Education
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Johnston School Board gains progressive edge as Moms For Liberty candidates flop
In a room packed with supporters, candidates, Johnston residents and plants, cheers rose up as Jason Arnold and Lya Williams won two of the four open seats on the Johnston School Board while incumbents Soneeta Mangra-Dutcher and Jennifer Chamberland retained their seats. The foursome, who worked together on the campaign trail, held a watch party…
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Cedar Rapids $220M school bond fails, 3 school board members hold on
Though the largest school bond in state history failed, three out of four sitting Cedar Rapids school board members kept their seats, with only the District 4 seat changing hands. Seven board members serve staggered four-year terms. Four of those (two at-large as well as the District 1 and District 4 seats) were open this…
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Right-wing candidates lose in Linn-Mar despite national push
For more than a year, outrage over a policy to protect transgender and nonbinary students hung a black cloud over the Linn-Mar School District, but Tuesday’s school board elections served as a referendum for supporters of the policy that was later gutted by state lawmakers. Incumbents Barry Bucholz (4,637 votes, or 14.46%), and Brittania Morey…
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In Waukee, progressive candidates win the day
Two incumbents and a progressive candidate endorsed by both the teachers’ union and One Iowa were voted onto the Waukee school board Tuesday. Three school board seats were open this year. Current board president Wendy Marsh took the most votes, with an even (unofficial) 5,600, or 23.4%. Incumbent board member Michael Trettin garnered the next-highest…
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Moms for Liberty candidates lose in Dallas Center-Grimes school board race
Three left-leaning candidates and a moderate defeated a three-person conservative bloc to win four open seats on the Dallas Center-Grimes School Board, according to Tuesday’s unofficial results. There were two at-large seats open and three candidates. Incumbent Ryan Carpenter, the moderate, won reelection with 1,563 votes (42.36% of the vote). Left-leaning candidate Shaylee Vander Velden…
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Progressives sweep in Urbandale School Board race
Progressives endorsed by the teachers union swept the Urbandale school board race, though the lone incumbent just squeaked back into her seat. Six candidates were running for four open seats, all at-large. Katherine Howsare, who has been on the school board for eight years—or two four-year terms—was the only incumbent school board member running. She…
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Progressives capture four seats on Ankeny School Board
Progressive candidates—Katie Claeys, Shelly Northway, Amber Romans, and Amy Tagliareni—won four out of five open seats on the Ankeny School Board in Tuesday’s election, according to unofficial results. Conservative candidate Stephanie Gott also won a seat. Eight candidates were vying for four at-large seats with four-year terms, including a four-person bloc of right-leaning candidates and…
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Nearly $150,000 spent so far in Ankeny, Johnston school board races
As Iowa school board elections have become more political, the costs associated with running for a volunteer position that decides everything from budgets to bus routes have also increased. Campaign disclosure reports for city and school board candidates, city and school political action committees, and local ballot issue committees were due by 4:30 p.m. Thursday,…
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Dallas Center-Grimes parents worry about school board candidate’s right-wing ties
When Sean Cully launched a Facebook page for his Dallas Center-Grimes (DCG) School Board campaign, his intro stated that he wanted to “protect students, parents and educators from wokeism!” Shortly afterward, Cully scrapped that language. In the new intro, Cully said he wanted “To champion students with my 20+ years of experience in leading and…
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Johnston students want support, respect from the school board
A lot of school board election coverage gives weight to who the candidates are and what they stand for, but students want to know when people will listen to them. The Johnston School District held a candidate forum at Johnston High School last week, where all eight school board candidates answered questions about how they…
