Elmbrook School Board candidate Ilse Frayer will challenge incumbent Glen Allgaier as he seeks re-election to the board's Area II seat in the April 6 election.
Board members serve three-year terms and are paid $3,600 per year.
Only residents living in Area II, roughly the district's northwest quadrant, are eligible to run for the Area II seat. All voters can vote for all seats.
Glen Allgaier
Elmbrook is in the process of addressing a budget gap that is the result of decreasing state aid and increasing costs. For Allgaier, the district's biggest challenge is addressing that gap without compromising student learning.
Allgaier said his experience makes him qualified to help plan for Elmbrook's long-term financial future.
"We're faced with some significant financial challenges," Allgaier said, "and I think my business background is helpful in addressing those."
That background has taught Allgaier to ask the right questions - What is the problem? What data demonstrates we have a problem? What are the long-term expectations of the decision? How will we monitor progress and demonstrate success? Is the benefit worth the cost? - when considering important matters, he said.
If elected, he said, he'll help increase student learning, further engage the community in the decision-making process and continue work on a long-term financial plan that will close the district's budget gap while avoiding an operational override referendum for the next four years.
Allgaier added that he's enjoyed his time on the board so far, and is looking forward to continuing to serve the district where his children had excellent educational experiences.
"It has been a rich experience to serve on the School Board," he said. "I very much enjoy working with parents and staff, and being in a great school district."
Ilse Frayer
Frayer is running because she believes the district's leadership has gotten off track, she said. As a result, Elmbrook's level of quality is falling off.
"I'm very concerned that right now the majority of the current board has lost sight of what's best for our community and our students," she said. "My goal is to return a modicum of common sense to the board, to eliminate the hidden agendas and the ego trips, and to be a good steward of our community resources."
Existing board members exercised poor stewardship by choosing not to implement a districtwide 4-year-old kindergarten program, Frayer said. Meanwhile, neighboring districts with cheaper housing stock are offering K4 and other programs desirable to parents with young children, she said.
An Elmbrook graduate herself, she wants to make sure her children receive as good an education as she did, she said. As a district alumna, employee and parent, Frayer said, she has a unique perspective that allows her to see daily the impact board decisions have on students, parents and staff.
"I'm very invested in the district," she said. "I want to see it succeed and excel even more, if possible."
To do this, she said, the board needs to consider whether each decision is the best for Elmbrook students and the best use of district tax dollars.
By focusing on student learning, the board can help return Elmbrook to its status of leading the region in quality. The result will be better education for students and higher property values for residents.
Glen R. Allgaier (i)
AGE: 69
ADDRESS: 2455 Buckingham Place, Brookfield
TIME IN DISTRICT: 23 years
FAMILY: wife, Cindy; nine adult children
JOB: retired executive director of research for Eaton Corp.
EDUCATION: doctorate in electrical engineering, University of Arizona
ELECTED OFFICES: elected to Area II School Board seat in 2007
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: member of city of Brookfield's Economic Development Commission; member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; formerly a Boy Scouts scoutmaster, youth soccer coach, high school student mentor, bishop in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
CONTACT: (262) 784-9280, moroni4u@yahoo.com
WEB SITE: none
QUOTE: "Elmbrook is among the top 1 percent of school districts in Wisconsin. I believe that we can maintain that position by engaging the community and applying good business practices to our decision-making processes."
Ilse M. Frayer
AGE: 39
ADDRESS: 2370 Talbots Lane, Brookfield
TIME IN DISTRICT: 26 years total, 9 years since moving back in
FAMILY: husband, Michael; two school-age children
JOB: instructional assistant at Brookfield Elementary School
EDUCATION: bachelor's degrees in international relations and German from UW-Milwaukee
ELECTED OFFICES: none
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: president of the Brookfield civic band, member of vestry for St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church in Pewaukee, classroom volunteer
CONTACT: (262) 786-9338, ilse.frayer@gmail.com
WEB SITE: none
QUOTE: "As a candidate, my goal is to return the board's focus to what's best for students and our community - both from an educational aspect and a property value aspect. We need to remain competitive."
Ask the candidates
Visit BrookfieldNOW.com or ElmGroveNOW.com to suggest a question you'd like us to ask them.
E-mail Newsletter
Your link to the biggest stories in the suburbs delivered Thursday mornings.
Enter your e-mail address above and click "Sign Up Now!" to begin receiving your e-mail newsletter
Get the Newsletter!
More from News and Features
- Business Calendar: Feb. 16-March 28
- Healthy choices topic of Heartfelt Sunday
- Ask NOW: Traffic light rumor laid to rest
- Full appeals court to hear Elmbrook graduation arguments
- Gala for cancer research
- Business Calendar: Feb. 15-25
- Grab a Bite: One Way Cafe: A Tosa Village melting pot
- New zoning district eyed for 124th Street neighborhood
- Government Meetings: Feb. 9-16
- Musician shares hope, faith
.jpg)
0 COMMENTS