An uncontested race in one district, no candidate in another and two candidates will face off in a third district in the November race for Smith-Green School Board.

District 1 was held by Brandon Almas, who left this summer to attend law school. The Board appointed Mike Sturgis to that District shortly thereafter. No candidate has filed to run in District 1 and Sturgis has agreed to continue his position for a full term.

In District 2, which is currently being served by Robert Amber, no candidate filed. The school board will have to appoint a replacement when Amber vacates his seat December 31. Steve Edwards has filed his candidacy and will run unopposed in District 2.

In District 3, voters will vote for Adam Cartwright or Nick Uecker, both of whom live in
Green Township. Buscovoice.com had the opportunity to talk with both candidates about why they are running for school board and what they would bring to the board, if elected.

Nick Uecker

Uecker is the newest member of the Smith-Green Community School board of directors, after being chosen to replace Paul Bowser, who resigned suddenly in early June, citing personal reasons.

Board members voted unanimously at the July 7 board meeting to choose Uecker over three other candidates for the District 3 Green Township seat.

Nick Uecker

“There have been problems in the school system for the last few years,” Uecker said of his reasons for deciding to stay on the board and run for the Green Township seat. “I would like to be involved in getting things headed in the right direction.”

Uecker is employed at Havel Bros., a Division of Shambaugh & Son. He has an associate degree from Vincennes University in Conservation Law Enforcement as well as a 5-year electrical apprenticeship with Local 305 in Ft. Wayne.

He has been a Churubusco Youth League soccer coach, a Whitley County 4-H archery leader and a Churubusco United Methodist Church trustee.

“I’m a reasonable and concerned member of this community,” Uecker said. “And I would like to get continuity between the public, teachers, and administrators.”

Uecker said he has the ability to see all sides of the issues, and - with children in elementary, middle, and high school - a vested interest in the best education they can get.

The most important thing he would bring to the board? “The ability to listen and reason,” he said, adding,

“I would like to get everyone involved to work together and do what is best for the bottom line, our children’s education.”

Adam Cartwright

Cartwright says his top priority, if elected to the board, would be the students.

“We must have good teachers and administration and must have good communication skills, but the kids must remain the top priority,” Cartwright said.

“It’s very important that the school gets a fresh start with the hiring of a new superintendent,” Cartwright said.

An attribute he believes he could bring to the board would be the oversight to question and spend more wisely.

“I was at a board meeting where one board member brought up the fact - and it was obvious that no one wanted him to bring it up - that the board had spent more than a thousand dollars to have a booklet rewritten and none of them were really satisfied with the result, but they paid the bill anyway,” Cartwright said. “That’s just one example.”

“I have an issue with how they have handled money on the past - not personally - but as a board,” Cartwright added.

“Not everyone is well off, and now that the board has decided to charge each student for transportation
(for extracurricular activities), it’s hard on some parents,” Cartwright said. “I have four kids. If they each play one only sport, it would be over $80 in extra fees.”

“The same night they decided to charge the students the extra transportation fee - which is per sport or activity - the board announced the school was buying a house,” Cartwright said. “And they didn’t even try to offer less than the appraised value.

“It didn’t make sense.”

Cartwright lives in Avilla with his wife, Sara, who works at the school part-time in the medical office.
He is employed at Steel Dynamics Inc. in Columbia City and their four children attend Churubusco schools - in kindergarten, third grade, second grade and preschool.

Cartwright said he thought Churubusco had a lot of great teachers, but lost quite a few due to conflicts with administration.

“I would like to work together with everyone so that we’re all always fighting for power,”
Cartwright said. “Some of the teachers (still employed) are scared of losing their jobs if they speak out and they are just playing the game,” he added. “But this is not a game. It is real life.

“We have some really good teachers,” Cartwright reiterated. “But we also have a few bad ones. I would like to see the board evaluate every employee at the school on a regular basis.”

Cartwright said he decided earlier this year to run for school board.

“I’ve always wanted to help,” he said. “I would put kids first, taxpayers second.”

About Steve Edwards

Edwards said he is running for school board to impact the quality of education SGCS is known for.

Steve Edwards

“There was a time when we had superior schools in a supportive community (the school’s motto),” Edwards said. “Our community is still supportive to an extent, but our schools have suffered immensely.  The misgivings of a few well-meaning individuals took a grave toll on SGCS.”

What Edwards said he will bring to the board is the ability to respectfully disagree with issues that will not benefit SGCS – no matter what that may be.

“I will hold individuals accountable for ineffectiveness in their responsibilities to the students, parents and teachers of SGCS – no matter who they may be,” he added. “And I will shape policy with my fellow board members in a manner that is efficient and beneficial to the taxpayers, students and teachers of SGCS.”

Edwards is the assistant branch manager of National City Bank in Churubusco. He holds a B.S. degree in Business information Systems as well as an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.

He has been Past Master of the Churubusco Masonic Lodge, a parent volunteer at the school including  career interviews and classroom teaching and chairman of Endowment Committee at Churubusco United Methodist Church.

Edwards cites his involvement in the school as a parent as the top qualification for serving on the school board. “I’m a parent concerned about our schools,” he said. “I also have several years business management experience in addition to my educational accomplishments.”

The top priority, given the events of the past few weeks, Edwards said, is hiring a superintendent.  “This is not going to be a quick fix and will take time to get the right,” he added. “We need the right person  with the right attributes for SGCS.  We don’t need to be in a hurry to just make an expensive mistake three years from now.”

Another priority is budget concerns and working as a board to correct the costly mistakes that were made over the past few years.  A parallel concern, obviously, is the staff relations and teacher retention.  In talking with some teachers and staff, teacher retention would not be nearly the problem it has been with quality relations with the staff, Edwards said.

Another priority is looking for alternate sources of funding as enrollment continues to decrease, along with state funding, Edwards said.

Edwards would like to explore the possibility of a Smith Green Education Foundation.  “Education Foundations are a growing source of funding not only for schools but for community organizations as well,” he said.

Edwards thinks the key to handling board concerns and problems of the past and future is to do so  head-on.

“It’s no secret that there have been tremendous struggles in the past and those are not expected to dissipate anytime soon,” he said. “All of us – the board, the parents, the community are in this together.  Parents need to be involved with the activities of the corporation, the board members must continue to be accessible to the community, and the corporation needs to act a responsible member of this community.”

“Honest and forthright communication and action on the parts of all of us crucial to make SGCS as successful as possible.”