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Barb Portzen is running for another term on the Stevens Point Area Public Board of Education. (Contributed)

Portzen wants Board to focus on student safety, educator retention

Metro Wire Staff

The Stevens Point Area Public Board of Education has nine candidates on the Feb. 15 primary.

Nine candidates will compete for four open seats on the board. Incumbents Jeff Ebel, Barb Portzen, and Rob Manzke, are being challenged by newcomers Jennifer Bushman, Miguel Campos, Alex Sommers, Kari Prokop, Dennis Raabe, and Lisa Rychter. The top eight vote-earners will move on to the April ballot.

Questions by Brandi Makuski. Verbatim answers from Barb Portzen follow:

Tell me why you’re running again.

“I think there’s still work to be done. I really enjoy my work with the district, so I’m looking forward to a new superintendent and working with her. Since we started heading through this COVID thing, I might as well just keep it up.”

What is it you like about working with this district?

“The best thing I like is going to the elementary schools and reading, but I can do that regardless. I really enjoy supporting the staff, the teachers. The last couple of years has been really, really tough. Our community is pretty divided on a lot of things. It’s been pretty rough but I’m interested in going one more term.”

How do you deal, as a board member, with some of those more divisive issues?

“It’s really tough. I’m kind of a peacemaker, and I don’t go for all this bashing that’s going on. I really have backed away from reading a lot of the Facebook stuff because I just don’t need that negativity in my life. I believe we’re doing the right thing and have done the right thing. We’ve been protecting the vulnerable; I’ve got a Type 1 diabetes grandson, and I know there are thousands of others with health issues who are struggling. The doctor told us early on that [her grandson] would have a tough time if he got COVID. Our children, I don’t think they’re being harmed by masks. Yes, people still get it but they aren’t getting it nearly as often. Right now we’re in a really good place, the numbers are going down. I have been working the last two years on contact tracing for the health department and working the vaccination clinic, so I’ve kept pretty close tabs on what’s going on. The two go hand-in-hand, I check our numbers, I check the school’s list. I know people want to get back to normal, we all do. We all hate masks. But I believe we’re doing the right thing.”

Tell me something outside of COVID issues, that you believe the district is getting right.

“I think that they really have a great professional development program that they started just a few years ago for the staff. I think we’re being fiscally responsible. Our business manager, Tom Owens, is really great, he’s top of the line. And I think we’re doing everything in our power to get the mental health needs met. It’s almost impossible to hire a special needs person, like a school psychologist, counselor, special ed teachers, they’re really tough to find. But we’ve been flexible enough to know we have to pay them more.”

What is the district not doing right? What could be improved?

“Obviously they have to work on the learning loss that’s happened because of that dumb COVID. But I think they need to look at the retention of teachers and staff. If that’s expanding the pay scale, or retirement, or other benefits, I think we have to worry more about our people. If it were up to me, I don’t know where we’d put them, but I’d like to see smaller class sizes.”

Before you ran for School Board, you were a district employee, the board secretary, for how long?

“I think about 14 months. I learned all the inner workings of it, and that was very helpful for me.”

What do you see as some positive changes to the Board, and what are some things you think the Board could continue to work on?

“I think the positive is, we work pretty well together. We have differences of opinions, but we can respect one another and vocalize those things, we don’t club each other. I think the respect level has jumped enormously. I like the way we’re doing things pretty well.”

And what should be worked on?

“I’d like to see COVID gone. We are going back to in-person (meetings) Monday night, I can’t wait. I feel when I’m on the computer, it’s like I’m not really there, not really part of it. I like to see their faces and talk to them ahead of time.”

We’ve had some very strong opinions in the past few years. It’s the most divided I’ve ever seen our community. Being an elected official, you’re accountable to the voters, not necessarily a boss, so how does the district move forward in the middle of all the finger-pointing and blame?

“If I had the answer to that I’d be a rich woman. I don’t know. I’m a listener, I listen to people and check into it. But if someone is in my face and calling me names, I’m probably going to feel threatened and back away. I’m not going to fight with anybody.”

What are your thoughts on the district having closed Bliss last May? How can the public trust their elected government if there’s a chance the doors will be locked in the future?

“That was two people; that decision to lock the door was two people. The rest of us weren’t even around. I had no idea that even happened until after the meeting. I had absolutely nothing to do with that.”

What was your reaction when you heard about it?

“We heard they were threatening, and there was a safety issue. I thought, Okay, yeah, I would be too if people were…with concealed carry, you never know what can happen. I was remote, and that was before we were all vaccinated. I do think that we have been pretty open about things. People can watch the live stream, they can put in comments if they wish to. Last time we had a meeting there was an open mic kind of thing but nobody did it. We’re going to be damned if we do, damned if we don’t. I think we’ve done the best we could do in a shit-show.”

That was my last question; was there something you wanted to say that I didn’t ask?

“I’m willing to serve this community and I’m going to do what it takes. People can disagree, that’s okay. But the majority is going to rule, and I don’t agree with every decision the board makes. But at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team.”