Incumbents win Cd'A, Lakeland school trustee seats

School boards in Coeur d'Alene and the Lakeland Joint districts will have some new faces, but some will remain the same as incumbents held onto their seats in Tuesday's election. 

Three candidates vied to represent Zone 2 on the Coeur d'Alene School Board, a seat vacated by past board chair Casey Morrisroe, who was elected to the board in May 2015.

James "Jimmy" McAndrew earned 2,242 votes, defeating Yasmin Harris by 282 votes and Mike Stavish by 1,946 votes.

McAndrew said he was floored by the amount of community support he received during his campaign, including from friends, allies and complete strangers who came out of the woodwork. He said people stepped in to help guide him and keep him afloat.

"The folks I ran against, I think we kept it pretty darn clean, which I am thankful for," he said.

He said he knows serving as a school board trustee will be a lot of hard work.

"I am just so thankful for the opportunity. I look at it as a privilege to serve," McAndrew said. "Not everybody’s going to agree with every decision I make, but I want the voters to know I’ve always got kids and their best wishes in mind.” 

Stavish said he wasn't surprised to see three candidates jump into the race.

“It’s been a tough race," he said. "I’ve watched my two opponents work pretty hard and spend a lot of money."

Early in the evening, he said congratulations to the winner if he was not the selected candidate.

"I hope they do a good job for us," he said.

For the Zone 3 seat, incumbent Heather Tenbrink won with 1,943 votes. Newcomer Matt Blatt received 1,602 votes.

Tenbrink said she was grateful for all of the support she received over the last few months.

"This campaign has given me the opportunity to interact with many community members who, like me, care deeply about our schools and Coeur d'Alene," she said. "During my time on the board, I have come to appreciate how our teachers, administration and staff give their best selves to the work of educating our children."

Lakeland Joint School District

Incumbent Randi Bain will continue to serve in her capacity as the Lakeland trustee for Zone 1. She received 806 votes while her opponent, Kyle Olmstead, earned 351 votes.

“I’d like to start by thanking everyone who got out to vote, I am grateful for the support and faith my constituents have in me to represent them," Bain said. "As we move forward, I encourage anyone with comments or concerns regarding the district to contact me directly" at randi.bain@lakeland272.org.

Incumbent Ramona Grissom has retained her seat on the board in the race against Cherish Hansen. Grissom received 879 votes, which was 349 more than Hansen.

"(I'm) grateful for the tremendous support from volunteers, constituents and my family in our successful campaign for LJSD trustee," Grissom told The Press. "I'm excited to continue serving the parents, students and the community while moving the district forward."

Hansen said while the election results didn’t go in her favor, she is gratitude to everyone who supported her throughout this campaign. 

"I’m still deeply passionate about the quality and condition of our schools and will continue to be involved in Lakeland’s educational initiatives," she said. "My commitment to our children’s education and our teachers remains unwavering. I believe in the strength of our community, and together, we can continue to make a positive impact on our schools."

Lakeland School Board Chair Michelle Thompson held the lead over Sheila Holfeltz for Zone 3, winning with 795 votes to Holfeltz's 466 votes. Thompson did not return the Press' requests for comment.

"I am grateful for the support of family, friends and the community that I received during this campaign," Holfeltz said. "I would like to thank Trustee Thompson for her service to our community. I will continue to be involved in the Lakeland School District to help ensure it remains a source of pride."

    Tenbrink
  

    Bain
  

    Thompson
  

    Grissom
  

    From left, volunteers Sara Meyer and Katie Morrisroe stand in the rain for hours from 7:30 a.m. to encourage people to vote Tuesday at Hayden City Hall.
  

• • •

Ramona Grissom's photo has been updated.