Endorsements: Carlson, DeMonte, and Pope for Warren Township High School District 121 school board

This endorsement is a consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

The Warren Township High School District 121 referendum was passed in June 2022, saving activities, clubs, athletic programs, Advanced Placement opportunities and Technology Campus full-participation classes. The new school board will have the opportunity and responsibility to marshal things through.

Two incumbents, Steve Carlson and Tony DeMonte, face Beth Pope, Marc Piszkiewicz, Lynn Ulrich and Mercedes Schackleford. Voters will pick three.

Carlson brings years of county board and financial experience to the table. He's ready to help manage the budget, work collaboratively and treat peers with respect. He'd like to see a countywide board of education caucus to promote issues important to all school districts.

DeMonte says it's been an honor fighting for quality education. He promises to spend referendum money wisely and wants campus safety and teacher shortages to be a focus.

Pope says working for 18 months as co-chair of the referendum committee was humbling. She's passionate for students and wants to shore up mental health, gun violence prevention and social services.

Piszkiewicz says he's good at problem solving and is ready to hold dialogue and prioritize problems. He states his engineering background helps him understand issues, identify symptoms, causes, aggravating factors and then reach a consensus for all stakeholders involved as the solution.

Ulrich did not attend a Daily Herald endorsement meeting. In a candidate questionnaire, she says she is ready to donate time, knowledge and abilities. She states curriculum should focus on language, math, science and other life skills to prepare students beyond high school, and adds expanding vocational training would be a plus.

Schakleford declined participation in the endorsement session and the questionnaire. "I will be using my own voice, campaigning on my own values and ethics on my terms," she said.

As for our endorsements, Carlson and DeMonte should continue their work. Pope's referendum work shows her commitment to the students and district and makes her a good fit with the incumbents.