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Fritz, Hansen, MacArthur, and Meinhardt win Alpena school board seats

ALPENA — Incumbent Anna Meinhardt and newcomers Sarah Fritz, Eric Hansen, and A.J. MacArthur secured seats on the Alpena Public Schools Board of Education, according to unofficial election results Tuesday.

Voters chose MacArthur with 7,082 votes and Hansen with 6,988 votes.

“I am humbled that the citizens of our district think enough of me to entrust me with this position of leadership,” MacArthur said in a statement texted to The News. “I am honored to serve them and the children of our community.”

Hansen was unavailable for comment when votes were tallied.

Meinhardt earned 5,694 votes and Fritz 5,465 votes.

A mother of an Alpena Public Schools student, Meinhardt will work to represent “not just my own kid, but all kids,” she said. “I’m excited to be able to serve our community and do great things as a team.”

“I just want to do my best to further our schools in the 21st century,” Fritz said. “And to make them the best they can possibly be.”

The four winners bested challengers Bruce Heath, Ned Heath, Thomas Hilberg, and George Pena — who earned 5,170, 4,527, 5,351, and 4,890 votes, respectively — for four open positions on the seven-member board.

Student academic achievement, behavior, and mental health and staff retention and support topped the list of candidate concerns as they stumped for the positions.

Before the election, Fritz told The News the board would have to focus on teacher retention and support, by way of hiked pay, professional development opportunities, and board member involvement at schools.

Hansen expressed concern for student mental health, calling on the board to set policies that quell behavioral issues and to work to restore trust between the board and parents.

Bruce Heath — not related to Ned Heath — urged a district focus away from social-emotional learning and toward traditional education. He campaigned on a promise to keep gender issues out of schools.

The current president of the board, Ned Heath said before the election that the board should prioritize student academic achievement and safety, in part by focusing on teacher hiring practices and incentives.

Noting an increase in discipline problems in classrooms, incumbent Hilberg said the board must support the teachers dealing with those problems while taking continued steps to raise standardized test scores.

MacArthur expressed concern that, he believes, schools prioritize students’ self-esteem in place of academics and promised to make good decisions for schools on behalf of the community.

Current board member Meinhardt applauded recent steps by the district to improve communication with the community, saying the board needs to set aside political ideology and make decisions in the best interest of students.

Stating a need to act now, Pena said he would steer the board toward short-term and long-term plans to increase standardized test scores, including bringing in outside help to make those plans.

Fritz, Hansen, MacArthur, and Meinhardt will join Eric Lawson, Gordon Snow, and Stacey Parr, whose terms expire in 2024, on the school board.

Board member Kenneth Gembel, whose term ends this year, did not run for reelection.

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