2 incumbents among 5 unofficial winners in Natrona Co. School Board race
John Bolender, Dana Howie, Thea True-Wells, Alex Petrino and Kyla Alvey were elected to the Natrona County School Board on Tuesday night, according to unofficial results.
Bolender has lived in Casper since middle school. He taught for 26 years in Natrona Couty, and his wife is also a teacher. He said, "I eventually decided to run for school board so that I could give back to the district I have loved so much."
Bolender was not immediately available for a comment on Election Night.
Howie was born and raised in Casper. She taught at Kelly Walsh High School for 28 years. She was one of two incumbents seeking reelection. "I am running once more because I believe every student in Natrona County deserves a great education with many opportunities to excel," said Howie.
The Star-Tribune was unable to contact Howie on Election Night.
True-Wells
True-Wells has experience teaching in Washington, D.C.; Casper; and Portland, Oregon. She helped bring dual language immersion to Natrona County.
True-Wells was not immediately available for a comment on Tuesday night.
Petrino was born and raised in Casper. She is a licensed clinical mental health counselor who had her own practice for six years. She serves on multiple community organizations' boards. "The physical and emotional safety of every person in our community is a top priority for me," said Petrino. "I believe every person in Natrona County should feel safe and welcome here."
"We're all really committed to the district and committed to our community, so I think we're just all really excited to be there together and to continue the work that the board has already done and continue to move the district forward."
She said that her main priority moving forward is to sit back and learn from the others already on the board.
Alvey is the other incumbent seeking another term. "I love everything about this state and especially the wonderful things we have in our community of Natrona County," she said.
"We're going to work hard for the students and staff of this district," she said. "It's going to be amazing."
When asked about her priorities, Alvey said, "I want teacher recruitment and retention. I want kids to continue to thrive and educators to feel empowered to do what they need to do in their classrooms."
Twelve candidates sought election, with several working together on issues in an effort to get like-minded individuals onto the board.
This election hasn't been without controversy. After months of parental outcry for the district to do something about bullying and mental health in schools, some parents expressed feelings that this election was the time to get new faces and ideas on the board.
Of the five board members whose terms are ending, only two decided to run for reelection. Trustees Thomas Myler, Raymond Catellier and Rita Walsh chose not to run for reelection.
Despite being a non-partisan race, the two slates of candidates were each backed by differing sides of the aisle.
Howie, Alvey, Bolender, Petrino and True-Wells were backed by the Natrona County Democrats. Redding, Bieber, Hall and Huston were backed by the Wyoming Family Alliance — a conservative political group — and the Natrona County Conservative Women.
Liberty's Place 4 U, a conservative political group in Wyoming pushing for certain local candidates to be voted in, supported the Redding, Bieber, Hall and Huston slate. In the endorsement, posted to Facebook, the organization also wrote "Make School Board Great Again!" on the infographic.
The phrasing closely aligns with former President Donald Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again."
The winners of the school board seats will have to work with the remaining members to pass policy changes and create the next budget.
Allison Allsop is the education and health reporter for the Casper Star-Tribune. She can be reached at 307-266-0544 or . Her Twitter account is Love Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Education/Health Reporter
