Ames residents to vote in school board elections

The Daily Staff

Polls open Tuesday for the Ames Community School Board election. Eight candidates are running to fill five vacancies on the school board.

Of the eight candidates running, four are incumbents and four are new candidates. The four incumbents are: John Hascall, Mary Jurenka, Francis Todey and Dan Woodin. The four new candidates are: Rodney Briggs, Lucas Deardorff, Teresa Simpson and Mike Espeset. 

Briggs, Deardorff, Jurenka, Simpson, Todey and Woodin are vying for four 4-year terms. Hascall and Espeset are running to complete the 2-year seat left vacant by Roy Cakerice when he resigned in January 2010. Hascall was elected in January 2010 to fill Cakerice’s position until Tuesday’s election.

On the ballot, voters also will be asked if they support allowing the school board to authorize as much as $65 million in bonds for the construction of three elementary schools and the remodeling or renovation of three existing schools. 

The three new elementary schools will be located at 24th Street, the current Meeker Elementary site and Miller Avenue. Mitchell, Roosevelt and Sawyer elementary schools will be remodeled. 

Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To view a sample ballot or find your polling location, visit the Story County Auditor’s website at www.storycounty.com