• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Janesville School Board incumbents return

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Current Janesville School Board member Tim Cullin, left, and candidate DuWayne Severson study some of the election returns at the Rock County Courthouse on Tuesday. Severson won re-election to a school board seat.

Photo

Lori Stottler

Photo

Gregory K. Ardrey

Photo

DuWayne Severson

Photo

Peter D. Severson

Photo

Diedre Richard

JANESVILLE — Lori Stottler said she didn’t spend a dime on her re-election campaign. Yet she came in first in balloting Tuesday for Janesville School Board.

Stottler said she was prepared to lose. Not being endorsed by the teachers union was one reason she thought she might not have a chance, and she clearly felt hurt by that fact.

Stottler, who also serves as Rock County Clerk, said she hopes people voted for her because of her performance on the school board over the past three years.

“The community made me proud, and I’m very honored,” Stottler said.

Stottler bested the next-highest vote getter, Greg Ardrey, by more than 300 votes. The current school board president, DuWayne Severson, came in third.

The top three vote-getters will serve three-year terms. The next two, Peter D. Severson and newcomer Diedre Richard, will serve for one year.

Ardrey and Peter Severson were appointed to the board last summer after two board members resigned. Those resignations are the reason that five seats were contested this year, rather than the usual three.

The one-year terms are the remainder of the terms of the two who resigned.

One other incumbent, Debra Kolste, did not run for re-election.

Most winners Tuesday pointed to the budget as the top item on their agendas. The board probably will have to cut positions to balance the budget.

Ardrey said he wants to balance the budget without affecting kids—a tough job, he acknowledged.

Ardrey said he also wants to improve student achievement so all children get the attention they need to succeed. He suggested all students, not just those with disabilities, be taught according to individualized plans.

Only Richard will be new to the nine-member board. She said she would redouble her efforts to get up to speed on the budget and other issues after attending most board meetings in recent months.

“My priority will be making sure that every single child, no matter their academic level, will have an opportunity to be challenged academically,” Richard said.

Asked about the fact that the incumbents all won, Stottler said she hopes voters noticed that the school board after months of controversies was moving in the same direction over the past few months.

“I trust we will continue to move forward in a positive direction and leave personal issues aside,” Stottler said.

“I think we’re working well together,” agreed Peter D. Severson, who won in his third attempt.

Peter Severson said name recognition probably had a lot to do with the results. He noted that he and DuWayne share the same last name, and even though they are not related, DuWayne’s name recognition probably gave Peter a boost.

DuWayne Severson said last fall that he wouldn’t consider running for board president again, but Tuesday night he wasn’t sure.

“I might consider it,” he said, but it’s up to all nine board members, “and any of those folks would do a great job.”

Election of the board president and other officers is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, the same date that Richard will first take her place at the board table.