The loss of key leaders, state funding woes, maintaining academic standards and a desire to serve their community were cited as reasons for wanting to run for the Albert Lea school board by the three candidates whose names will be on the ballot this November.

This week’s announcement of the June retirement of Albert Lea Superintendent David Prescott is only one of the challenges the board will face in the near future. There are three candidates seeking three seats.

Incumbent Bill Leland is a veteran of recent battles to keep school funding at levels allowing high academic standards. “Our prime goal has to be academic achievement,” Leland said. More consistent state funding policies would be a great help for education, the single biggest item in the state budget.

Minnesota’s state budget deficit could be in the $2-3 billion range for next year, said Leland. Budget figures won’t come out until after the November elections.

“If state money for education is cut, it could really hurt our ability to meet student achievement standards,” Leland said.

Leland said he believes a steady increase in funding of 2 percent per year is what is needed.

“It does no good to get a 4 percent increase every third or fourth year, because by the time we get that money we have already fallen too far behind, and we can never catch up,” Leland said.

He cites the marching band as an example of this problem. Rumors of budget cuts caused some good music teachers to leave for other districts.

“The music teachers who remain are outstanding, but the program lost continuity,” Leland said.

Incumbent Bill Villarreal cites his concerns over continuity in school leadership as one of his primary reasons for running for re-election.

“We lost Ken Petersen, who I thought was a great leader. If I left, there would be two new board members coming on at a critical time,” Villarreal said.

Petersen is a longtime board chairman who is not seeking re-election this fall.

He said he was asked to run by other board members and school staff. Villarreal said he feels there will be significant losses in key personnel, due to retirements within the district. Replacements in important positions, besides superintendent, could include the head of communications, head of technology and finance director.

“We will be challenged to replace these key people,” Villarreal said.

Unfunded mandates by the state Legislature are a concern for Villarreal. The legislation allowing districts to tax for post-retirement pensions could be an area of concern.

“This takes pressure off of legislators and pushes it off on us,” Villarreal said.

Another state mandate recently enacted changes requirements for transporting students to out-of-town activities. In the past, teachers and staff who drove students to events were only required to have a standard Class D Minnesota driver’s license. Under the new law they will be required to meet the same standards as school bus drivers. Extra training will be required and no state funds have been provided for it.

“That’s going to cost us money,” Villarreal said.

Newcomer Linda Laurie has three children in the Albert Lea schools. She seeks the seat being vacated by Petersen.

She has served on the district curriculum committee for the past three years and looks forward to meeting the challenges and opportunities of serving on the school board. She has been a regular visitor to school board meetings since moving here from North Dakota 5 1/2 years ago.

“We need to fund special education, but we also need to expand our college in the classroom program for gifted students,” Laurie said.

Laurie sees challenges in having an aging population with an eroding tax base trying to support school funding.

“We need to keep quality teachers in our school system and grow the programs we have,” Laurie said.

She said she is sad to lose long-serving professionals within the district staff.

All the candidates said they wanted to keep student activity fees as low as possible and said they hoped to maintain current programs subsidizing student participation in activities for families struggling with the fees.

The school board candidates each expressed different personal reasons for deciding to run.

Laurie said she feels a responsibility to follow in her father’s footsteps.

“My dad was a school board member for 12 years, and he really taught me the importance of public service,” she said.

Villarreal said he feels his experience on the board has prepared him well for further service.

“For me, the draw is having the chance to do the right thing. It can be frustrating at times. Your heart gets in your way,” he said.

Leland said he is running because he feels the board has unfinished business to complete.

“It’s important work that needs to be done. I enjoy it despite all the challenges,” he said.