SDMA incumbents reelected to school board as other school elections finish this spring

Yahoo

04-04-2025

CHIPPEWA VALLEY — With the election wrapping up on Tuesday night, unofficial results show what school board candidates will be serving their districts starting this school year.
In one contested race, the School District of the Menomonie Area saw three incumbents seeking reelection were voted back onto the school board, with Dunn County's unofficial results showing Abe Smith with 5,050 votes, Rachel Henderson with 5,209 votes and Dominique Stewart with 4,623 votes. The results also show the number of votes for the two challengers, with Josie Pillman receiving 3,168 votes and Joyce Uhlir receiving 2,825.
'Today I feel so grateful to the voters of Menomonie, and for all of the support I've received over these last few weeks,' said Henderson on Wednesday. 'A school board that works together to address the challenges facing the district is what's best for kids. I am proud of the work that we've done over the last three years together. Yesterday, I believe voters recognized that our board is well equipped to do the best we can to align our resources to meet the needs of all students. There were a lot of things driving people to the polls this year, and I know that Menomonie was paying attention to our school board race, even as other races took center stage. We had a great show of engagement, and I appreciate the confidence of our community!'
Smith said, 'This April school board election was intense, especially with national attention on the simultaneous Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Turnout was about twice as high as my prior election in 2022.'
Giving a larger overview of the election as a whole, Smith said that he saw a lot of criticism regarding the large amounts of spending and cynical advertising during the election, with many worried about social division and economic stability.
For a few other local elections like in the Osseo-Fairchild School District, Eleva-Strum School District and School District of Altoona, many races were uncontested on the April 1 ballot with incumbents voted to serve another term. This includes the Eau Claire Area School District, where two incumbents, Stephanie Farrar and Board President Tim Nordin, and a newcomer, Jasmine Case, filled the three available seats during this election.
'On behalf of myself, Stephanie, and Jasmine, we are grateful to the ECASD community for their continued support of our schools,' said Nordin. 'We are each excited to keep moving our District forward, ensuring that each student receives the support they need to succeed, and achieving strong results for our kids and the future of Eau Claire. We could not be happier to continue this work for our community.'
Throughout the state, voters also had a chance to vote for state superintendent between Jill Underly, who was generally backed by Democrats, and Brittany Kinser, who was generally backed by Republicans. According to an article from the AP about Underly's reelection, Underly won with almost 53% of the vote as 85% were counted statewide.
In part of a statement released after unofficial results showed her winning the election, Underly said, 'Tonight, we celebrate a victory not just for our campaign, but for every educator, family — and most importantly, kids — across our great state. I am deeply honored and humbled by the trust you've placed in me to continue serving as your State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Victory belongs to all of us who believe in the power of public education. It's a testament to our shared commitment to ensuring that every child in Wisconsin has access to a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code. Together, we've championed the belief that public dollars should fund public schools, and tonight, that belief has been reaffirmed.'
Also after results started coming in Tuesday night, Kinser released a statement saying, 'Over the last few months, I have been honored to campaign across the state on behalf of our kids. While this is not the outcome I had hoped for, I hope that my candidacy has inspired conversations about the importance of restoring high standards and ensuring every child can read, write, and do math well, so they have the opportunity to go to college, secure a meaningful job, or master a trade. We know that our children meet expectations when standards are set high.'
When asked to comment about the results of the statewide election for state superintendent, Nordin said they were heartened and glad for Underly's reelection.
'Dr. Underly has been a tireless advocate for public schools, students, and teachers, as well as an outspoken champion for fixing the state's broken formula for funding public schools,' he said. 'She has worked hand-in-hand with the ECASD to support our students' needs and has also worked with ECASD staff to share our stories and experiences at the national level, increasing our connections to best practice for kids across the country. We look forward to four more productive years with her leadership at the DPI.'