Two vying for Tower-Soudan seat on ISD 2142 board
TOWER- Three seats are up for election on the St. Louis County School Board on Nov. 3, but only one of the three incumbents seeking re-election is facing opposition.
Incumbents Mallory Manick, representing the Cook area, and Lynn Hilde, who represents Cherry, are both running unopposed. But Tower-Soudan area incumbent Ron Marinaro is facing a challenge from Kerie Porter.
Kerie Porter
Porter, who works at the Embarrass-Vermillion Federal Credit Union, is a parent with five children currently enrolled in district schools, including two at Tower-Soudan Elementary and three in the upper grades at North Woods. Her youngest is in Vermilion Head Start. A Bois Forte band member, she has been an active volunteer on committees regarding Native American students in the district, sitting on the district’s AIPAC parent committee and the Johnson O’Malley committee. She is also hoping to become more involved with the Vermilion Local Indian Education Committee (LIEC).
“Being part of the Indian Education committees, I have learned a lot about statutes, policies, and guidelines,” she said.
As a Tower-Soudan High School graduate, she feels a strong bond to the school and loves that her children are getting the same experience at Tower-Soudan Elementary.
“I like the connection,” she said. “My kids are safe there. They even have some of the same teachers I had.”
“Tower-Soudan School has always been my home, since third or fourth grade,” she said. “I graduated there. I know the teachers there…I am proud to say I am a Tower-Soudan graduate.”
Porter is happy with the Indian Education staff working at the Tower-Soudan school, and the programming provided, but doesn’t feel as confident about how Native American students are being treated district-wide.
“We are not getting much support from board members,” she said, citing a lack of transparency and accountability, including financial accountability as to how designated Indian Education funding is being spent.
She does have concerns about the Indian Education programs at North Woods, and as a member of AIPAC she did not vote to approve the required documentation that the committee submits each year, though the overall committee did approve the document.
“We always hear, just sign it, and we will fix it later,” she said. “But that hasn’t happened in the last three or four years.”
If elected, she said she would work to make sure educational and financial resources are spread equitably across all the district schools. She is aware of the district’s financial issues and what may happen if the referendum vote fails. As a parent, she feels she has a daily connection to the schools her children attend and understands how important the school is to our community’s future.
“I am really frustrated,” she said. “I want to see positive changes. I want to be a voice for all students, parents, staff, and the community. I want to make sure families feel heard and respected.”
Porter was in a management position at Fortune Bay before going to work for the credit union. She has a degree from Mesabi Range in business and human resources, and hopes to continue her education in the future, possibly in human resources, but she is also exploring careers in education and tribal law.
Ron Marinaro
Marinaro has served four years on the school board, but his connection to the district is much longer. He was a coach for over 28 years, mostly at Northeast Range.
“I want to continue some of the good things we are doing in the district,” he said. “I love being part of the district.”
He said the current school board, which includes other relatively new members, has been working well together. “We are not afraid to ask questions,” he said. “And to talk about things that weren’t brought up in the past.”
Marinaro said the new superintendent, Brian Masterson, has been very transparent with the board, sending weekly updates on issues and keeping the board informed.
“We aren’t hearing stuff on the street first,” he said. “He will do a good job. He is very detail oriented and good at handling situations.”
Marinaro is serving on multiple school board committees including negotiations with various union employees, buildings and grounds, and the executive committee.
He has been a huge advocate for keeping Tower-Soudan Elementary open.
“We are NOT shutting it down,” he said. “I don’t want to hear it. It isn’t on the table.”
While enrollment at the elementary school fluctuates and is the smallest of the district’s five schools, the district does receive additional, dedicated funds specifically for the Tower site. School officials are also aware that shutting down the school would mean an overall loss of students, since many families would choose to send their kids to out-of-district schools, including Ely, Rock Ridge, and Mesabi East, which is already an issue for the district.
Marinaro is a Greenwood Township resident as well as the owner of Vermilion Environmental Services, which manages the regional landfill and recycling facilities in Virginia.
“I love being around kids even though I’ve never had any of my own,” he said. “I want to make kids’ lives better.”
Marinaro said he visits Tower-Soudan Elementary on a regular basis. “We have a fabulous staff there,” he said. Marinaro is hopeful the referendum questions will pass, which will give the district a firmer financial base.
“We know where we are financially, and where we need to go,” he said.
