New school board seat has yet to attract a candidate

Two Port Washington-Saukville School Board members are seeking re-election, but no one has registered to run for a new at-large seat created in an effort to fill a longtime vacancy on the board.

Incumbents Kelly O’Connell-Perket, who serves as the board’s clerk, and Brian Stevens, vice president of the board, are running in the April 2 election.

There has been little interest, however, in the at-large seat that was created by virtue of a referendum that was overwhelmingly approved by voters earlier this year. 

Board bylaws had previously called for the nine-member board to consist of five members from the City of Port Washington, two from the Village of Saukville, one from the Town of Port Washington and one from a small area of the towns of the Grafton and Saukville.

The referendum kept the board at nine members but eliminated the town of Grafton-Saukville seat and replaced it with one that can be filled by a person living anywhere in the school district.

That change is intended to fill a seat that has been vacant for more than three years.

The town of Grafton-Saukville seat had been occupied by Jim Eden, who served on the board for 16 years before resigning in March 2014.

The board appointed Paul Krechel in July 2014. Krechel ran unopposed in the April 2015 election but resigned in October of that year.

Despite the district’s efforts to find an appointee to fill the seat, as well as an April 2016 election that failed to attract a registered or even a write-in candidate, the seat has remained vacant since Krechel’s departure. 

Candidates have until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan 2, to register for the April 2 election.