Candidate Q&A: West Lafayette school board, six for three seats
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Candidate Q&A: West Lafayette school board, six for three seats
Six candidates will be on the Nov. 8 ballot, running for three at-large seats on the West Lafayette school board.
Six candidates will be on the Nov. 8 ballot, running for three at-large seats on the West Lafayette school board.
Here, the six – incumbents Karen Springer and Rachel Witt, and Angie Janes, George Lyle, Dacia Mumford and Laurence Wang – answer questions about their approaches to serving on the seven-member school board.
For more: Find bios of each candidate, along with information about where and when to vote, at the end of this article. Expect Q&As with candidates in other Greater Lafayette contests in coming days.
Forum: The West Lafayette Jr./Sr. High School’s AP U.S. Government and Politics class will hold a forum from 7-8:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at West Lafayette Intermediate School, 1838 N. Salisbury St.
Question: Why are you running?
Angie Janes: Transparency and oversight. Three years ago, I began paying attention to decisions made at the corporation level and found it extraordinarily difficult to acquire information. I also found serious discrepancies between what the administration reported about the district's finances and what the audited reports showed. I have been advocating for improved oversight and transparency since then, and the board has made slow and reluctant progress. I have chosen to run this year, believing that progress will come more quickly with board members motivated to provide oversight and transparency.
George Lyle: At first, two different people came to me separately and asked if I would consider running. It was nice to know that people thought I could help in some way, but I wasn't completely sold on the idea. I started paying more attention to both local and national school issues, and I saw the rising tide of people who want to ban books, teach false history, deny science and treat minority kids like second-class citizens. Seeing this rise in negativity made me decide to run. I hope to be one of the people who can stand in the way of the wave of negativity and make sure it doesn't come here.
Dacia Mumford: I’m running to increase community engagement in our schools, provide public access to information, ensure financial oversight, and to better support our teachers. I want the relevant information to be publicly available before the school board votes on important issues and I want the school board to actively seek community input prior to votes. Our schools are excellent, but we need to do a better job supporting our teachers and making changes to improve their work environment (the learning environment for our students). Our wonderful community values education and by working together we could better serve all students.
Karen Springer: I am running for a seventh term on the West Lafayette Board of School Trustees because I am just as passionate now about public education as I was in 1996. I want to continue providing the highest quality RDP education to our present and future students. This includes academic, co-curricular, ECA opportunities and social-emotional growth so all students reach their full potential. I think my 24 years of board experience, analytical decision making skills and leadership abilities will continue to be an asset.
Laurence Wang: The WLCSC school board represents our community’s voice and interests in public education. I am running for the school board because I believe the school board should represent and serve our community in an accountable and transparent manner. As a complex corporation, WLCSC requires a governing board that collectively have a full range of skills and experiences. I believe my educational and professional experience in finance is a plus for the board. Together with other board members and stakeholders, we will improve our schools and enhance education quality for our children.
Rachel Witt: Our schools, and public education, face increasingly complex challenges. From funding, to a statewide teacher shortage, to curriculum, to safety, it is more important than ever to keep student success as our focus regardless of the nature of the challenge. School boards must work together collaboratively no matter what issues arise. A mix of perspectives and experiences result in the best decisions. My perspective is not otherwise represented on the board. As an artist and a middle class, single working mom of six, I bring different and necessary insight to the work of our school board.
Question: What are your connections with the district?
Angie Janes: I have lived in the district for 10 years, and each of my three children has attended school in WLCSC. My youngest is a sophomore at the Jr/Sr High School. I have been an active and involved parent. Among other volunteering opportunities, I have participated in Parent Council in a variety of roles, including committee chair, executive board member and president. This year I served on a committee of the Jr/Sr High parent council tasked with streamlining the Parent Council teacher grant process, reducing the steps and time needed for teachers to receive funds.
George Lyle: I grew up in Indiana, specifically in Indianapolis Public Schools. My family and I moved to West Lafayette almost seven years ago, and my son is currently a student at the elementary school. I served on the district's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee in 2021.
Dacia Mumford: I taught kindergarten and first grade at the West Lafayette Elementary School from 2016 to 2019. I have also done a lot of volunteering in our schools, serving as: Parent Council president, vice president and treasurer; Book Fair chair; Lego Robotics coach; Articipate instructor; Teacher Appreciation chair; and room parent. I also worked as a Student Teacher Supervisor for Purdue in several area schools. When I wasn’t teaching or volunteering in our schools, I focused on serving children in our community as a little league softball coach, in my church’s children’s organization and organizing events for my neighborhood association.
