a past and current member of the Drought Elementary School Board. She said her experience in serving a School District where taxes have been reduced will assist her work on the WUHS Board, if elected.