Chaperone PAC endorses Four Candidates for BOE

GRAND ISLAND, NEB – Chaperone of GI, Inc., a Nebraska political action committee (PAC), has endorsed four candidates for the 2024 Grand Island Board of Education election. Chaperone’s 2024 candidates are Donna Douglass for Ward A, Tracy Goodman for Ward B, and John McHargue for Ward C. The committee is also endorsing Dave Hulinsky, an incumbent who has served since 2020 for Ward B.

Donna Douglass, a GI resident since 1997, is a full-time Transitional and Independent Living Coach for Central Plains Center for Services. Douglass and her husband, Terry, have four children; the three oldest boys are all graduates of Grand Island Senior High and her youngest son is a junior at GISH. Douglass is passionate about academics and has been an active participant in the education of her four children. She believes that having a strong school system is a vital part of a thriving community. She wants children to have great educational opportunities and wants local businesses to be able to attract quality employees.

Tracy Goodman is a lifelong GI resident with deep ties to the city through her family’s business, Skagway. She is a preschool teacher at the Grand Island Presbyterian Church. She and her husband are GI graduates and have three children, two of whom are Grand Island Senior High graduates, while the youngest is currently in the 9th grade.

Goodman says, “As a teacher myself, and as a mother, I have a passion for education and deeply understand the importance of supporting our educators. I am a passionate advocate for all children and would love the opportunity to serve our community in this endeavor. Now, more than ever, it is imperative to have community volunteers to serve as trusted guardians of our public schools who know the importance of maintaining our valued teachers.”

John McHargue and his wife, Mary, are the parents of three children and six grandchildren. He is a lifelong resident of the Grand Island Metropolitan area and has lived in Grand Island for 15 years. McHargue has served in multiple youth and school support roles, including 10 years as a public speaking coach and NSAA-certified judge.

McHargue says, “I recognize the diversity within the GIPS student population and contend there is a need for both career and trade-based training as well as higher education and AP options.” As a businessperson, I recognize that to recruit a well-qualified workforce, including GIPS faculty, to Grand Island, we must provide a quality school system where students feel safe and receive a superior education that equips them for success now and after graduation. To guarantee that success, we need a school system that prepares students how to think independently instead of telling them what to think.”

Chaperone was founded in 2022 when the committee endorsed three candidates who were subsequently elected to the board: in Ward A, write-in candidates Amanda Wilson and Josh Sikes, and in Ward B, Hank McFarland. The endorsement followed a survey that was distributed to Grand Island Public Schools educators via Chaperone about the state of GIPS in 2022. Over 200 survey submissions were recorded.

Of those submissions, 83.3% (175) responded that they had considered ending their employment at GIPS within the last year. 86.4% (178) reported that they would not recommend employment at GIPS to a colleague. To address the challenges and issues found in the survey, Chaperone’s committee of concerned locals committed itself to endorsing candidates aiming to change the trajectory of the GIPS system and better support students and educators. To view the full 2022 survey results and teacher comments, visit chaperonegi.com.