Board President Gordon Snow, Vice President Stacey Walker Parr, and Trustees Steven Donajkowski and Keri Johns are seeking reelection, while Eric Lawson hopes to earn a seat on the board.

Donajkowski has served on the board for four years and wants to continue his service to the community. He has supported one-to-one technology for students in all grade levels, meaning every student would have access to a laptop. He’s also supported project-based learning and more hands-on learning opportunities for students.

Donajkowski said he would like to see the district continue to be transparent in everything they do, including how it spends money from a recent voter-approved bond sale.

The board in August issued a statement distancing itself from memes and comments that Donajkowski posted on Facebook that some parents saw as racist. Donajkowski said none of the comments he made on Facebook referenced the school district and says that the board is still able to work together as a group.

Gordon Snow

“We’re all still on the same page, we’re all still fighting for our students, and there’s no animosity or anything toward anybody on the board,” he said.

Donajkowski said finances, and how school districts are funded, are some of the biggest problems the district is facing.

Johns was appointed to the board in April. She works as an adjunct nursing instructor at Alpena Community College and a substitute teacher for ESS Midwest Inc.

Johns said ensuring students learn in a safe and healthy environment is her top priority. She would like to mitigate the achievement gap — or the difference in proficiency on state tests between higher-performing and lower performing students — and is concerned about school financing said recruiting and retaining educators will be critical to the district’s success.

“I am dedicated to the future of my children as well as the success of our community’s children,” Johns said in an email to The News. “Every time I vote, the student is my focus.”

Keri Johns

Lawson is a violinist and music teacher who has performed and taught workshops around the world, and wants to serve on the school board because he believes he would bring a unique perspective.

He is also a former Alpena County commissioner and serves as the Northeast Michigan Community Health Board’s chairman. He has two children enrolled in the school district.

“My wife is a physician, so I am primarily the parent who gets the kids to school, does the cooking, helps with homework, meets with teachers, and such,” he said. “I think it gives me an idea of the practical challenges that families face every day, and so I’d like to put that knowledge to work for our district.”

In talking with members of the community, Lawson believes staying on target academically is the number-one issue in the district.

Snow has served on the school board since January 2009 and has participated in the hiring of two superintendents — John VanWagoner and current Superintendent David Rabbideau. He is a past teacher and principal with the district.

Stacey Parr

Snow said he is proud of the district’s bond sale passed by voters in March and is interested in seeing how the renovations are implemented.

“One of the reasons I would like to continue to be on the board is that I am very interested in seeing how we do what we told the voters we were going to do,” he said.

Snow said the number-one issue facing the district is finances.

Parr was appointed to the board a little over two years ago and wants to continue serving because she considers it a blessing.

Parr said she was involved in the bond initiative and is now interested in making sure those tax dollars are spent in a responsible manner.

Steve Donajkowski

“I think, obviously, advocating for the best interest and needs of children is probably the primary focus and role of a board member,” she said. “But I view the second most important part of that equation as, I need to be a responsible steward of this community’s resources, because they’re not infinite.”

Parr said finances are the biggest issues facing the district.