Karen Springer: I have been an active volunteer in West Lafayette schools K-12 for 31 years and served on the school board for 24 years. My past involvement in the schools has been through parent council offices and chair of events K-6. I also volunteered as dance choreographer/dance teacher/assistant producer for Mr. Valentine’s elementary school musicals for 13 years and Charleston & Cotillion Dance choreographer/teacher for the grade 5 “Along the Heritage Trail” musical production for nine years. I continue to volunteer with the WL Music Boosters: treasurer, 23 years; Ice Cream Social chair, 22 years; Spirit Bag chair, 21 years; and Carnation Sale chair, 16 years.
Laurence Wang: We have been living in this community for over 10 years. Both of my children currently attend Jr./Sr. high school, one is in seventh grade, another one is in eighth grade.
Rachel Witt: I am an alumna (Class of ‘88) and returned to West Lafayette 18 years ago. My youngest four children are WL alumni/students. Mitch 2016, Eleanor 2022, Lillian 11th grade, John ninth grade. I have, and continue, to work actively as a volunteer in our schools in addition to my role on the school board.
Question: Name two of your top priorities for the district. And how will you handle them?
Angie Janes: Improved financial oversight and increased transparency. There is not much we can do about the $95 million of debt incurred over the last few years, but we can stop the bleeding. If elected, I will prioritize teacher pay and educational tools over any new capital projects. I will work with the administration but for the community, prioritizing community input when voting on policies. I will also push for increased access to public information. The community should have access to policies with sufficient time to provide input to the board prior to the vote.
George Lyle: One top priority is making WLCSC a place where teachers want to teach. When teachers are happy, students and parents are usually pretty happy, as well.
The second top priority contributes to the success of the first. There is a principle in IT management called continuous improvement, where organizations are constantly and consistently seeking improvements to their processes. I want WLCSC to engage in continuous improvement in all areas, including governance, financial management and so on. As each area is improved, it makes complementary improvements in other areas easier to complete.
Dacia Mumford: The school board should seek broad community input before voting on important issues. The only way to get good community input is to provide easy access to information. I have been advocating for access to public information and the current school board has been fighting to keep it hidden.
We also desperately need an increase in financial oversight and transparency. The school board publicly announced $50 million in construction projects, but then quietly borrowed $95 million, leaving our district with the second highest level of debt per student in the state and without any additional ability to borrow.
Karen Springer: Coming out of the pandemic, student mental health has emerged as a greater concern. Through referendum dollars we have counselors at each school building dedicated to the well-being of every student. Teachers have continuous professional development in the latest mental health initiatives. This school year we have added a corporation mental health support professional to help students K-12, and the impact has been immediate and significant. Continue to monitor the effectiveness of initiatives to date and seek to add additional services as resources allow.
Our previous two corporation strategic plans call for us to “maintain a viable funding plan which supports the mission of the WLCSC.” That funding plan included the 2010 referendum and the 2017 renewal. By 2025 a third referendum renewal will be needed. Passage of a third referendum will require collaborative work with all school corporation stakeholders. Referendum dollars account for 18% of our budget, so without those dollars the staffing, course offerings, co-curricular and ECA activities would be drastically affected.
Laurence Wang: 1. “Deficiencies in the internal control system” identified by state examiner: I would promote a well-designed and effectively implemented internal control system, which ensures accuracy in financial reporting, enhances transparency and protects values of tangible assets as well as intangible assets such as school reputation and community confidence.
2 Disadvantaged students and special-need students are underserved. I believe all students should receive equal and nondiscriminatory education opportunities. Additional support for disadvantage students and special need students is crucial to help them overcome social or economic disadvantages which prevent them from obtaining appropriate benefit from public education.
Rachel Witt: My top two priorities are communication and an effective leadership transition. Nationally and statewide, school boards are facing an increasingly politicized and contentious environment. We can’t control that, but we owe it to our students and teachers to do all we can to review and improve what, how and when we communicate. It is important that our community feel welcome and engaged. It is also important to reduce the impact of false or misleading representations of our schools. We are excited to have a new corporation leadership team and it’s important that the school board brings experience, stability and governance expertise during the transition of leadership.
