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Central student Manka announces run for La Crosse School Board in April election

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The spring school board race in La Crosse has begun with a Central High student announcing as a candidate.

Adam Manka is focusing his campaign on stopping proposed school closures in La Crosse, giving parents a stronger voice in education matters, and reducing drug use at school buildings.

Manka says he likes La Crosse’s public schools but believes the system needs improvement.

“The reason why our schools are not what they should be, it seems to be, is that the highest powers of our school district, some of the top people of the school board, have been leading us astray for years,” Manka told backers and reporters Thursday outside the former Lincoln Middle School, which closed last summer.

Manka said he spoke to the school board this year about drug concerns and only one board member responded to research that he has done. He has been a student observer of the board, and wants to include more diverse points of view in school district business.

“I think I can help,” said Manka. “I will give parents a greater voice in how our schools are run, and give more consideration to students, and to the La Crosse taxpayers in the board’s decision making.”

Manka and another student, Jacob Walters, conducted a study of drug use in the city’s schools, in which they found that 40 to 60 percent of high school students actively use drugs, and the drugs are easy to get.

Manka said the smell of marijuana smoke is common at Central.

Nominating papers for the local spring elections can be circulated, beginning Friday, with the deadline for filing in early January.

Three of the nine La Crosse school board seats are up for election in April. Terms on the board last three years.

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.

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1 Comment

  1. Performance

    December 2, 2023 at 8:45 pm

    Good for him! But be prepared for the fight…the current crop on the School Board will oppose every effort to change. They all go-along to get-along. Most of them haven’t said a word in months except “present” and “aye”(yes).

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