Damakant Jayshi
The Wausau School Board on Monday voted to advance four candidates out of the eight who had applied to fill a position left vacant by Ka Lo’s resignation.
A special meeting of the board heard from the candidates to fill Lo’s unexpired term. The final selection be made Sept. 6. The appointed board member will serve from Sept. 6 through April 23, 2023.
Those who have advanced to the next round in the selection process are Brandon Jensen, Cory Sillars, Dr. Gillian Battino and Jo Ann Egelkrout. Sillars and Dr. Battino addressed the Board of Education in person. Jensen and Egelkrout, citing a scheduling conflict, sent letters supporting their applications. The letters were read aloud by the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Keith Hilts.
Seven of the current eight members of the board attended. Former president of the board, Pat McKee, was not present.
Barbara Newton, Thomas Brown, Lori Duranso and Michael Hughes failed to garner enough votes to advance. While Newton and Brown attended in person, Duranso and Hughes did not. Neiter Duranso nor Hughes sent any supportng information either, according to district officials.
Jensen identified himself as someone working in the manufacturing industry in a leadership role. In his statement, he said he was frustrated with some of the policies in the district but was pleased with the changes over the last year. Sillars is a builder and also a supervisor in the board Town of Rib Mountain. He said he is a “doer” who works to find solutions to problems. There were three statements supporting his application.
Dr. Battino, a radiologist in Wausau, said she is proud and grateful for the work that the school district does for the children in the community. Battino, who unsuccessfully ran for state treasurer in the Democratic primary, said she believed they have more in common than in difference. She had previously announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate, but dropped out before the Aug. 9 primary.
Egelkrout, who identified herself as a retiree and experienced in early childhood education and development, lost her campaign for Wausau City Council’s Dist. 3 in April, falling to incumbent Tom Kilian. In Council campaign materials, she a said she believes in tolerance and diversity, while pointing to “race bating” that she said results in divisive resolutions that “pit neighbor against neighbor, family member against family member.”
In her statement supporting her application this week she said the Wausau School Board made rapid strides with members with more a conservative viewpoint and added that the board has become better since the April elections because it is more conservative.
Lo resigned her position on June 27, citing the “toxicity, disrespect and indifference” she said she endured by some of her colleagues on the board and their friends. In her resignation statement, Lo said she contemplated resigning many times throughout her term as a result of those attitudes. She also cited an opportunity that will take her out of the Wausau area.
The Wausau School Board has the authority to decide how it wants to fill the vacant position on the nine-member board.
The most recent example happened in 2020 when the Board sought to fill a vacant position after Theresa Miles resigned, citing health reasons. After receiving applications and interviewing four candidates the group appointed former board member and president, Jeff Leigh to serve the remainder of Miles’ term.
