Many citizens of Stoughton flocked to the polls to cast their votes to determine three members of the Stoughton school board on April 5, 2022. This year the ballot included incumbent board members Jill Patterson and Joe Freye, along with newcomer Lisa Pugh, who were all voted in as members of the board. The incumbent board member, Yolibeth Rangel- FitzGibbon, was eligible for reelection but was not on the ballot as they chose not to run; their term will end in 2022.
The Stoughton area school board is composed of nine members along with a student representative. The positions within the board are president, vice president, treasurer, clerk, and member.
The Stoughton area school board does not only serve the city of Stoughton, but also parts of the towns of Albion, Christiana, Cottage Grove, Deerfield, Dunkirk, Dunn, Pleasant Springs, Porter, and Union.
Newcomer Lisa Pugh has lived in the district since 2015. However, this is her first year on the board. Joe Freye has lived in the district since 2010. He has served nine years on the school board, most recently serving as treasurer in his previous term.
“I believe that teachers who feel supported and respected are more effective in their jobs,” Freye says. “[I believe] that public school systems are the heart of any community and smaller communities like Stoughton especially. To have a strong school district requires a strong and thoughtful school board, and I wanted to be part of such a board.”
Jill Patterson has lived in the district since 2010 and has served on the school board as a member since 2018, most recently as vice president.
“I wanted to run for re-election because I feel like there are several big decisions to be made by the board this year and in coming years,” Patterson says. “We have so much to be proud of in our District [and] work to be done in some areas. I am honored to be elected for another term and will strive to make decisions that are in the best interests of all SASD students, staff, and families. Both Patterson and Freye expressed that selecting a new superintendent, addressing the declining enrollment rate in Stoughton schools, and Stoughton school building renovations will be on the forefront of their agenda for their upcoming term.