Grupp, Warnstadt win school board seats
By Earl Horlyk, Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
SIOUX CITY -- A bank president and a longtime Sioux City school teacher won seats on the Sioux City Community School Board Tuesday.
And, a revenue purpose statement that would allow the school district to use funds from the statewide penny sales tax also was approved by voters.
Greg Grupp, president of U.S. Bank, and Jackie Warnstadt, who retired from the Sioux City School District in May 2008, won seats left vacant by school board members Ron Jorgensen and Judy Peterson. Both Jorgensen and Peterson chose not to run for re-election.
Grupp won 1,938 votes or 31 percent of the vote. Warnstadt won 1,785 votes or 29 percent of the vote. They defeated Jerrid Kruse, a teacher with the South Sioux City School District, who received 1,351 votes or 22 percent, and Douglas Van Der Voort, a chemical engineer with Gelita North America, who received 1,194 votes or 18 percent.
"I am honored and somewhat humbled by the support that I have received," Grupp said Tuesday night. "And I look forward to serving on the school board to the best of my abilities."
Grupp said he considers it "unacceptable" for Sioux City students to transfer to other schools through open enrollment.
"We simply must highlight what's good about our school district and do a better job at marketing ourselves," he said.
Warnstadt, who was named both Sioux City's Teacher of the Year and Iowa's Teacher of the Year in 2006, said her "heart has always been with the school district."
Warnstadt said her first goal is to find ways to improve the district's student achievement gap.
"This is very gratifying for me," she said, "My passion has always been quality education, and I am very excited to be serving my district in this new role."
Voters also approved, by a substantial margin, a revenue purpose statement similar to the one they passed three years ago. The statement, which won approval of 2,552 voters or 80 percent of the vote, was required after legislation this year made the local-option 1-cent school infrastructure tax, known as SILO, a permanent statewide sales tax.
This meant the school district had to adopt a new revenue purpose statement, which listed proposed uses for the funds through 2029, in order to get a share of the money.
Voters in Western Iowa Tech Community College's (WIT) District 4 also voted to keep incumbent member Bill Lyle for another three-year term. He defeated challenger Flora Lee 93 votes to 66 votes.
WIT incumbent member Eldon Schroder also kept his District 6 seat from challenger Jan I. Olson. Schroder received 524 votes to Olson's 330.
In WIT District 7, incumbent Curt Griggs received 387 votes to challenger John P. Van Eldik's 238 votes. After the ballot was printed, it was discovered that Van Eldik did not live within the District 7 boundaries.
And, a revenue purpose statement that would allow the school district to use funds from the statewide penny sales tax also was approved by voters.
Greg Grupp, president of U.S. Bank, and Jackie Warnstadt, who retired from the Sioux City School District in May 2008, won seats left vacant by school board members Ron Jorgensen and Judy Peterson. Both Jorgensen and Peterson chose not to run for re-election.
Grupp won 1,938 votes or 31 percent of the vote. Warnstadt won 1,785 votes or 29 percent of the vote. They defeated Jerrid Kruse, a teacher with the South Sioux City School District, who received 1,351 votes or 22 percent, and Douglas Van Der Voort, a chemical engineer with Gelita North America, who received 1,194 votes or 18 percent.
"I am honored and somewhat humbled by the support that I have received," Grupp said Tuesday night. "And I look forward to serving on the school board to the best of my abilities."
Grupp said he considers it "unacceptable" for Sioux City students to transfer to other schools through open enrollment.
"We simply must highlight what's good about our school district and do a better job at marketing ourselves," he said.
Warnstadt, who was named both Sioux City's Teacher of the Year and Iowa's Teacher of the Year in 2006, said her "heart has always been with the school district."
Warnstadt said her first goal is to find ways to improve the district's student achievement gap.
"This is very gratifying for me," she said, "My passion has always been quality education, and I am very excited to be serving my district in this new role."
Voters also approved, by a substantial margin, a revenue purpose statement similar to the one they passed three years ago. The statement, which won approval of 2,552 voters or 80 percent of the vote, was required after legislation this year made the local-option 1-cent school infrastructure tax, known as SILO, a permanent statewide sales tax.
This meant the school district had to adopt a new revenue purpose statement, which listed proposed uses for the funds through 2029, in order to get a share of the money.
Voters in Western Iowa Tech Community College's (WIT) District 4 also voted to keep incumbent member Bill Lyle for another three-year term. He defeated challenger Flora Lee 93 votes to 66 votes.
WIT incumbent member Eldon Schroder also kept his District 6 seat from challenger Jan I. Olson. Schroder received 524 votes to Olson's 330.
In WIT District 7, incumbent Curt Griggs received 387 votes to challenger John P. Van Eldik's 238 votes. After the ballot was printed, it was discovered that Van Eldik did not live within the District 7 boundaries.
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