Evansville mayoral candidates want a close relationship with the EVSC

Sarah Loesch
Evansville Courier & Press

EVANSVILLE — As Evansville teachers rallied at the Indiana Statehouse, all four candidates for mayor were asked what kind of relationship they will have with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.

Republican candidates Cheryl Musgrave and Natalie Rascher, as well as Democrat Stephanie Terry and Libertarian Michael Daugherty gave their answers to a packed room at Central Library during the League of Women Voters' pre-primary mayoral forum.

All agreed the mayor should have a close relationship with the EVSC, but to varying degrees.

Michael Daugherty, Libertarian

Evansville mayoral Libertarian candidate Michael Daugherty responds to questions during the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana’s Mayoral Candidate Forum in the Browning Room at EVPL Central Thursday afternoon, April 13, 2023.

Daugherty would like to see the mayor or a representative attending EVSC board meetings. Those currently take place on the same night and time as Evansville City Council meetings, which Mayor Lloyd Winnecke does not attend regularly. The city's attorney, controller and deputy mayor and interim parks director Steve Schaefer are usually all in attendance.

The first-time candidate also noted teacher pay.

"Everybody understands that teachers are extremely underpaid," he said. "I’ve got a lot of friends that are in education. They put up their personal money to fund the classroom. They do all these special projects a lot of times funded out of their pocket."

Daugherty said there should be a good support and communication system between the school corporation and the mayor's office.

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"Finding ways to work together for increasing our education, whether it be trade school education, finding ways that the path isn't always to a secondary education, getting a college degree," he said.

He said there are less and less candidates for trades coming out of high school ready to go on and take an apprenticeship.

Daugherty said the mayor could help to spearhead efforts on growing the opportunities for vocational training while in high school.

Natalie Rascher, Republican

Evansville mayoral Republican candidate Natalie Rascher responds to questions during the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana’s Mayoral Candidate Forum in the Browning Room at EVPL Central Thursday afternoon, April 13, 2023.

Rascher said the mayor should have a close relationship with the EVSC, which creates a pipeline for businesses and laborers in the city with students graduating high school.

But there should be strong partnerships before graduation too, she said.

Rascher said there are also different mayoral appointments that can impact education and resources provided to the EVSC.

"I want to ensure whenever I'm making those appointments that we're putting the right people in the right places that are passionate about our students and their growth and their opportunity here in Evansville."

Stephanie Terry, Democrat

Evansville mayoral Democratic candidate Stephanie Terry responds to questions during the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana’s Mayoral Candidate Forum in the Browning Room at EVPL Central Thursday afternoon, April 13, 2023.

Terry would like to bring back the education roundtable created by former mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel.

Weinzapfel created the group in 2004, which aimed to promote and education at all grade levels.

Terry said she'd look to work in partnership and have meaningful conversations addressing the needs the city's children face.

"Make sure they have access to high quality education, and equitable access to quality education in our community," she said.

Terry said this means making sure there are investments into some of the areas that have been disinvested in both in the center city and elsewhere.

The recently announced Promise Neighborhood is a great example of continued partnership, she said.

"You've got everyone at the table investing in a common goal," she said. "It's that level of growth that we have to replicate to ensure our kids are on the right path."

Cheryl Musgrave, Republican

Evansville mayoral Republican candidate Cheryl Musgrave responds to questions during the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana’s Mayoral Candidate Forum in the Browning Room at EVPL Central Thursday afternoon, April 13, 2023.

Schools are a reason people choose to live, or not live, in an area, Musgrave said.

Warrick County attracts people with children and good jobs due to the quality of the schools there, she said.

“Indeed all you have to do, almost in its entirety, is leave the city of Evansville limits to find a better school," she said.

Musgrave said schools in the inner-most city have been graded at C or below. The Courier & Press has not reported on school grades from the Indiana Department of Education since they were last released, which was the 2018-19 school year due to COVID-19.

Education is the key thing that needs to change to attract new and young families to the area, she said.

“The quality of the schools needs to be increased," she said.