I’m willing to bet 90% or more of registered voters in Franklin have no idea Tuesday’s election ballot includes candidates for the Franklin School Board. It’s a flawed body. This group soaks you for the biggest portion of your property tax bill. Most, if not all candidates run on the promise to provide a quality education while keeping school taxes low. Yeh, right.
I’ve lived in Franklin since 1992. There hasn’t been a school board here yet that has been a friend of the taxpayers. For more than 25 years I’ve witnessed board members that have behaved as though they work for the superintendent instead of the reverse which it should be. No one on the board has the guts to stand up to the superintendent. Instead, they’re rubber stamps.
A few, like a handful, of school board yard signs have popped up in my neighborhood. You know what means? Absolutely nothing. Yard signs only make candidates and their followers feel good. That’s it.
On the ballot in Franklin are these school board candidates:
Debbie Larson, incumbent
Alex Aleksandrowicz, incumbent
Mike Spragg, newcomer
Two of the above three will be elected.
Here’s what stands out to me in this particular election. It’s the argument why we should vote for Spragg. One person commented on one of my previous blogs:
There is a new candidate running for Franklin School Board in April. Mike Spragg, who actually has children IN the public school system. As of June of 2019. NOT one Franklin School Board member will have children IN the public school system. (the one person has a senior who graduates in June).
Really?
Out of all the possible issues affecting an election this should be high on the list of considerations?
This thought process isn’t all that bright. A candidate without kids in the school district…somehow that’s a negative? Should that disqualify someone for running for or actually holding office?
Using that incredibly illogical approach, then we shouldn’t tax taxpayers who don’t have kids going to Franklin schools. That would stop collections from 70% of Franklin households. See how ridiculous the “no kids in Franklin schools” position is?
My personal perspective? I’m not voting for any of the three. Two will get in, that’s a given. But not with my help.
Debbie Larson is a perennial disaster, no ambassador for the taxpayers and no supporter of anyone who might dare to refrain from kissing school administration’s ring.
Alex Aleksandrowicz? What in the world has he done? ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Mike Spragg? You have kids? Good for you. But I need more than that to vote for you.
My vote is really, really, really important to me. So important that if no candidate impresses me, I’m leaving the whole slate blank. A candidate has to EARN my vote.
No Franklin school board candidate next Tuesday truly impresses me. None has earned my vote. None will get my vote. And I’m so cool with that.
This Just In... From Franklin, WI 
Thanks for your review. I feel that same way about this school board. I don’t believe they know that they are supposed to be representing the taxpayers.
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I agree this School Board seems to answer to the Superintendent (who does not live in Franklin, like most of the Admin) and therefore does not pay our high taxes towards the schools instead of the admin answering to the Board. It is a line on the admin personnel resume, not impacting the education of their children. We need a change in the School Board. Mr. Spragg is a former PTO president and active volunteer in the public school system for over 6 years. Taking the lead on several events and being a main volunteer for all others. If you attend or listen to school board meetings you would know candidate Spragg wants more accountability and transparency from the School Board and the administration. The other candidates did not bother to attend the School Board Candidate Forum at the library to meet their constituents. Spragg did attend and discussed many topics with the audience. He answered questions from the audience for nearly an hour. Linda Witkowski present School Board member did attend, she is consistently the Board member that asks questions about nearly all agenda items. The School Board needs to change, why not start with a new excellent representative? Mr. Spragg. The School Board did not even respond to a petition last year with hundreds of people submitting opposition to changes to the teaching system. The teachers even submitted information stating they did not think this new plan was beneficial to the students. The group, including Spragg, submitted another petition again to request a public informational meeting. Again the school board and school admin dismissed it and said information would be forth coming and in August. Changes were pushed through without parent involvement or awareness and without the School Board asking relevant questions. It is true Mr. Spragg has 2 children in the public school system in different schools. There should be someone with children in the public system on the School Board who is paying taxes along with the rest of us homeowners. He is a very qualified, involved member of our community. I think he shares grave concerns with many of us about the present pattern of this School Board and administration.
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Thanks for the thoughtful response. Quite frankly Spragg being a former PTO official is not a major selling point for me.
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Thank You i feel the same way No vote for any of the 3.
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I fully concur with your assessment of the feeble School Board. In a small -time community it is common to get the kind with ego trips and the proclivity to bootlick the overpaid superintendent who loves to waste Franklin taxes while not paying them himself.
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