Mount Pleasant Public Schools board results not determined Tuesday night
Four challengers are still vying for two seats on the Mount Pleasant Public Schools board after polls closed Tuesday night.
Patty Strong, Shelia Murphy, Jeffery Wigand and Wynne Winslow have different areas of experience and eclectic backgrounds, but all want the same thing: better education for the students and more community involvement.
As of press time, the race was too close to call.
Strong's main goal is securing more funding to meet the needs of all students and getting more parents involved in the progress of their children's education.
A mother of three, Strong has been going to meetings and has been a "PTO mom" since her children began school. A graduate of the Central Michigan University journalism department, Strong has experience in litigation, law and investigative reporting.
Murphy wants the board to work within the boundaries of polices set by the state and, by doing so, bring all aspects of the community together and use the resources given to attain a solid goal. In being elected, she hopes she'll be able to better give back to the community and that it is her duty to do so.
Murphy's experience lies in her successful small business in Mount Pleasant that has been operating since 1978. She said she has a good handle on the financial aspects of being a board member.
Wigand said education needs to be focused on the development of each child's potential and that he would strive to achieve that if given the chance.
He is also an advocate for community involvement. Wigand holds multiple education degrees and has received numerous awards for his teaching efforts. Wigand sees many flaws within the Michigan education system and decided it was time to help make a change.
Winslow wants to help improve the Mount Pleasant Public Schools system and give students the chance to travel down the career path of their choice.
Like the other challengers, Winslow believes there needs to be much more community involvement. Winslow is a mother of three and a grandmother of five. She said she has a strong knowledge and understanding of No Child Left Behind, Title 1 and I.D.E.A.
