Initial results from the election on Tuesday, April 6 have been made public. Incumbents Colleen McCabe and Vikki Peterson secured reelection and Jen Kasper took the third open seat. The Exponent reached out to each winner for a statement on the election and their victory to hear what they plan to do now:
McCabe: As far as how I feel — I feel very grateful and humbled by the support of the Platteville community. In this particularly difficult year with so many challenges for our community and society, I feel supported by the election results for my input on the various board and administration’s decisions.
As far as the things I will be working on — I can assure the community I will continue to be an advocate for our board’s continuous work on expanding the scope of our curriculum to support the learning and growth of each student. In the last series of questions, I alluded to the “student-centered” nature that I feel all successful educational entities will need to shift toward to sustain growth and prosperity for students, families and communities. The development of more individualized programming to meet the needs of a wider variety of learners is the future of K-12 and post-secondary education and career training programs.
In addition to this shared work on the Program Committee and full Board of Education, I am looking forward to engaging in the extensive professional development opportunities being explored for equity, diversity, and inclusion training. Strengthening all district leaders, from support staff and faculty to the administrative team and the board is a path forward that I am so proud to be on with my colleagues. Being a part of defining and refining “the Hillmen way” will be work but important work necessary for our district to truly live our mission.
As far as “thank yous” — the most important thank you is one I would like to publicly extend to my family. Thank you, Maureen, Isaac and Jonah. They have been supportive even when at times challenged by the time and energy that my membership on the board brings. The other thank you and pledge goes out to the wider community. Thank you Platteville, I promise to continue to work and promote our district as the “district of choice” in Southwest Wisconsin.
Peterson: I am so honored to serve another three years on the school board and I am grateful for all the support I have received from friends and family near and far. I will continue to work to make our district a more inclusive and equitable place for all, I will continue to support our teachers and administrators so they can provide the best educational experience for our students, and I will continue to be a voice for our community. I love our district and I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve another term!
The Exponent reached out to Jen Kasper but did not receive a response. The new members will officially start their three-year term on the school board this coming Monday, April 26.