7 school board, 3 council seats up for grabs

Residents in the city of Shawano and beyond could be asked to make a lot of choices to determine who will represent their interests on the Shawano Common Council and the Shawano School Board in 2023, but only if the races become competitive.

Normally, voters would be asked to decide on three seats for the school board, but the mass exodus of five board members this summer means that voters will be deciding on seven seats for the board, with four of them serving for only one or two years to fill unexpired terms. The remaining seats are for the regular three-year terms.

Mike Musolff and Alysia Pillsbury are still on the board and both represent the towns of Wescott and Washington. Lori Sherman, Shawano School District administrative assistant, said that Pillsbury has filed a notice of non-candidacy, so her seat is up for grabs.

John Arens, Bobbi Lemerond, Al Pyatskowit, Karen Smith and Samuel Sousek were appointed to the board during the summer and will have to win April’s election. Arens’ seat represents the towns of Waukechon, Navarino and Belle Plaine. Pyatskowit represents the towns of Richmond, Herman and Pella. Lemerond and Smith have seats that represent Shawano, while Sousek’s seat is an at-large seat.

As of Dec. 19, none of the incumbents had taken out paperwork to run for another term, according to Sherman, and there are presently no challengers in the race.

The council race is a little simpler with only three seats up for grabs. Brad Keuschel’s seat in District 1, Kevin Barkow’s seat in District 3 and Sandy Steinke’s seat in District 5 are all available.

According to Deputy City Clerk Leah Pierquet, all three have taken out papers for election, but none have turned in any papers. So far, no one has taken out papers to run against them.

The deadline for candidates to turn in papers is 5 p.m. Jan. 3, with council candidates delivering them to Shawano City Hall, 127 S. Sawyer St., Shawano, and school board candidates turning them in at the Shawano School District Office, 218 County Road B, Shawano.

In the event that more than two candidates run for a single seat, there will be a primary election Feb. 21. Remaining candidates will face off in the general election April 4.