Six candidates with diverse backgrounds and ideas are in the race for two school board seats in Lee County.
Three challengers are seeking the District 2 seat held by incumbent Jeanne Dozier. Two will try to win the District 3 seat held by Jane Kuckel, who is not seeking re-election.
The top two vote getters in the Aug. 14 non-partisan primary in District 2 will advance to the Nov. 6 general election unless the primary winner nets more than 50 percent of the vote to claim the seat outright.
The winner of the non-partisan primary in District 3 will earn the seat.
All Lee County registered voters, regardless of party affiliation or residence, can vote in each race. Candidates must live in or be willing to move to the district they represent but are elected via countywide vote.
District 2
BOB CHILMONIK
Age: 58
Residence: Fort Myers
Occupation: Part-time professor at Edison State College
Experience: Chilmonik served two terms from 2002-10 before unsuccessfully running for the Board of County Commissioners.
Platform: Chilmonik wants the money used for busing and administration to be put back into the classroom.
"We spend $54 million on transportation and $42 million on administration that's better spent in the classroom," Chilmonik said. "I want to bring back the board auditor to ensure money is spent wisely."
Chilmonik said student results are not up to snuff.
"Fifty percent are below their reading level and 80 percent of 12th-graders fail Algebra I," Chilmonik said. "We can't be a world-class system without first taking care of the basics."
VICTOR DOTRES
Age: 36
Residence: Fort Myers
Occupation: teacher in Collier County
EXPERIENCE: Dotres spent only his own money on the campaign.
"We need an alternative, and as a teacher I can give the perspective of what's going on," Dotres said.
PLATFORM: Dotres believes in a moment of silence. He said elementary and middle school students should attend zoned schools, and parents who want students schooled elsewhere should either pay for transportation or take them to school on their own.
He wants parents to take ownership in their school and its education.
"I want to require parents to participate a certain number of hours in education. The parents of A and B students already do this," Dotres said. "They do their best to make sure their kids are at their best. It's the only way to improve grades."
JEANNE S. DOZIER
Age: 60
Residence: Fort Myers
Occupation: incumbent school board member
Experience: Has been on the school board since 2000. "I contribute leadership and strength to the district and have initiated programs to benefit all students," Dozier said. "I'm committed to public education and won't leave to run for another position."
Helped open three comprehensive high schools and two arts magnet schools.
Platform: Wants to standardize curriculum and offer foreign language classes for elementary students.
"We initiated the program at Tice Elementary. It's a disservice to our students if they can't compete," Dozier said. "Also, with many of our students on reduced or free lunch, students may enter one school and end the year in another. A standardized curriculum benefits students."
PAUL SCHAFER
Age: 72
Residence: Fort Myers
Occupation: Paraprofessional, physical education teacher, Lee County school system.
Experience: Schafer was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 28 yet served on school boards at the city and collegiate levels in Illinois. He doesn't like the way children are being taught today.
"We're not giving them a proper education. We're teaching them to take the FCATs," Schafer said. "We spend a third of the year teaching to the test instead of subject matter designed to give them a future."
Platform: He wants to look at school choice and give the people a voice in what needs to be done.
"Every time we bring up school choice, we use a stop-gap fix. We need to fix it once and for all," Schafer said. "We need to change the way decisions are made. The people elect us. The people should make the decisions."
District 3
LES COCHRAN
Age: 73
Residence: San Carlos Park
Occupation: retired
Experience: Cochran served as president of Youngstown State University for eight years.
Platform: He believes numbers "don't add up" when looking at the test scores. "We're 40th in the ACTs out of 67 counties and our school funding is 11th," Cochran said. "There's a lack of accountability in the system."
Cochran wants principals evaluated along with teachers. He also wants students to earn promotions through grades, more enrichment time and longer school days paid for by reduced busing and administrative costs.
"If you can't read, write or speak at a third-grade level, you shouldn't go on to fourth grade. You need to take a hard line," Cochran said. "The world is more complex. We need to teach applications and not teach to the test. Also, enrichment periods after school for advanced and struggling students would help our kids go higher."
CATHLEEN MORGAN
Age: 64
Residence: Bonita Springs
Occupation: housewife
Experience: Morgan worked as a vice president at J.P. Morgan before leaving in the late 1980s to raise her family in Rye, N.Y., where she served on the school board.
She is on the financial advisory committee of the Lee County School Board.
Platform: Morgan said you can't educate students without the financial resources. "I'm passionate about education, but am different than educators. I'm about financial and strategic planning," Morgan said. "We should use the budget crunch to reconsider how we support our educational strategy instead of going into reserves."
She would add more days to the school year without longer school hours.
"That will add $30 million to a budget that ran a $20-million deficit. I support education, but we need to get our financial house in order," Morgan said. "The best bang for the buck is in the schools and it needs to be there."
