Valparaiso School Board candidates narrowed to five, first interviews Monday

Chicago Tribune

03-05-2025

The Valparaiso City Council will interview four candidates at 6 p.m. Monday at Valparaiso City Hall for the first round of questions in the process of appointing a new member to the Valparaiso School Board.
'We met in executive session on Thursday, April 24, to narrow down the number of applicants for the council's appointed school board position,' said Valparaiso City Council Member Emilie Hunt, D-At-large, who serves as the council liaison for Valparaiso schools.
'There is also one candidate during the 2025 school board appointment process for the board member appointed by the Center Township Trustee. The trustee (Jesse Harper) will do his interview with questions also accepted by the public at the township trustee office on May 19.'
Hunt said the name of the lone candidate for the Center Township school board seat has not been revealed, but the four contenders for the Valpo City Council appointed seat have been announced and posted with their fully scanned applications at https://www.ci.valparaiso.in.us/
Current school board member Erika Watkins, a Democrat appointed by Center Township in May 2021, has applied to continue with the board, competing with finalists Brett Miller and Ron Donahue, both Republicans who were finalists for the city-appointed seat a year ago. The two were unsuccessful in their bid to fill the seat vacated by Jon Costas when he left the board to begin another term as mayor.
The fourth finalist is Democrat Curtiss Strietelmeier, a finalist for an open Valparaiso School Board seat in 2023 but was not selected.
Strietelmeier previously held the position of school superintendent for New Durham Township for six years from 2012 to 2018.
'My deep commitment to the success of Valparaiso Community Schools is both professional and personal, fueled by my extensive experience in education and my investment as a parent with two children currently enrolled in the district, one in middle school and one in high school,' Strietelmeier said in his application.
'Having served as an elementary teacher, I understand the foundational needs of our youngest learners and the dedication required from our educators. My experience as a Director of Technology provided me with insights into leveraging innovative tools to enhance learning outcomes and operational efficiency across the district. Furthermore, my tenure as a school district superintendent has equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of district-wide leadership, policy development, and responsible fiscal management.'
Watkins explained her educational philosophy in her application.
'I'm rooted in the belief that home and school should not exist separately but in a strong partnership of each other,' she explained.
'When families and educators connect and work together, a unified support system is created that nurtures the whole child.'
Donahue said both his work career and volunteer experiences make him a strong candidate to serve as a school board member.
'I have never been on the School Board, but I have experience overseeing committees in previous roles of leadership while working in mental health for the past 13 years,' Donahue wrote in his application.
'As the risk manager and performance improvement director, I ensured monthly meetings occurred with senior leadership and that the minutes were submitted within the appropriate time frame and parameters to my Corporate reports. In my current role with UHS Corporate I have been a part of the Acute Care Safety Committee.'
Miller's application emphasized his involvement in the school lives of his three children, all enrolled in Valparaiso Schools.
'My wife and I have seen firsthand what an outstanding group of educators we are blessed with here in Valparaiso,' Miller said.
'A strong foundation is a must for any community to thrive. During these formative years, it is important for kids to not only learn facts and dates, but also have the opportunity to grow mentally, emotionally and socially.'
Applicants for Valparaiso School Board must be at least 21 years old and live within Valparaiso city limits, with state statute requiring that the Valparaiso School Board have at least one member from each political party.
'Party affiliation' is determined by the last primary in which the applicant voted. The term of appointment for the new member is four years.
All finalists have been given their May 5 Round 1 interview times, and public-generated questions have been selected and sent to applicants and all city council members before the Monday interviews at city hall.
For the Round 2 interviews at 6 p.m. May 21 at city hall, all applicants will also receive questions in advance and all questions are the same for each applicant. Each of the interviews will be 25 minutes, with council members also allowed to ask one follow-up question if time permits, with the council president and vice president having the first opportunity.
After a 10-minute recess following the second round of interviews, council members will reconvene to appoint a school board member with each council member voting for one name for consideration on a ballot.
After City Attorney Patrick Lyp counts the ballots, if there is a majority vote for one candidate, the name of the candidate is nominated and seconded, with discussion following about the merits of the candidate. Following discussion, a vote will be taken and the selection made.
If there is no majority vote for the candidate, according to the guiding procedure, a council member can then make a motion to consider two candidates. After discussion, a motion to select one candidate will be made and seconded with additional discussion followed by a final vote.
The Center Township Board will convene at 6 p.m. Monday, May 19, in the Porter County Commissioners' Chambers at the Porter County Administration Center to do a final interview of the candidate and decide appointment. Trustee Harper is still accepting questions from the public to ask the candidate. Questions can be emailed to him at [e-mail].
'Once these candidates are selected and appointed, they are then part of the school board and really their own entity at that point, as stipulated in our resolution about the appointment process created in 1957,' Hunt reminded.
'We are in a peculiar situation in that we are in a city, one of the three or perhaps five left around the state, that still has the city council appoint school board members. And once we do that, other than our council's approval of the school system's budget, we don't have involvement.'