Two running for Sheboygan County seat on School Board

An incumbent is being challenged in the April 7 election by a newcomer for the Sheboygan seat on the Cedar Grove-Belgium School Board.

All district residents, regardless of where they live, may vote for the Sheboygan County seat. Board members serve three-year terms.

Aileen Dahlke, who has been on the board for 20 years, is being challenged by Phil Burns.

Dahlke said the board has a good working relationship that she would like to see continue.

“Our board gets along really well. We don’t have the same views on a lot of stuff but we can work it out. We’re really a good board and I’d just hate that chemistry to get offset,” she said.

Dahlke has long advocated for smaller class sizes in the younger grades.

“I’ve always liked the younger classes being under 20 kids, and I know that’s not the way it is,” she said.

The district is about to do a facility study that could determine if it would go to referendum to replace about $15 million of debt that will soon fall off. That would maintain a more consistent tax rate and avoid a large drop-off. Dahlke said she will wait to see the results of the study before deciding on what should be done.

Burns worked for the school district’s maintenance staff for 26 years and coached middle and high school track.

“I see the sports end of it and the building end, and I’ve dealt with the teachers and made a good repertoire,” he said.

He said he knows the district’s buildings well and believes the pool is past its lifespan. He would like to see a bigger auditorium built for the schools and community to use. He suggested grants and naming rights to help pay for it.

Keeping up with building maintenance would be a priority.

Burns said he would like to boost the industrial arts program, namely drafting and autos, and “help promote trade schools and two-year schools to those people who aren’t set up for a four-year school.”

She sees a need to provide higher-level resources for students with mental health issues, especially those in rural areas who have to drive for services. The district, she said, is doing well but could do better.

Kowalkowski has served on the Belgium Village Board for two years and would like to see more transparency with the Cedar Grove-Belgium School Board. Meetings aren’t broadcast or recorded.

“What kind of things can we do to make sure more people are informed?” she asked.

“In this day and age when people want to be transparent, that’s a big thing for people. We’re accountable to the people we serve and who elect us.”