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ONAWAY -- Thirteen candidates are vying for six seats on the Onaway Area Schools Board of Education.
Four candidates are competing for two six-year terms: Erin Chaskey, Mike Hart, Sharon Lyon, and Kanisha Perkins. Four are vying for two partial terms ending Dec. 31, 2026: Michael Benson, Jessica Chandler, John Palmer, and Lisa Pochmara. And five are competing for two partial terms ending Dec. 31, 2024: John Burtch, Lorrie Kowalski, Annette Porter, James Rieger, and Joshua VanHuysen.
SIX-YEAR TERMS
Perkins, 43, is running because she wants to see the community come together with the school board to make sure the students are getting the best education they can.
"I do think we need to work on making sure that our policies are followed, and that they are enforced, regardless of who you are within the school," she said, adding that there are fewer issues with the Onaway district than people may think.
She said the board needs to "make sure that we're being consistent across the board with the good policies that we already have."
She would like to see progress toward programs for gifted and talented students, "so that everybody is getting a challenging education that they can be excited about and look forward to."
Perkins is a business process analyst. She is originally from Onaway, and moved back here six-and-a-half years ago.
Hart, 55, has served 12 years on the Onaway school board. He is currently the president.
"We've had some administrative changes, and I wanted to be there to help them get established," he said of why he is seeking reelection.
He added that he wants to continue with some work the board has been doing to see it to fruition.
"I felt that my experience would be useful," Hart said.
He works maintenance at the United Auto Workers Education Center in Black Lake.
Hart is a 1986 graduate of Onaway High School, and his two sons have also graduated from there.
Hart said communication between the school board and the public needs to improve.
"We could do better at that," he said, adding that they need to be "communicating what we're doing, and the good things that we've done ... We do great things. We're constantly receiving awards."
He added that people from downstate have contacted him asking how they do what they do.
"We have an incredibly great graduation rate, we have very high reading scores ... and a lot of people don't know that."
He said keeping the fund balance out of the red has been and will continue to be a high priority.
The phone number provided for Erin Chaskey was disconnected, and she did not respond to an email from The News. Chaskey in June filed a federal lawsuit against the school district and several school and county officials, alleging they harmed her by denying her access to school grounds after she recorded a conversation between school officials.
Lyon did not return phone calls from The News.
PARTIAL TERM ENDING IN 2026
Benson, 44, is currently serving on the school board. He was appointed about a year-and-a-half ago, he said. He is running because he feels it is his civic duty, and he has three students in the school district.
"I think it's always good to help out," Benson said. "I've got experience working with councils and boards, and things like that."
He was on the board during the hiring of the new superintendent.
"I'm on the Curriculum and Policy Committee, as well -- I'm the chair for that," Benson said. "We've done a lot."
He said the school district has been doing very well, and he wants to continue to add programs to contribute to the students' success.
Benson is an electrician.
"I go to meetings and I pay attention to what people say, and I take that all into consideration," Benson said. "I'm there to serve the school and the kids."
Palmer, 59, has two children in the district. He is a heavy equipment operator for Cheboygan County.
"I have been watching and listening, and I decided to make a run for the school board because I have concerns about policies and bylaws not being followed the way that I think they should be followed," Palmer said. "I'm concerned about what's going on in that school."
He said he needs accurate information to make any judgment calls, so he wants to be on the board to find out what's really happening.
"Until I know the facts, I'm not going to say anything," Palmer said. "Until I can get there and take a look at what is going on, actually, and factually. And, from there on, it's a lot easier to make decisions. Because, as of right now, everything is just hearsay."
He explained why people should vote for him.
"People should vote for me because I hold near and dear to old-fashioned values," Palmer said. "I'm a firm believer in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and I think we've gotten away from that."
Pochmara, 53, is a retired teacher from Onaway schools, teaching there for 30 years.
"Students were my number-one priority then, and I thought this would be a good way to continue that," Pochmara said. "Even though I'm not actively teaching anymore, I can still look out for the students."
She has lived in the district her whole life.
"I think we need to strengthen our bond between our board and our school and our community," Pochmara said. "Right now we have a big division that needs to be brought back together. It's hard to put students first if we're all divisive."
She said people should vote for her because she has experience working in the school, and she would put students first.
"I stay informed on issues," she said. "I'm currently on a few boards. I know how board meetings work ... I would hope that I have a good rapport with a lot of parents and community members after teaching there for 30 years ... I don't have any agendas except to be there for the students and the school."
Chandler said she is on the ballot, but, after filing, she learned that she cannot accept the position because it is a conflict of interest with her job.
PARTIAL TERM ENDING IN 2024
Burtch, 72, is currently serving an appointed term on the school board. He is running for election for several reasons. He is an attorney, but he works part-time now, heading toward retirement.
"When I was appointed, they ask you if you would run later on, and I think the reason they asked me that is because they want to have a level of experience and continuity there, which makes sense, because there's always a learning curve," Burtch said.
He added that he wants to be a part of "building tomorrow's leaders."
He said he was raised to be involved and give back to the community, so it was second nature to throw his hat in the ring for the school board.
Burtch said people should vote for him because he is competent and confident.
"I can go through a lot of information in a relatively short period of time," he said. "I'm a good listener. I'm pretty good at taking things apart. I have a good understanding of the value of consistency and flexibility, working together ... I consider all different perspectives of things."
Kowalski, 59, is running to "try to get things back on track."
She said the school needs to properly follow policies. She has been subbing at the school since 1985.
"If the schools would follow policy that's already in place, I think a lot of stuff would be already taken care of," Kowalski said.
She said people should vote for her because she would definitely do her best to implement and enforce those policies.
"Rules are put in place for protection," she said. "If the policies are enforced, then that protects everyone."
Porter, 55, is running for school board in part because she and her husband together have 15 children.
"I have four in the school system now, and I've had 11 that have gone through the school system," Porter said. "It's kind of my way of giving back."
She explained her priorities, if elected.
"I want a safe environment for the students, and I view it as a stepping stone for their futures," Porter said.
She is a full-time probation officer.
"I see the end results if they don't get the guidance that they need," she said.
Rieger, 49, is running because he would like to see more transparency and "change a few things."
"There's very little transparency to the parents," he said. "You can't get any information out of the school board."
He said people should vote for him because he's a fourth-generation native of Presque Isle County, and he went to Onaway schools. He added that he's a conservative.
VanHuysen, 39, served six years on the board several years ago. He has two boys in the district -- one in high school and one in junior high. He was born and raised in Onaway. He sells auto parts as his occupation.
"There are issues that parents have, and I think I'm a good choice to listen and help take care of those issues," he said as to why he is running again.
"I think right now we have a very large public perception problem," VanHuysen said. "How they perceive things being done. And I would like to help clear that up."
He said people should vote for him because he is accessible and listens to concerns.
"I'm visible in the community," VanHuysen said. "I'm always doing things, out and about, at sporting events, so I feel like I'm approachable."