Incumbent Scott Hazelrigg said he's humbled to win a third term on the Westside Community Schools board of education.
He'll be joined by newcomer Martha Slosburg, who said her involvement in the schools, as a mom and volunteer, resonated with voters.
Slosburg, 46, who has five children attending Westside schools, finished a strong second in the three-way election for two seats. Doug McElwain finished third.
The Westside Community Schools held a caucus in February. So the primary served the same purpose as a general election. Hazelrigg and Slosburg will be seated for six-year terms.
“I'm very pleased,” Hazelrigg said, “but I think as much as anything it's a reflection that people have confidence in the district and believe in the way Westside Community Schools operates.”
Hazelrigg is president of NorthStar Foundation and the Omaha Home for Boys.
Slosburg said voters appreciated her understanding of the schools.
“I have four children in the high school and one in the middle school,” Slosburg said. “People appreciated the fact that I could compare one year to the next, that I see the homework, that I talk to other parents, that I talk to teachers. My experience really runs the gamut with the district.”
Meanwhile, an interesting race developed in Omaha school board voting.
Challenger Justin Wayne, 30, made a strong showing in his bid against incumbent Penny Sophir, 68, who was endorsed by the Omaha Education Association. Both move on to the November general election.
Sophir has represented Subdistrict 1 since 1998.
Wayne, a labor relations attorney for the Union Pacific Railroad, said the community doesn't want “the status quo.”
“We're going to have a grass-roots strategy, reaching out to people, making sure we get our message out there that we want to strengthen neighborhood schools and restore fiscal responsibility to OPS,” he said.
Sophir said she didn't campaign during the primary but intends to ramp up her effort in the fall.
“I think experience is what we need at this time of uncertainty,” she said.
Contact the writer: 444-1077, joe.dejka@owh.com
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