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Kuckel, Morgan claim at-large School Board seats

3 min read

Two candidates came out on top in Tuesday’s general election to fill the new at-large District 6 and District 7 seats on the Lee County School Board.

Jane Kuckel faced off against Don Armstrong in the District 6 race, while Cathleen Morgan battled it out against Chris Quackenbush in the District 7 race. Kuckel and Morgan earned the most votes in their races, with Kuckel garnering 52.42 percent or 123,653 and Morgan earning 63.41 percent or 147,918.

Armstrong received 47.58 percent of the total votes cast, or 112,252, while Quackenbush took home 36.59 percent of the votes or 85,363, according to the Lee County Supervisor of Elections website.

In 2014, Lee County voters approved expanding the school board from five to seven members. As of November, the five original seats will be elected from their district, while the two new seats – District 6 and District 7 – will be elected countywide. The five original seats had been voted on countywide.

On Tuesday, Morgan called the win and voter support encouraging.

“It’s humbling and very gratifying,” she said. “I feel people share my excitement for what we’re doing in this district.”

Morgan added that she is excited about what is happening in the Lee County School District.

“I’m really pleased because I really wanted to be a part of the superintendent’s team going forward for the next four years,” she said.

Morgan noted that the board has work to do.

“We really need to establish a good working culture with good positive relationships,” she said. “The board really has to focus on, as a team, what it’s culture will be.”

As far as priorities, Morgan pointed to a lack of literacy among students.

“Kids who come in without pre-K, kids who come from poverty, they don’t have the language skills, they don’t have the vocabulary to be successful,” she said. “We have to figure out a way to do more for those kids.”

Morgan cited the creation of literacy coalitions in some counties.

“Getting kids ready for school, so they can be competent learners,” she said.

Kuckel was also excited about her win on Tuesday.

“I’m thrilled to be working with the district I love, the students I love – to bring back pride to the county,” she said. “My strengths are in team building, consensus building, being a mediator.”

Kuckel also pointed out the large voter turnout.

“It was a big turnout,” she said. “Bigger than we’ve had in a long time.”

Her priorities included academics. Kuckel said when she left the school board, 85 percent of Lee County’s schools were A and B schools, as compared to only 67 percent now that are A or B schools.

“It’s making sure our kids are competitive when they leave high school for whichever direction they take,” she said.

The district was ahead on schools in meeting its growth needs, now it is behind.

“That whole part of the budget has been ignored,” Kuckel said. “I’m also concerned about the push together neighborhood schools – that we might be re-segregating our schools.”

She added that it will take a team effort on the board to get things done.

As far as her challenger, Kuckel said she hopes that Armstrong will stay involved.

“That he will continue to be active in the school district,” she said. “We have many advisory boards.”

Neither Armstrong nor Quackenbush returned messages seeking comment on Tuesday.

According to the website, there are 423,882 registered voters in Lee County. A total of 329,001 ballots were cast in Tuesday’s general election, meaning a total of 77.62 percent of the voters turned out.

School board races are non-partisan.

Election results are unofficial until certified.