Germantown School Board candidates eager to help

Germantown - When Kim Fischer announced she'd be stepping down from the Germantown School Board when her term was up, there was no shortage of people willing to step up and serve the community.

Three women submitted their candidacy to join a School Board flush with new powers and responsibilities under Act 10, while struggling with budget deficits and state-imposed revenue limits.

Christina Wolf-Lang and Sarah Larson submitted paperwork to run for Seat 1 by the Jan. 3 deadline and Lisa Laskowski filed during an extension window after Fischer filed noncandidacy papers.

A primary will be held Feb. 21 to cut this from a trio to a duo.

Sarah Larson

Germantown born-and-raised, Larson attended County Line Elementary, Kennedy Middle School and Washington High School. Now, as the Director of Operations for a corporate relocation company, Larson has regularly made her opinion known to the board and often attends board meetings to offer her input.

Larson says she's noticed some breakdowns in the way board matters are conducted and she'd like to be an agent for change.

"When I sit back and watch the meeting procedurally, I think it seems as though things move at a very slow pace," Larson said. "There are some decisions that should be made a little bit quicker than they are."

Larson pointed to the most recent controversial topic of long-term care, which she said could have been handled more efficiently had the administration and board planned ahead.

"I also think having better discourse among the board members (would help). I think you can see there is some tension among the board members."

"Really, they don't have to agree but I think they should maintain decorum."

Larson, a parent with children in the district, said her main focus as a board member would be on finding ways to maintain educational standards through the instructors.

"How do we attract and retain the best talent in light of the tools Governor Walker has proposed? I know there is quite a bit of turmoil with the teachers not knowing what we we're going to go," Larson said.

"Everyone is interested in giving to the community. I have no doubt about that, so I think in the spirit of how things are so charged in terms of the current issues on the table that we all keep in mind that we're trying to act in the best interest of the children and the community."

Lisa Laskowski

Laskowski is from southeastern Wisconsin and has lived all over the country. She currently resides in Colgate where she runs a small business in clinical research.

She has two children, one at Amy Belle and one starting kindergarten next fall.

The single mother says she wants to increase her volunteer work in the community even further.

"Not only do I have a vision for the future, but I have taken action in the community on a daily basis by volunteering, fundraising for the school, (as a) Brownie troop leader," Laskowski explained.

"Our community has been highly regarded as being among the best in the state, and my goal, as a board member, is to uphold the educational standards in our community for quality education."

Having run her own business for nearly a decade, Laskowski hopes to bring her planning and financial skills to the board, which faces capped revenues.

"Running a small business, my business has been successful even through hard economic times, through hard planning both budget-wise and strategically," she said.

"We've been able to prosper. I'd like to apply those same principals serving as a board member."

Laskowski says her top priority is to be a voice for students, advocating for their needs and the needs of future generations.

Christina Wolf-Lang

With four children either in Germantown Schools or having gone through them, Christina Wolf-Lang says she's running for school board to protect her children and their peers.

"My kids are scared. My kids are concerned that the programs that they enjoy are going to be cut," Wolf-Lang said. "With all of the budget shortages and the changes that need to be made, I want to be sure that our kids are protected, that the curriculum doesn't change, that we continue to offer as many extracurricular (programs) as possible.

"I think we need to work together, and I think the current board doesn't necessarily work together."

Wolf-Lang says she sees a disconnect, at times, between the board and the school staff.

"Kids are the most important part of it to me. We're in the school district because of the schools, and I want to give students every opportunity to grow, and we have to have happy teachers in order to teach our kids constructively. There needs to be a balance.

"I think it's important for the School Board to work with the teachers. They're the ones who understand what happens on a day-to-day basis. They probably have good suggestions on what could be cut or modified."

Wolf-Lang says she sees personal agendas play too large a role in board policy.

"I don't know if there's a line when being a conservative meant you don't care for education. I think it's important to continue focusing on the kids, instead of punishing teachers," she explained.

"I have conservative values, but I believe in common sense and working together. I want to be able to bridge the gap between both political sides."

Editor's note: Election letters for the primary are due by 5 p.m. Feb. 3. Letters are limited to 300 words and can be emailed to snord@cninow.com.

Public Forum

This week's letters can be found on page 19.