Question: What do you see as the biggest challenge for the district? And how do you propose to solve or deal with it?
Angie Janes: The debt. We are in a precarious position with no borrowing capacity should unforeseen needs arise. Protecting teacher jobs and keeping class sizes down in spite of financial constraints is my priority. My first goal is to prevent additional unnecessary capital project spending. I will work hard to find cost-saving options that do not jeopardize educational quality or teacher pay. I will advocate for more robust measures to ensure referendum money is used for education, not operations.
George Lyle: Demographics and funding are always a challenge for Indiana schools, since much of the state-level funding is allocated on a per-student basis. WLCSC is likely to face enrollment issues in the future, which will affect funding. The Indiana Legislature is also putting pressure on all Indiana schools with their proposals to alter the school funding formulas.
Unfortunately, the state legislature might also make teachers' lives difficult by allowing individuals to interject in class syllabi. I oppose this, and WLCSC will need all the help it can get to try and make sure this and other similar legislation doesn't go through.
Dacia Mumford: My biggest worry is that the community will vote against the referendum when it is up for renewal in 2024. That would be disastrous for our schools. Without the $8 million in annual referendum funding (about a quarter of the budget), the schools would be forced to make deep cuts. The school board needs to work to regain the community’s trust by acknowledging that they made some poor financial decisions, showing how they spent the $95 million in recent construction borrowing and demonstrating that they will provide better financial oversight.
Karen Springer: The biggest challenge for our school district is relevant and meaningful curriculum for all students. All of the corporation strategic plans past and present address academic achievement and growth for all students. A goal for this school year is to complete a curriculum audit and use the results to align with standards and local priorities to maintain and enhance our programs to meet the needs of all students. Our recent $250,000 grant from the IDOE will be used to sustain and expand STEM education K-12. Specific funding details are being worked on now. We are also working on new state mandated curriculum. Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, a civics education course must be taught the second semester of sixth grade. The state has set the academic standards, and the schools will develop curriculum to teach those standards.
Laurence Wang: I think the flat enrollment is the biggest challenge for WLCSC. Enrollment is directly tied to education funding WLCSC received. It is also the major factor which decides school budgets, class sizes and facility utilization. I would suggest an inclusive, safe and engaging school environment, high quality extracurricular programs and better understanding of student educational needs to improve enrollment.
Rachel Witt: There is never a shortage of challenges in public education. It is important to continue to build board knowledge and experience so whatever challenges arise, we have an exemplary board response. We have decisions coming up about the Happy Hollow building and will review and likely pursue a renewal of our operating referendum. We are working through both a 10-year feasibility study and demographic study to provide necessary information for those decisions. We will also need to continue work to maintain our desirability as an employer to maintain excellence in teachers and support personnel.
Question: How would you rate the performance of the current superintendent, Shawn Greiner, and administration?
Angie Janes: I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Greiner and his administrative team. During his short tenure, we have seen marked progress in communication with the community. Since his employment with the district, we have seen the board packet and accounts payable reports made public. He has recently sent emails to parents on issues ranging from warnings of fentanyl use to a survey about district priorities. I have also been impressed to learn that he has reached out to teachers regarding parent concerns. It is early in his tenure, but so far, I am impressed.
George Lyle: The current superintendent hasn't been in office for very long, so I think we shouldn't be too quick to judge. I've met the principals at the elementary and intermediate schools, and they seem like dedicated professionals who have the kids' best interests at heart. I have also spoken with several teachers at all levels who are pleased to be a part of WLCSC. If the awards that WLCSC recently won for science education are any indication, things seem to be going pretty well.
Dacia Mumford: Over the past few months, our new superintendent has already made some important changes to improve public access to information (though more needs to be done). He visits classrooms, talks with teachers and is present in the schools. He is respectful in his interactions with others, and I have enjoyed my conversations with him. I would like to see school administrators do a better job at listening to our teachers and students.
Karen Springer: I would rate the performance of the current superintendent as highly effective. The comprehensive superintendent search process last summer/fall resulted in a new superintendent Feb. 1, 2022. He is learning about the school corporation, reviewing all facets of the corporation for efficiencies and improvements, supervising the administrators, meeting and talking to corporation stakeholders, etc. His prior teaching experience, administration experience and superintendent experience enabled him to hit the ground running Feb. 1, 2022.
