Our picks for Linn-Mar school board

In the Linn-Mar Community School District eight candidates are vying for four at-large seats on the school board.

State and national politics loom over the race. Republican politicians have heaped criticism on the district for its gender support policy, which allowed transgender students to use their preferred names and pronouns and access restrooms and locker rooms corresponding with their gender identity. The policy also allowed students to decide whether parents would be notified.

The Iowa Legislature and a U.S. appeals court ruling have largely nullified the policy. But the fallout continues.

Three Linn-Mar candidates, Kevin Slaman, Tom Law and Laura Steffeck have been endorsed by Moms for Liberty, a right-wing organization that has led the charge to curtail LGBTQ rights in schools and remove books from that depict sex, many written by LGBTQ authors or people of color.

A fourth candidate, Jodi Treharne, has not received the Moms for Liberty endorsement. But her name appears on campaign signs alongside Slaman, Law and Steffeck.

We supported the school’s efforts to shield transgender students from bullying and harassment and comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws. We oppose the Moms for Liberty agenda.

So our endorsement goes to incumbents Brittania Morey and Barry Buchholz, as well as newcomers Katie Lowe Lancaster and Justin Foss. We believe they are the best candidates to push the district forward.

The experience Morey and Buchholz bring will be an asset as the district executes its strategic plan, approved by the school board in August. The plan addresses budgeting, staff retention, student engagement and achievement, community engagement and facilities, among other goals.

Linn-Mar also has a superintendent who has been on the job since July and who will benefit from experience and stability on the board.

Morey understands the politicized efforts to undermine public education. She counters those attacks by focusing on Linn-Mar’s many strengths, from academics to athletics to fine arts.

Lancaster also sees implementing the strategic plan as the board’s top priority, along with addressing financial concerns advocating for all students, staff and parents. “When all students, parents, and staff feel they are personally seen, heard, and valued we strengthen the effectiveness of education throughout the district,” Lancaster wrote in answering our questionnaire.

Foss sees closing education gaps spawned during the COVID pandemic, securing continued funding for staff and facilities and Shifting the board’s focus to student achievement and success as his three top priorities. Foss also wants to increase communications regarding the district’s budgeting process and sees a need for public-private partnerships to close funding gaps left by the Legislature’s failure to provide adequate school funding.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com