Greendale School Board Candidates Tout Experience at Forum

With less than a week remaining until Tuesday's election, the six candidates vying for three positions on the Greendale School Board talked about the issues and what they would bring to the board during a forum Wednesday night.

The forum contrasted two long-time incumbents in the race, Tom Slota and Victoria McCormick, with a recent appointee, Melanie Kuzmanovic, plus three residents trying to get on the school board for the first time: Roger Dalkin, Katie Mevis and Kathleen Wied-Vincent.

Slota and McCormick spoke often of their long experience dealing with school district-related issues while on the school board — and, more importantly, the district's successful track record during that time.

Slota, first elected in 1987, is the longest-tenured of the group. School boards are judged by the strength of the district, and Greendale's high ACT scores and high rankings in Milwaukee Magazine and Newsweek show the board is doing a great job, he said.

"You wouldn't go up to a teacher and say, 'You're an excellent teacher, your students are doing well — you're fired, we want to take a new approach," Slota said. "No. You have somebody who's doing a great job, you keep them there."

Several questions early on pertained to how candidates would handle possible cuts to Greendale schools. However, McCormick noted that good financial planning has prevented Greendale from having to make any significant cuts.

She wants to continue the work she's done since 1998, despite some of the tough issues — from budget difficulties to criticism from residents — it sometimes brings.

"I love being in this job because it makes a really big difference to our future, to our students," she said.

Dalkin pointed to a skill set and experience of his own he said would translate well to the School Board. For some 30 years, he worked in the nonprofit sector and served on national boards, which have the same ultimate goal as school districts.

"I developed business acumen of dealing with tight financial situations where the outcomes and mission of the organization are far more important than profit," he said. "Exactly the same as the school district."

Wied-Vincent brings a teaching background, having taught in Greendale for six years, and was also raised in the village and graduated from the high school in 1985.

Experience can come in a variety of different forms, she said.

"Experience does matter," she said. "I've been a public and private school teacher throughout my life. ... I think it's important to have an in-depth understanding of the community, the school system and all the stakeholders that are involved."

Kuzmanovic is the newcomer on the board, appointed to fill a vacancy last year. But without realizing it, she's been preparing for the role for the last 20 years, she said, as she got heavily involved in her kids' schools.

"I come with the experience of somebody very invested in the community through volunteer activities," she said. "Since my appointment last June, it's been a very steep learning curve … I'd like to continue that work."

Mevis said her background in business and years in the village would serve the board well. Like Wied-Vincent, she's a GHS graduate, class of 1990. She's been a stay-at-home and working mom, as well as the wife of a small business owner.

"My experience is that of the business world. I understand technology. I understand talent management. I bring unique experience to the board," Mevis said.

"If we never were to change the board, the three incumbents sitting here would never have the opportunity to sit here."

Despite a mix of backgrounds, the candidates largely agreed with one another on the issues.

They said the controversial Act 10 passed in 2011 has brought good and bad to the district; they were vocal in their support of Greendale teachers and recently-passed salary increases; and also expressed support for the district's efforts to combat bullying.

You can read more about their positions on the issues in this previous Patch story.

The forum, sponsored by the Greendale Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters, was held in the multi-purpose room of Greendale High School.

The top two vote-getters in Tuesday's election will be elected to three-year terms. The third-place finisher will serve one year, filling the remainder of school board member Jim Schutte. The term expires in April 2014.