Incumbents retain most area school board seats

By P.J. GLISSON

[email protected]

Only three of seven area boards of education had contested races in Tuesday’s election in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties.

Among contested races in Gogebic County, the winners for the Ironwood Area Schools Board of Education were incumbents Caroline Delich and Brenda Agee and newcomers Aaron Ruotsala and Ashley Weber-Jarvenpaa.

Incumbents Tara Graham, Dick Matrella and Beth Steiger also retained their seats on the Bessemer Area Board of Education.

In Ontonagon County, Cindy Ellsworth, Shawn Brown, Maggi Brown and Victoria Hahka won seats on the Ewen-Trout Creek Area Board of Education.

In addition, voters also approved proposals that will allow Headlee Amendment overrides in the Wakefield-Marenisco and Ewen-Trout Creek school districts. Wakefield-Marenisco’s proposal received 798 yes votes versus 297 no votes. Ewen-Trout Creek’s proposal received 652 yes votes versus 509 no votes.

The routine Headlee action allows a district to levy up to 18 mills on property, other than principal residence or otherwise exempt, required for the district to receive its full revenue per pupil foundation allowance from the state.

A bus bond proposal for the Ontonagon Area School District also passed with 1,120 yes votes versus 822 no votes. That passage will allow the district to buy new school buses.

Board of Education details per county and district are as follows:

GOGEBIC COUNTY

Ironwood

Votes received by the seven candidates running for four seats on the Ironwood Area Schools Board of Education were as follows: Aaron Ruotsala, 1,800; Caroline Delich, 1,720; Brenda Agee, 1,619; Ashley Weber-Jarvenpaa, 1,243; Clancey Byrne, 1,197; Chandra Moreno, 727; and Rozina Doss, 619.

Byrne was an incumbent, and Moreno and Doss were running for the first time.

Bessemer

Votes received by the four candidates running for three seats on the Bessemer Area Schools Board of Education were as follows: Tara Graham, 871; Beth Steiger, 773; and Dick Matrella, 754.

Former Bessemer School Board member Bill McDonald received 345 votes.

Wakefield-Marenisco

All winners on the Wakefield-Marenisco Board of Education were uncontested in their run for four seats, each for four years. Votes received were as follows: Renaldo Boetto, 708; Cory Halberg, 687; Stacie Rooni, 633; and Brandon Yuchasz, 589.

Brad Dalbec, who has been the long-running board chairman, opted not to run this year, opening a seat for Boetto. Rooni, Yuchasz and Halberg were incumbents.

Kim Zeckovich and Mike Yon also were uncontested winners in relation to two Wakefield-Marenisco seats to which they had been appointed, on a partial-term basis, in 2020.

In relation to the 2020 appointments, Superintendent Jason Gustafson explained.  “During that election we had two new members elected.” He added that each of them quickly resigned for personal reasons. The board then appointed Yon and Zeckovich.

In Tuesday’s election, Yon received 799 votes, and Zeckovich received 712 votes. Gustafson noted that if they wish to retain their seats, they will need to run again in 2024.

Watersmeet

Three seats for the Watersmeet Board of Education were uncontested. Winning them were Jamie Fiorucci, 423; Lisa McGeshick, 382; and Angela S. Schrader, 382. There were 19 unresolved write-in votes as of press time.

As of press time, a partial term seat ending on Dec. 31, 2024, on the Watersmeet Board of Education was not yet resolved, with 60 write-in votes listed as of midnight on Wednesday.

Ontonagon COUNTY

Ewen-Trout Creek

Six people ran for four seats on the Board of Education for the Ewen-Trout Creek Consolidated School District. The winners and their vote totals were Cindy Ellsworth, 708; Shawn Brown, 584; Maggi Brown, 541; and Victoria Hahka, 511.

Other contenders and their vote totals were Ann Morrison, 504, and Chuck Eldridge, 459.

Ontonagon

Four seats on the Ontonagon Area Board of Education were uncontested. Votes received were as follows: Nancy Mattson, 1,156; Josh Yaklyvich, 1,137; Tammy Strasser, 1,102; and Staci Joliff-Bengogullari, 1,034.

REGIONAL

Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District

Three candidates for the Board of Education at the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District Board were uncontested.

Votes received were as follows: James Ojala, 5,521; Catherine Shamion, 5,304; and Marti Wegner, 4,457. Ojala and Wegner were incumbents.

Gogebic versus Ontonagon County votes for each candidate were as follows: Ojala, 3,629 versus 1,892; Shamion, 3,508 versus 1,796; and Wegner, 3,037 versus 1,420.

Gogebic Community College

Three candidates for the Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees were uncontested.

Incumbent Susan Beals received 3,662 votes, and newcomers Robert Stempihar and Michael McPherson received 3,598 and 3,494 votes, respectively.