Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Three candidates outline priorities at Sparta Area School District board forum
Summary
Three candidates for the Sparta Area School District Board of Education appeared at a student-hosted forum to describe qualifications and priorities, emphasizing staff retention, state funding, special education and social-emotional learning, and community communication.
Three candidates for the Sparta Area School District Board of Education — David Gonke, David Burnett and William Lasko — answered questions at a student-hosted candidate forum at Sparta High School ahead of the April 1 election. The forum was led by Sparta High students and included 10 questions on staffing, district finances, special education and open enrollment.
The candidates outlined why they are running and what they would prioritize if elected. "I've been, until recently working for this school district for about 6 and a half years," David Gonke said, adding that his experience in district support services and as a robotics coach gave him "a unique perspective from the support side, not just from the classroom, but from all the buildings." Gonke emphasized improving communication with staff, parents and the community and said better transparency about district finances could help retention and community trust.
David Burnett, who introduced himself as "a retired physician and physician executive," said he…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
