School board candidates supported by Better Schools for Better Futures—a political action committee formed in August by local businessman Lane Grigsby and veteran business lobbyists Dan Juneau and Ginger Sawyer—fared well in Tuesday’s election. One candidate won outright and three will be in a December runoff, while two lost.
“We’re pleased,” says Grigsby, who has spent months and untold dollars on the school board races. “We’re in three runoffs. They’re very important to education, and we are going to work our tails off.”
Better Schools for Better Futures was created to promote the need for a more accountable and effective school system, according to its website. The group concentrated its efforts on promoting an entire slate of reform candidates, and tried to create awareness about which candidates shared their vision for “a more efficient and student-centered school system.”
Incumbent Barbara Freiburg won outright in the District 7 race, defeating Anthony Nelson. Three other candidates supported by the PAC made it to a runoff: Mark Bellue, who will face Jennifer Andrews next month; Christopher Bailey, who will challenge incumbent Connie Bernard in the runoff; and Evelyn Ware-Jackson, who will square off against Jerry Arbour.
Two losing candidates supported by Better Schools for Better Futures—Robert Maxie Sr. and Daniel Banguel—were defeated by Tarvald Smith and Vereta Lee, respectively. Grigsby says even though the PAC did not make a clean sweep of the school board races, the effort and expenditures are worth it.
“We’ve got a bunch of kids that aren’t being properly educated for the world they are growing up in,” he says. “Whether you win or lose, you gotta fight.” —Stephanie Riegel
