COVID response, financials at center of G-E-T board races

Residents will get to decide on three seats for the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau school board, as the town of Gale, town of Caledonia and village of Trempealeau seats are contested this spring.

When the election opens on Tuesday, voters will pick between incumbent Pat Malone and challenger Adam Leavitt for the town of Gale seat.

Malone, an area extension director for University of Wisconsin-Madison, is running for re-election because she believes “every child in our district deserves the opportunity to reach their best future.”

Malone has been on the board for the last three and a half years and said she looks forward to helping the district work through post-pandemic issues such as mental health concerns, student pressure, childcare and more.

“We need to learn important lessons from COVID about what makes learning most effective for all students. We need to provide the mental supports that students and teachers need to be resilient,” she said. “We need to focus on the recruitment and retention of quality employees from teachers and administrators to para-educators, support staff, bus drivers, and maintenance.”  

Malone will be up against Leavitt, who did not respond to multiple phone calls and messages for this story.

Sara Olson is running against incumbent Larry Moore for the village of Trempealeau seat on the board. Olson declined comment for this story.

Moore, 77, taught at G-E-T for more than two decades before retiring. He said he is proud of his last six years on the board but hopes to keep helping the district.

“I have respect for the current board, and I feel I can continue to work collaboratively in meeting the continuing challenges facing the G-E-T school district,” he said.

Moore said funding and budgeting is a “critical” focus for the board as well as retaining quality staff and ensuring student learning has not suffered due to COVID.

If re-elected, Moore hopes to focus on a number of initiatives, not limited to an open and transparent curriculum, improving after school programs, competitive staff pay and updating the evaluation process for the district administrator.

Incumbent Kari Marley, 50, faces challenger Deb Lakey, 56, for the town of Caledonia seat.

Marley is the event coordinator for Elmaro Vineyard and said she is passionate about the district and believes consistency on the board can help in a tumultuous time.

If re-elected, Marley will focus on staff retention and growth, she told the Times.

“Now and into the future, we need to be competitive with our wages, raises and insurance, as well as looking at our policies on educator supports, mentoring, professional development and continued education and teacher training, all to give out staff the tools they need. All of this comes down to doing what is best for the students,” she said.

Lakey is a self-employed nail tech and farmer in Trempealeau and Galesville and is also the executive finance officer and executive secretary for a state dairy cooperative.

She is running because she wants to help children better prepare for the future as adults.

Lakey wants to help combat learning loss due to “COVID isolation and masking” as well as ensure parents have a say in education while being financially responsible. She also would focus on mental health and the nutrition system at G-E-T.

“I believe in being fiscally tax responsible and transparent with your 50 percent of property taxes funding our school system. I believe in parental rights to their child’s medical decisions and their voices heard in their childrens’ educational process and curriculum.”