While most people are thinking about their Christmas and New Year’s plans this time of the year, those running for Milwaukee area school boards have additional decisions to make this month.
Every year, incumbent school board members whose terms are soon expiring have to decide whether or not to run again for their seats the following spring. Challengers to those seats also must decide. Both are required to file a declaration of candidacy, a registration statement, and, in some districts, nomination papers with a specified number of signatures, by Jan. 7, 2025, in order for their names to appear on the ballot and to set up their campaign finances.
Some school boards require candidates to run for a specific seat while others run for the board at-large. If an incumbent chooses not to run for re-election, they must file noncandidacy papers by Dec. 27.
The spring election is scheduled for April 1. If necessary, a primary will be held Feb. 18.
Here’s a list of Milwaukee area school board members whose seats are up for election in 2025.
Arrowhead
Four seats, three three-year terms, one one-year term
Chris Adsit, Hartland-Lakeside seat
Brandon Miller, Richmond seat
Lindsey Wood, North Lake seat
Vacant Stone Bank seat
The Stone Bank seat, which was vacated by Tim Langer, will have someone appointed to it. Whomever is appointed to that seat will serve until the April 1 election. That person can choose to run in the April 1, 2025 election. If elected, that person would serve a one-year term.
Brown Deer
Three seats, two three-year terms, one two-year term
Dorothea Macon
Lisa Walker
Meredith Welch
The top two vote-getters will get three-year terms and the third place vote-getter will get a two-year term.
Cedarburg
Three seats, three-year terms
Elizabeth Charland
David O. Krier
Laura Stroebel
Cudahy
Three seats, three-year terms
Kari Durr
Jim Papala
Crystal Silkwood
Elmbrook
Two seats, three-year terms
Kathy Lim, Area II seat
Linda Boucher, at-large seat
Fox Point-Bayside
Two seats, three-year terms
Andrea Bernstein
David Melbye
Franklin
Two seats, three-year terms
Debbie Larson
Mike Spragg
Germantown
Three seats, three-year terms
Russell Ewert, seat #2
Michael Loth, seat #6
Brian Medved, seat #4
Glendale-River Hills
Two seats, three-year terms
Carla Pennington-Cross
Chris Robinson
Grafton
Two seats, three-year terms
Blair Jamieson
Mark Koehler
Greendale
Two seats, three-year terms
Tassia Hughes
Robert Kobleska
Greenfield
Two seats, three-year terms
Julie DeGaro
Kristie Potter
Hamilton
Two seats, three-year terms
Stacy Riedel, Village of Sussex seat
Rachel Ziemer, at-large seat
Hartland-Lakeside
Three seats, two three-year terms, one one-year term
Tiffany Hawley
Matt Schwab
Vacant seat
The vacant seat was formerly held by Amy Harker-Murray. Whomever is appointed to her former seat will serve until the April 1, 2025 election. The top two vote getters will receive three-year terms while the third place vote getter will receive a one-year term.
Kettle Moraine
Two seats, three-year terms
Kelly Brown
Carl Millard
Lake Country
Two seats, three-year terms
Monique Henry
Peter Maurer
Maple Dale-Indian Hill
One seat, three-year term
Julie Murphy
Mequon-Thiensville
Two seats, three-year terms
Jason Levash
Michael Stadler
Menomonee Falls
Three seats, three-year terms
Nina Christensen
Shelley Holzman
Chris Stueland
Merton
One seat, three-year term
Troy Andersen
Milwaukee Public Schools
Four seats, four-year terms
James Ferguson, District #4
Jilly Gokalgandhi, District #5
Xela Garcia, District #6
Henry Leonard, District #7
Mukwonago
Four seats, three three-year terms, one two-year term
Dale Porter, Central Region seat
Carolyn Simon, district at-large seat
Craig Vertz, West region seat
Vacant, West region seat
The board is seeking to fill the West region seat left vacant due to Vito Schwartz’s death. The person whom the board appoints to the seat will serve until the April 1 election. The winner of that seat will serve a two-year term.
Muskego-Norway
Two seats, three-year terms
Brett Hyde
Laurie Kontney
New Berlin
Three seats, three-year terms
Mitchell Helmer
Renee Koneck
Janet Schultz
Nicolet
One seat, three-year term
Andrew Franklin
North Lake
Two seats, three-year terms
Marty Iverson
John Marchek
Oak Creek-Franklin
Two seats, three-year terms
Frank Carini
Jerry Krist
Oconomowoc
Three seats, two three-year terms, one one-year term
Neal Ninmann
Bill Thiel
Kate Marks
Board member John Barnes moved out of the district, which created a vacancy. The board appointed Marks to fill Barnes’ former seat until the April 1 election. The top two vote-getters will receive three-year terms while the third place vote-getter will receive a one-year term.
Pewaukee
Two seats, three-year terms
Larry Dux
Bren Sawall
Port Washington-Saukville
Three seats, three-year terms
Yvonne Klotz, at-large seat
Karen Krainz, City of Port Washington seat
Brian Stevens, City of Port Washington seat
Richmond
Two seats, three-year terms
Matthew Krasucki
Jennifer Miller
Shorewood
Two seats, three-year terms
Emily Berry
Becky Freer
South Milwaukee
Two seats, three-year terms
David Maass
Sophia Williams
Stone Bank
Two seats, three-year terms
Mallory Biersack
Jeff Smith
St. Francis
Two seats, three-year terms
Lisa Geiger
Nancy Tischendorf
Swallow
Two seats, three-year terms
Carl Schmidt
Nipun Yamdagni
Waukesha
Three seats, three-year terms
Mark Borowski
Thomas Harland
Karrie Kozlowski
Harland was appointed in September to fill a vacancy left by board member Marquell Moorer’s resignation in July. He will serve until the April 1 election and can run for election to that seat.
Wauwatosa
Four seats, three three-year terms, one one-year term
Jenny Hoag, Seat #1
Eric Jessup-Anger, Seat #3
Michael Meier, Seat #2
Jason Wautier, Seat #7
Seat #7 is for a one-year term.
West Allis-West Milwaukee
Three seats, three-year terms
Joe Becker
Rebecca Lee
Jeffrey Sikich
West Bend
Two seats, three-year terms
John Donaldson
Melanie Ehrgott
Whitefish Bay
Two seats, three-year terms
Kristin Bencik-Boudreau
Dan Tyk
Whitnall
Two seats, three-year terms
Jason Craig
Karen Mikolainis
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: See what Milwaukee area school board seats are up for election in 2025