Five candidates are seeking four spots on the Albert Lea school board.

They are Sally Ehrhardt, Jill Marin, Corey Wittmer, Jolinda Schreiber and Theodore Paulson.

Schreiber is an incumbent who brings her experience, patience and wisdom. She deserves to return to the board.

Ehrhardt&8217;s dedication to education is unquestioned. Her father-in-law, George Ehrhardt, sat on board for years. She has been on the district curriculum, facilities and budget advisory committees. She has been involved on many committees at Lakeview Elementary School and helps with the citywide science fair. Vote for her.

Marin works as a chemical dependency chaplain at Fountain Centers. She was on the school district curriculum committee. She is an AmeriCorps mentor and has been a part of Freeborn County Community Action Restoring Excellence. As a pastor&8217;s wife, she does a lot with her church. On top of it all, she volunteers for school activities. Marin cares about kids. A lot. She deserves your vote.

Wittmer works as a radio repair technician in Waseca. He is active with First Lutheran Church. He has been a science fair judge. He is concerned about cuts to music programs. He would be a good board member.

That leaves Paulson as the odd man out. Paulson is a nontraditional student at Riverland Community College. It is good to see students get involved in the community. He participates in HUGS, a child-abuse prevention group. We like that. We like that he has questions, but he can be awkward in his approach to politicians who visit Albert Lea. Paulson lacks experience on education issues and at times rushes to judgments. Last spring he proposed strict sex-offender ordinances to city councils in southern Minnesota, a knee-jerk proposal that cops said would have done more harm to children than good.

Moreover, Ehrhardt, Marin, Wittmer and Schreiber said they favor the proposed school levy.

Paulson would not tell the Tribune&8217;s reporter how he stands on the levy issue. Albert Lea voters shouldn&8217;t put a person on the school board who won&8217;t let them know how he stands. That behavior is not good for public discourse.