To the Journal editor:

Current Marquette Area Public Schools Board og Education President Kristen Cambensy and Vice President Glenn Sarka deserve a vote of confidence as they run for re-election in this fall’s nonpartisan school board election.

And newcomer Cassidy Thomas is the right choice for the third open seat. The current board and staff should be commended for addressing the real issues of educating students and keeping them safe.

The current board has invested in new science labs, playground improvements and security, improved the pay for support staff, reduced the pay-to-play fees for high school athletes, implemented a new initiative to help at-risk students, and secured the highest fund balance in years.

Candidate Cassidy Thomas is an outstanding choice for the third open seat. She has pledged to work cooperatively with the current board to maintain the district’s high educational quality and student security. Cassidy is a former MAPS student, well-educated and serves as a physician’s assistant at UPHS.

For years, the issue of retiring the Redmen nickname for Marquette Senior High School’s sports teams has divided the community. With the steady and patient leadership of Cambensy and Sarka, theMAPS board has successfully resolved the issue by selecting, with student input, “the Sentinels” as the new sports name.

Let’s look forward and not reopen old wounds. There’s an old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Keep Kristen Cambensy and Glenn Sarka at the helm and add Cassidy Thomas.