I would rate the performance of the current administration as highly effective. Our administrators are competent, knowledgeable, creative problem solvers and always focused on the best outcomes for the students they work with.
Laurence Wang: I think the current administration has made several good moves in 2022. Early this year, the superintendent hired an external financial consultant who conducted an external financial review of WLSCS. The superintendent also hired a new CFO with years’ experience working as a CFO. I believe external auditing, frequent risk assessments and an expert in charge of financial matters are critical moves improving WLCSC finance governance. Currently, the school collects proposals and feedbacks from staff as well as community stakeholders for prioritizing capital projects. I think these help WLCSC move toward a more transparent, well-informed and collaborative decision-making process.
Rachel Witt: As a current board member, and serving this year as president of the board, it is important to treat all of our corporation leadership with professional respect and avoid dissecting their performance as campaign material. As a board member who participated in the search and voted to hire Dr. Greiner, I can say he has met and exceeded all of the personal and professional characteristics expected from him. We have developed a collaborative working partnership, and he has been instrumental to the work of the board from day one of his hire. I am excited to continue moving forward together.
Question: Are you part of a coalition or slate of candidates in this race? If so, what is it? And what are the common aims and goals?
Angie Janes: No. Although my goals frequently align with some of the candidates, and I am encouraged by their success, there is no coalition. I am a community member running on the issues that matter to me.
George Lyle: I am not part of any coalition or slate of candidates.
Dacia Mumford: I am not part of a slate of candidates. I do not believe that school board candidates should run as a group. The school board election should be about demonstrating to our neighbors that the individual candidate will do a good job representing them. It should be about voting for those that most closely share your views about how our schools should run. In this election, I am planning to vote for school board candidates who want to increase public access to information, provide better financial oversight, prioritize our teachers and seek community input before voting on important school policies.
Karen Springer: I am not part of a coalition or slate of candidates in this race. I have always run my own campaign in all contested elections.
Laurence Wang: No.
Rachel Witt: No, I am not. Board members work together collegially and professionally to do the governance work of a board. Ideally a board member will not have personal or professional relationships with individuals or groups of members of the board that extend beyond our work as a board. Personal alliances and affiliations can impede collaboration and distract from an objective and unified focus upon student success.
Question: The Indiana General Assembly debated a pair of bills in spring 2022 that would have provided more oversight of classrooms, including asking teachers to post lesson plans at the start of the year so parents could review them and limiting how schools teach what were termed “divisive concepts.” Do you back those proposals. Why or why not?
Angie Janes: Diversity of thought matters to me. My kids have been taught some things in school with which I don’t agree. To me, however, the answer is not to overlegislate the teachers but for parents to help kids navigate various schools of thought and draw independent conclusions. The monumental workload this legislation would add to teachers is untenable. Sometimes the best ideas come the night before a lesson. I don’t want teachers restricted to teaching material they proposed before they even met their students.
George Lyle: I absolutely oppose this. We should also be clear about the language that is used around this subject. “Divisive” is often used as a code word for anything that radical conservatives and white supremacists don't like. I refuse to let students and teachers be bullied by extremists.
Dacia Mumford: It is unreasonable for teachers to have all their lesson plans ready at the beginning of the school year. Teachers already have a very difficult job, and I do not support policies that make teaching harder. I do believe that parents should be involved in curriculum decisions by serving on school curriculum committees. Our schools need to do a better job of getting broad parent participation on these committees. If there is a concern with a particular teacher’s lesson plan, the best approach is to discuss it with the teacher and then take the issue to the principal if needed.
Karen Springer: I do not support state-mandated oversight of classrooms. There are state-mandated standards for K-12 instruction and for every course offering 7-12. WLCSC prides itself on teaching above the standards. WLCSC gives each teacher the freedom to enrich the curriculum using their expertise. Posting of lesson plans at the beginning of the school year is an impossible time request of any teacher and severely limits the addition of current events and new teaching methods throughout the school year. Parents are always welcome to talk to teachers about the state standards and local curriculum.
Laurence Wang: Those proposals make sense to me. Communication and information sharing are two major ways to improve classroom transparency. Parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s education. When parents are more comfortable with what their children are taught in classroom, they will be more willingly to send their kids to our school. I believe classroom transparency will help WLCSC’s enrollment.
