Voters will narrow down candidate field Feb. 19
By Scott Bellile
A primary election will be held Feb. 19 to narrow down a large candidate field for the New London School Board.
School District of New London residents who vote in next month’s primary will reduce the number of school board candidates from six to four.
Then on April 2, voters will return to the polls to advance two of those four individuals to the school board.
Incumbent school board members Virginia Schlais and Chris Martinson will both seek re-election.
Schlais has served on the school board for all but one year since 1997.
Martinson was elected to his first term in 2016.
Four new candidates will take on the incumbents: Pete Bosquez, Tina Ruckdashel, Mary Swifka and Jeremy D. Pues.
The Press Star contacted the four challengers to learn why they chose to run.
A New London Senior High School graduate who describes his former self as an “at risk student,” Bosquez went on to work a career in law enforcement, retiring from the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office in 2017.
He now represents Caledonia and rural Fremont on the Waupaca County Board of Supervisors.
“I also work as a substitute educational assistant with my license to work with special needs children,” Bosquez said in an email. “I believe my personality, life experience, and work history qualify me to be a positive addition to the Board of Education.”
He said the school board’s responsibilities are to provide opportunities that position children to succeed in life, offer a safe learning environment and use taxpayer funds efficiently and effectively.
Ruckdashel, the sister of school board Clerk Connie Neely, said she is running to give back to her children’s school district and because she is passionate about education.
Ruckdashel worked as a preschool teacher and substitute teacher in New London before taking her current job with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Head Start educational program, where she serves children under 5.
“Education is one of my passions. I would like to make sure we’re on the cutting edge of education,” Ruckdashel said of the School District of New London. “There’s so many things that are changing and I want to make sure I can continue to support New London, just staying where they are with their education and a good solid education program.”
Outagamie County Parks Department employee Swifka was previously appointed to the school board in June 2016 to fill a vacancy. She lost a five-way race for three school board seats in April 2017.
Prior to joining the school board, Swifka served on the Catalyst Academy Governing Board from 2015 to 2016. She was also appointed to a three-year term on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Council on Special Education.
“I’m running because I want to support the district that has given so much to our son, a 2016 graduate,” Swifka said. “I bring knowledge of the needs of students with disabilities, a perspective that is misunderstood and/or not appreciated by some of the current school board members.
“I want to make sure that every child feels welcomed in this district,” Swifka said. “I want parents to know their kids are receiving an outstanding education from highly qualified teachers and support staff.”
Pues, a father of five New London students, said he is running because he sees a need for fresh viewpoints, and he is “done sitting back and scratching my head” over decisions made in the district.
“A member of the school board, in my opinion, is a member of a team that makes decisions to positively affect the entire community. … I have a positive mindset, and this is one of the biggest needs for our future team of decision makers,” Pues said in an email.
If elected, Pues said he hopes to help children find their interests and expand their talents and maintain a plan to support teachers’ needs.
“Happy teachers will create a more positive environment, that will in turn maintain strong learning atmospheres in each classroom,” Pues said.
The Press Star will send all six school board candidates questionnaires regarding local issues and publish their responses closer to the primary.