Retired educators Bergland, Rottinghaus elected to school board

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The voters in the Charles City Community School District chose two retired teachers over the current school board president in the election for Board of Education directors Tuesday.

In a race of three candidates vying for two open seats, Janiece Bergland and Patricia Rottinghaus each earned 35% of the vote, while Robin Macomber earned 30%.

“It feels good,” said Bergland, who unofficially received 1,168 total votes in the election, while Rottinghaus received 1,161 and Macomber 992. “I just really didn’t know what to expect. I was just waiting to see what the voters decided.”

Bergland, a retired music teacher, works as an artist, painter and occasional musical director. She was an educator for 32 years, the first three in Tripoli and the remaining 29 years in Charles City.

“I hope I can fulfill the hopes that people have shown in me by voting for me,” she said.

“I just want to see continued progression of the education in our community as we approach the possibility of new facilities and performing centers,” Bergland said. “I hope to be somebody who can use my expertise and be a good resource for that.”

School board elections are now held along with the city elections in November, instead of in their own separate elections in September, as in the past.

There were two seats on the ballot Tuesday: Macomber’s, the current board president, who was seeking re-election, and Jason Walker’s, who chose not to run again.

Rottinghaus, a retired school counselor from Charles City who has been an active member of the community for more than 40 years, described her Election Day in one word — “nervous.”

“I’m glad I’m on it. I’m sorry somebody had to lose,” she said. “I think I’ll bring my ability to do research and my knowledge of the school system in general to the board.”

She cited her experience and the relationships she’s formed as a counselor in the district as reasons she thinks the voters gave her the nod.

“I would like to see the school board and the City Council work together more, for the economic development, and to bring the city together to have the best school district in the area,” Rottinghaus said.

Macomber was first elected to the school board in 2013 to serve a two-year term, then re-elected in 2015 to serve a four-year term. She is a painter, and has been owner of Whimsical Touch Decorative Painting and Art Box Painting for 23 years. She said she would have liked to have served on the board with both Rottinghaus and Bergland.

“For them to step up is a huge commitment — a life-changing commitment. For them to take on the challenge is outstanding,” Macomber said. “I have the most respect for both of those teachers. … It’s unfortunate that there were three of us and just two seats.”

Macomber said she served on the board during a time when there were a lot of decisions to be made, and a lot was happening in the district. Among many other things, this included building the new middle school, the sports complex, the bus barn, the sale of North Grand Building, the district’s bargaining relationship with the unions and two consecutive years of increased enrollment.

“I was able to be part of a team — I can’t take individual responsibility for any of it,” she said. “The only thing I can claim is the willingness to be a team player. I put my own personal opinions aside to do what’s best for our students and our district.”

The school board will now consist of directors Scott Dight, Missy Freund and Josh Mack, along with Rottinghaus and Bergland.