THREE TO JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD

JACKSON -- Vicky McDowell will join incumbents T. Wayne Lewis and Darrell Hanschen on the Jackson School District Board of Education.

The three candidates among nine vying for three, three-year terms on the board amassed 54.5 percent of the total votes cast Tuesday.

Lewis easily won election to his third term on the board with a total of 2,461 votes out of 11,346 cast, or 21.6 percent.

He said Tuesday night that he was especially pleased with the voters' overwhelming approval of the district's $4.7 million bond issue to build a new middle school.

"To me, the biggest thing I'm happy about is the vote of confidence given to the students, teachers and administrators in the district," Lewis said.

McDowell, who garnered 1,831 votes (16.1 percent) in her first bid for the school board, said the new school is a key issue facing the district.

"I'm very proud of the voters of Jackson to respond so overwhelmingly to the need that was there," McDowell said. "Right now that's our top priority.

"We want to get the plans going for the school and get that under way."

Hanschen was elected to a second term with 1,908 votes (16.8 percent). Hanschen sees the state's school funding formula as a key issue in the district.

He said construction of the new middle school and development of a curriculum for the facility also will present challenges. "We've just got lots of work to do," Hanschen said.

"It makes me feel good that people put me back in there for a second term," he said. "There were nine people running and that shows a lot of interest in our school district from the community. There wasn't a bad candidate in the bunch."

Other candidates and their vote totals include: Wendy Litzelfelner Hayes, 1,255 (11 percent); Mark Martin, 1,130 (10 percent); Charles Engelhart, 892 (7.9 percent); David Lynn Seabaugh, 749 (6.6 percent); Robert Francis, 566 (5 percent); and Kelle A. Lane, 554 (4.9 percent).

The newcomer on the board, McDowell, said she expects her first few months on the board to be a learning experience.

"I'm looking forward to working with the board and the administration and the residents of the district as we work on behalf of our schools," she said. "It's been a very humbling experience for all these people to put this confidence in me, and I'm appreciative of their trust and votes."