Four candidates vie for two seats on School Board

Menomonee Falls - The Menomonee Falls School Board will have a new president and the Village Board will have the same one after the April 3 election.

Incumbent Village President Randy Newman is running unopposed after no candidates filed by the Jan. 3 deadline.

On the other hand, a slew of candidates are vying for two seats on the School Board after current president Kathy Shurilla filed noncandidacy papers. Shurilla had announced she planned not to run at a meeting in December.

Incumbent School Board member Dave Noshay is running and faces three challengers. The seats are open seats, so Noshay only needs to be beat two of the three to keep his place on the board.

Both Noshay and Shurilla voted for the controversial teacher contract extension. Shurilla referenced that process as a trying time in her tenure and that she'd considered many times over the last few months whether or not running for another term was the right decision.

Michele Divelbiss, the Valley View PTA president is running, as is Paul Tada and Richard Houdek. Divelbiss attends every School Board meeting and though she rarely addresses the School Board, did offer her input during the contract controversy last May.

She told the board she could see both people's frustration and the board's support for contracts, though she did say she would be on board with a decision to approve the contracts.

Last year's School Board races lacked drama, with incumbents running unopposed. A number of speakers at the meeting where contracts were approved suggested new leaders on the board would be necessary and suggested they might run.

School Board terms are three years and each board member is paid $5,000 annually.

The board votes on the president once the new members are elected.

Village president earns $7,500 per year; trustees are paid $5,500. Both village president and trustees serve three-year terms.