Rachel Witt: I do not. I support educators as professionals and students as learners. We have curriculum review committees in place in our schools connected to textbook adoption that include parents. We also have teachers who know their content area well and adapt to student needs. Additionally, we have recently begun a K-12 curriculum audit to assure excellent alignment and outcomes. If questions arise about curriculum, teaching tools or age appropriateness of content, I believe that conversation should not reside at the Statehouse. It is better suited between the parents and teacher, all of whom know and are invested in the best immediate decision for the individual student.
Question: A new charter school, the Indianapolis-based Paramount School of Excellence, will open in fall 2023 in Lafayette, serving Greater Lafayette. Do you back the expansion of charter schools in and near your district?
Angie Janes: I understand the appeal of charter schools for students whose needs are not being met. Parents should do everything in their power to provide the best education for their kids. That said, from a societal level, I don’t think charter schools are the answer. They draw funding away from public schools and, as a result, from students who depend on public education. The answer, in my opinion, is to improve our public schools’ ability to meet the needs of every student. Administrations should communicate regularly with parents and seek to understand who is underserved and why. Then, adjustments should be made.
George Lyle: In a perfect world we would re-imagine the definition of a charter school. I would love it if local districts and municipalities were given the ability to use charter schools or experimental classrooms as a laboratory of sorts, experimenting with new techniques and educational theories. Then, if those new techniques were successful, they could be exported to other public schools. The sad reality is that charters divert funding from existing schools, while also having the ability to reject applicants they don't want to serve.
Dacia Mumford: I am not in favor of our school leaders using their time and taxpayer money to try to fight charter schools. Rather than fighting to keep them out, the best way to respond to a new charter school in Lafayette is to improve our West Lafayette schools. I think that very few (if any) West Lafayette students will choose to transfer to this new charter school. However, if our school district starts losing students, the solution is to talk with families, ask how our schools could better serve students and then do our best to improve.
Karen Springer: I am against charter schools and against the expansion of charter schools in Tippecanoe County. Public schools are the backbone of our democracy and provide a free education to all children. Charter schools are not free, can be selective in the students they enroll, do not have to follow the same state accountability guidelines as public schools and siphon money away from public schools. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately managed and are a means for the charter school founders to make a profit. Studies have shown charter schools are not better than public schools in educating children. Yet, each year the state legislature allocates increased dollars to charter schools at the expense of public schools.
Laurence Wang: I do not think it is a relevant issue about our school board election. I still believe WLCSC can do much better with or without charter schools in our community – that is why I am running for school board. However, I am in favor of more educational options for students and parents, because I believe our children deserve the best education, and each child is unique. In case a student’s educational need cannot be fulfilled in traditional public schools, I think it will be in the student’s best interests to gain more suitable education via alternatives.
Rachel Witt: I do not support expansion of charter schools, and it is a concern for every school in Tippecanoe County. Admittedly, as a concept charter schools may sound appealing, however, the state of Indiana has not established a framework for equitable funding, consistent performance measures or general oversight of charter schools. As a result, charter schools amount to the defunding to public education, and foster an environment of segregation. I believe that all our youth deserve access to an excellent public education all the time, and I believe the best path to that is a relentless effort for improvement of our existing public schools.
Question: Name two specific things that separate you from your opponents and why they matter.
Angie Janes: First, I am not an incumbent. I didn’t authorize pushing forward with skyrocketing construction costs while approving a reduction in force of teachers. Second, I back my thoughts with action. I applied pressure to the board to sever its contract with its law firm. As a result, it is no longer overpaying (former attorney Bob) Reiling to fight public access to information. I uncovered financial mismanagement and shared it with the community. I pushed for behind-the-scenes board member conversations to be made public, and we now have access to the board president’s notes. I don’t just talk about community; I work for it.
George Lyle: I am not beholden to any group, any PAC or any pre-set opinions. I believe good ideas can come from anyone, and everyone can contribute to the vitality of our schools.
I believe I can also offer some perspectives that the WLCSC board doesn't currently possess. I know what it's like to grow up in a low-income household, and I know what it's like to often be the only person of color in the room. I also think that my technology and legal expertise can help WLCSC prepare for future challenges around privacy, data security and more.
Dacia Mumford: Each month I write a summary of the school board meeting and post it to my website. My desire is for the community to know what our school board is doing and to have full access to public information. Having a more informed community has already produced several important improvements.
I taught kindergarten and first grade in our school district, so I know what is going on behind the scenes. I also worked as a student teacher supervisor for Purdue and observed student teachers in our classrooms as well as in other districts. We should learn from other’s best practices.
