There are three positions on the Tooele County School Board that are up for election this fall.
In two seats, the candidates are unopposed.
Carol Jensen, who has served on the school board since 2006, is running unopposed for a third term.
Jensen, who lives in Erda, represents school board district 6, which includes east Erda and a larger portion of Stansbury Park.
Alan Mouritsen, who was appointed to the school board to fill the unexpired term of Jeff Hogan in November 2013, is running unopposed in his bid for a full term representing school board district 7.
District 7 includes southwest Grantsville, along with Dugway, Rush Valley, Stockton, Terra, and Vernon. Mouritsen lives in Grantsville.
Teresa McNeill, Erda and Matt Lawrence, Grantsville, are vying for the district 5 position on the school board. The winner will replace Karen Nelson, who is stepping down after two terms.
School board district 5 includes northern Grantsville, northwestern Stansbury Park, Ibapah, Lake Point and Wendover,
The Tooele Transcript-Bulletin presented four questions to Lawrence and McNeill. They were:
1. Who are you? Please include your education and work background, highest education degree or certificate earned, name of school and year; and current employer, job title, and length of employment. Please include anything else about you personally that you feel is important for the voters to know.
2. Why are you running for office? What motivated you to run? Was there a specific issue or event that prompted you, general philosophy or ideology that you want to protect or promote? Did anybody or anything inspire you?
3. What differentiates you from your opponent? What attributes make you the stronger choice?
4. What will you do if you are elected? What are the most pressing issues facing Tooele County schools how will you address them?
Each candidate was allowed a maximum of 125 words per answer. The responses are included below in alphabetical order.
Prior to the Nov. 4 General Election, the Transcript-Bulletin will print answers to similar questions from candidates for county commission seat A and B, clerk/auditor, treasurer, sheriff, House District 21 and 68, and Senate District 12 and 17.
1. Who are you?
Lawrence: I have been a lifelong Tooele County resident. I graduated from Grantsville High School in 1973. I graduated from BYU with a business management degree in 1979. I received a Master of Public Administration degree from Brigham Young University in 1997. I have been employed as a seminary teacher for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the last 25 years. I have spent a total of 20 years teaching in Tooele Valley seminaries. I currently teach at the Stansbury seminary. I served one term as a Tooele County Commissioner and had a great experience serving the people of the county. I am married to the former Lori Millward. We have four children and 13 grandchildren.
McNeill: First and foremost, I am a wife and mother of four. I have lived in Tooele Valley for 23 years. I grew up in Salt Lake, graduating from Brighton High School in 1978. I am currently self employed, owner of Depot Home Furniture Warehouse and have been for the past nine years. Previous to that I worked for 10 and a half years at Wells Fargo Bank/First Security Bank. I do not have a college degree since children and marriage curtailed me from completing my higher education; however, I did attend the University of Utah for two years.
2. Why are you running for office?
Lawrence: I am running for office because I care about the students. I can make a difference by serving as a board member. I bring 20 years of experience teaching high school-age youth in the private sector. The same students with the same abilities and challenges that they have at the high school come into my classroom. Like my counterparts on the public side, I am always looking for ways to motivate students to be successful in the classroom. I feel responsible to use every teaching moment wisely and effectively. I feel a responsibility to my employer to improve professionally.
McNeill: Basically it comes down to I want to be involved. I feel that with my business background, I could be a good addition to the school board. I have limited understanding and knowledge of many of the things going on in the schools now since all my children are grown and moved away from home, but I want to know and be involved. I feel that local issues should be left to local leaders, as much as possible, to decide. A side note as to why I am running: nobody else was. Involvement on the local level is the most important place to get involved!
3. What differentiates you from your opponent?
Lawrence: I teach youth for a living. Every day I try to be a better teacher. I have been the recipient of good ongoing training, which has helped me to grow professionally. I would like to explore ways to support our teachers with more training opportunities. I have come to appreciate the quality of the teachers, administration, and staff that work in our high schools. I have seen the sacrifices they make as educators. I feel like I would bring an educator’s perspective to the board. I believe the district is heading in the right direction and I want to support the work of the other board members to achieve the projects and goals they have in place.
McNeill: I can only speak to my abilities and I am very frugal. I hate to spend money, so I believe that I can be a good advocate for responsible spending within the schools. I don’t want to pay more taxes. I believe that we need to budget and spend within our means. I hope to be a voice for the people, someone they feel they can come to and know that I will listen to their concerns.
4. What will you do if you are elected?
Lawrence: If elected, I will become a student of the district budget. I will listen to parents, school district employees, and all citizens who have concerns they want addressed. I will approach every problem with the attitude that we as a board can be successful in assessing the needs of those we serve and finding ways to that we can address those needs within the resources we have available to us. I believe I can make a difference in the lives of the students of this county.
McNeill: What will I do? My job, to the very best of my ability. I am not going into this with big plans of changing a system. I only want to help make the education of our students a positive experience; one that will help them succeed in life, in whatever it is that they want to “become.” I suppose one of my concerns and emphases would have to be centered on the bullying that takes place and to help kids understand that we are all capable and strong individuals. We just have different likes and dislikes.