Here & Now

Pandemic Politics in an Ozaukee County School Board Recall

Frederica Freyberg:

In other voting news, a decade after Act 10, the word “recall” is back in Wisconsin politics. This time with national attention drawn to a school board race in southeastern Wisconsin. Reporter Will Kenneally explores why the race has garnered such a spotlight.

Chris Schultz:

It started with the pandemic and our mitigation efforts.

Will Kenneally:

Chris Schultz joined the Mequon-Thiensville School Board in 2015 shortly after retiring as a science teacher. Her district, like many, grappled with how to run schools amid the pandemic, weighing things like virtual schooling and mask mandates.

Chris Schultz:

We had parents on both sides concerned with mandatory masking versus optional masking and that issue continued and developed and got much stronger toward the end of the school year.

Will Kenneally:

That culminated August 23, when Amber Schroeder and other recall organizers filed enough signatures to begin the recall process for four members of the school board.

Amber Schroeder:

We want to see a lot of change. We want to see the focus brought back to the children, back to the kids in the district. We want to see more parental engagement with our kids and our community members.

Will Kenneally:

The group “Restore MTSD” is running candidates against the four members of the school board that are eligible to be recalled. Scarlett Johnson is running against Chris Schultz.

Scarlett Johnson:

We need to change the way our school board governs and I think when we do that, we’re going to see some real change.

Will Kenneally:

Johnson and Schroeder have been working up to this for about a year now, petitioning the school board for change.

Amber Schroeder:

It’s personal. It matters to me. It matters to the community. Hey, I’m doing a news interview right now. It’s not just about my kids. It’s about my neighbors’ kids. It’s about my friends’ kids. It’s about strangers’ kids. Our kids deserve more than what they’re getting right now from our district and we could not wait any longer and watch the decline happening.

Will Kenneally:

That’s a point of agreement for all sides.

Chris Schultz:

I have no doubt that there are parents that are authentically concerned about our district and what’s happening in our district and they want us to continue to be in the top, want us to be number one, right? As do we all. We all want our district to be the best it can be. The introduction of politics into this conflict, though, has from my perspective really muddied the waters.

Will Kenneally:

School board races have turned into a proxy for national political fights over things like the pandemic response and critical race theory. Wisconsin is among the states with the most recall efforts nationally and has drawn attention from political partisans. Rebecca Kleefisch, for example, has close ties with recall organizers and the campaign has received the backing of GOP donor Richard Uihlein.

Chris Schultz:

I think unfortunately, maybe because of the political flavor of what’s going on, it’s been much more controversial conversations that are being had. My heart cries — is crying out. Please, please let’s take care of our kids.

Will Kenneally:

A successful recall could be a blueprint for future action around the state. All this as voters head to the polls next Tuesday. Reporting from Mequon, I’m Will Kenneally for “Here & Now.”