Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Kathy Saari, left, and Kathy Levra, right, pose after being sworn in Tuesday as new members of the Hurley School Board by Anna Lardinois, a notary public for Associated Bank. The two women won board seats in the April 7 spring election and will attend their first meeting as board members on Monday.
By TOM LAVENTURE
Hurley - So that they can participate in their first Hurley School Board meeting as full members, two newly elected board members took the oath of office at the school on Wednesday.
Newcomers Kathy Levra and Kathy Saari were elected to the school board in the April 7 spring election. The two will join fellow school board members Joseph Simonich, Leslie Kolesar and Andy Laurin at the next regular meeting on Monday.
Saari said she is "thrilled" to be elected and empathizes with the staff for the work they are doing with online classrooms to meet the needs of students, families, colleagues and the community as the school remains closed under Wisconsin's COVID-19 emergency order directives. She said school administrator Kevin Genisot updated the new board members on the unusual situation.
"The goals for myself will be to continue to provide a progressive and inclusive education to our students and prepare them for success in the future," Saari said. "l look forward to working with Mr. Genisot and the current school board to provide opportunities to meet the needs of our students, staff, and community. The process may look and sound different with our current stay at home situation, but the positive results will strengthen and prepare all of us for the future of the Hurley School District.
Levra said she is grateful to be elected to the school board. She said the campaign was very well run by all four candidates.
"I will carry over that type of commitment and enthusiasm into my role as a board member," Levra said. "The first order of business is going to be studying and understanding the responsibilities of the school board."
There isn't a model to follow on how a school should handle the COVID-19 scenario, she said. The school board members are on the same learning curve, she said.
"Every new situation will have to be researched, discussed and managed," Levra said. "The new board will go forward together."
