Hot Springs County School District Board of Trustees candidates

Four are running for the four 4-year terms on the Hot Springs County School District #1 Board of Trustees. They are Will Farrell, Joe Martinez, Nichole Weyer and Clay VanAntwerp. Sherman Skelton is running for 2-year term.

Will Farrell said his interest in being on the school board stems from his passion for helping kids. He has volunteered in many youth activities and sees the kids struggles and successes.

He has been witness to some of the controversies and wants to help with improving things. He said he feels the board does a good job and doesn’t want to change what they’re doing, he just wants to help.

He has taught in private school so he understands the dynamics with teachers, students and parents and would like to help improve some of those interactions.

Joe Martinez said as a current board member he believes our kids are the most important part of our community.

He said we need to give them the keys to success and every person is important for the community to thrive. “We need to give them every opportunity to do what they want to do, be who they want to be,” he added.

He admits its not always an easy decision process and it takes a lot of time and effort on the board, but “we don’t get paid for it other than the joy of watching them walk across the stage at graduation.”

Nichole Weyer said she truly enjoys working with the students as well as our state, local and national level.

The education her children have received in this community is wonderful and she is proud of that.

Looking at the budget shortfalls, she said we need to have good representation on our boards to ensure we’re funded, and funded well, that we should have an equitable education for our students like those in bigger cities like Casper or Cheyenne. “It is important for us to continue to provide music and trades,” she said, knowing the financial downfalls in the state are going to be a big issue for education.

Clay VanAntwerp did not respond to requests for information.

Sherman Skelton has been on the curriculum coordinating council, which he says has given him a better idea of the strategies the teachers use. He’s trying to be a good student himself, learning how the district runs on a daily basis.

He understands not all their decisions are popular, but he leans to the analytical and fact based side of things while keeping it good for the students.

He said, “There will seldom be seven people approaching the problem with the same strategy and we need to use that as a strength to give our students the best education possible.”