Schools

Slawson, Ducca Announce Joint School Board Election Campaign

The school board election is months away, but two candidates are getting a head start.

The 2012 Board of Education election campaign has started—officially.

Tuesday, School Board President Lisa Slawson announced she was running for re-election. Slawson will run on a slate with Dawn Ducca, president of the Pleasant Ridge Elementary PTA.

Chuck Lesch, Vice President of the board, said Tuesday he was not planning on seeking re-election. There are two six-year terms up for grabs in the election.

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Slawson, who practiced law in Indiana before moving to Saline, is seeking a third term on the board.

“I always said that if I felt my work was done, that I’d be done. But it’s not done yet,” said Slawson, who has a daughter at the high school and son at the middle school. “The district faces a really challenging next couple years. We are in danger, in all of the politicking and the noise, of losing what is great about Saline Area Schools—our kids.”

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Education is more important than ever for children in this economy, Slawson said.

“Advocates for public education—parents, teachers, support staff, board members—must work to create a great community for our children,” Slawson said. “It’s more important now than it was when I first ran in 2004.”

Ducca said running an extension of her commitment to the school district.

“Everybody that knows me knows I love Saline schools. My blood, sweat and tears are in this school district,” said Ducca, who has children in second and fourth grade. “I want them to have the best education, which is why our family chose Saline. Being on the board will be one way I can make sure that not only my children get the best education, but that every child in the district receives the best education.”

Ducca is a media technician at Saline Middle School. If elected, she would be required to resign from her position. Ducca is also active in her church, where she runs youth ministries and teaches Sunday school. Ducca is also active in the state’s PTA group.

Slawson and Ducca don’t share political philosophies. Ducca noted they don’t vote for the same parties. But what they do share is a history of serving on PTAs.

“If you want to find someone who is an advocate for public education and who believes they are here to serve the district, it’s a PTA president,” Slawson said. “Dawn and I have that same passion.”

Ducca agreed.

“We both are staunch supporters of public education and keeping Saline at the stature where it has been for years,” Ducca said. “We all need to step up to the plate and commit to keeping our schools top of the line.”

In 2011, David Holden and David Zimmer ran as a team and won the two available seats on school board.

 


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