Karen Springer: I have served on the West Lafayette School Board for 24 years and volunteered in our schools for 31 years. I know my role as a school board member is the 10,000-foot aerial view overseeing the school corporation. I am experienced in all facets of board work and have dealt with many issues over the years. I was just awarded the 2022 Indiana School Board Association (ISBA) Outstanding Boardmanship Award.
I have lived in West Lafayette for 45 years. I understand how much the West Lafayette community values education. I also understand the school board role as a parent and now as one of the 70% taxpayers with no children in the corporation. I think my objectivity in decision making is enhanced.
Laurence Wang: I do not think there are any “opponents” in the upcoming school board election. I believe all candidates are willing to serve our community and want to make WLCSC a better school corporation. As a complex corporation with $30+ million annual budget and over two thousand fulltime students, WLCSC requires a governing board that collectively have a full range of skills and experiences. My education background in finance as well as professional experience in various industries could certainly contribute to the school board.
Rachel Witt: As described above, I have a unique and necessary perspective that brings balance to our work as a board. I am also an experienced and collaborative leader. With nine years on the board, I know our schools and the work of a school board. I am proud of our schools. That pride goes beyond rankings and recognition; Our schools and our community know that truly serving students means to never give up the work of improvement. I am proud of a West Lafayette community that prioritizes our students and schools and hope to continue to serve on the school board.
BALLOTS, VOTER REGISRATION, ETC.: Who will be on your ballot? Are you registered to vote? That and more, available at Indiana’s voter portal, Indianavoters.in.gov.
EARLY VOTING: For a list of early voting sites in Tippecanoe County ahead of the Nov. 8 election and those on Election Day, I had the list in recently. Find it here.
Candidate bios
Angie Janes
Age: 52
Occupation: Copy Editor
Education: BA in English from Utah State University
Past elected positions, if any: None
Immediate family: I am married to Troy Janes with three kids, Daniel, Bethany and Anna.
Your campaign site online: angiejanes.org
George Lyle
Age: 39
Occupation: IT Security and Privacy (my exact position is Lead IT Security Analyst, at Purdue University)
Education: Arsenal Technical High School (Indianapolis), Indiana University Bloomington (BA in Journalism), Washington University in St. Lous (JD), Purdue University Global (cert. in Information Security)
Past elected positions, if any: none
Immediate family: Wife Tiffany; kids George V (6), Trinity (2) and Aria (10 months)
Your campaign site online: www.georgelyle.com
Dacia Mumford
Age: 45
Occupation: Graduate student (earning a master’s degree in social work)
Education: BS in Elementary Education
Past elected positions, if any: None
Immediate family: Kevin (husband); Bryson, Kaitlyn, Alyssa, Hailey (kids)
Your campaign site online: daciamumford.com
Karen Springer
Age: 67
Occupation: Jacki Sorensen Aerobic Dancing Franchise Owner and Teacher
Education: B.S. in Home Economics Education from Miami University (Ohio) and STEM Ph.D. in Textile Science from Purdue University
Past elected positions, if any: WLCSC Board of School Trustees: 1996, 2000, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
Immediate family: Son Douglas: 2004 WL grad, financial trader with SIG, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; daughter Laurel: 2013 WL grad, University of Michigan Ph.D. Candidate in classical archaeology
Your campaign site online: karenspringer.com
Laurence Wang
Occupation: Business analyst
Education: BS in Business Administration, MS in Finance, MS in Management Information System
Past elected positions, if any: None
Immediate family: My wife and two children
Your campaign site online:
https://lw4wlsb.org
Rachel Witt
Age: 52
Occupation: Artist, Art Programming Coordinator, Westminster Village, West Lafayette
Education: graduate, West Lafayette High School
Past elected positions, if any: I have served a partial term, and have been elected twice to the WLCSC School Board. I am serving my ninth year as a member and this year as board president.
Immediate family: Children: Mike (Munday), Mark (Munday), Mitchell, Eleanor, Lillian, John
Your campaign site online: RachelWitt.net / www.facebook.com/rachelwitt4wlschools
Tips or story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com. Also on Twitter and Instagram.
Candidate Q&A: West Lafayette school board, six for three seats
Wow. A school board candidate in a center-left town offering unqualified support for two far-right Republican bills that were overwhelmingly opposed by teachers.