(May 7, 2006) -- Florence C. Wilson, a retired teacher who won roughly one in six votes cast for candidates in the April race for the ELB/Lakewood seat on the LB Unified School District governing board, has endorsed incumbent School Boardmember Jim Choura in the June runoff.

In an op-ed piece in the May 7 Press-Telegram, Ms. Wilson writes in part:

"I still have faith in our present board members in that they will work harder toward keeping parents better informed and in allowing parents and community members to participate in decisions that affect the learning of children and what happens in our classrooms and on our school campuses. I trust they will mnake their board meetings more parent and community friendly and more informative to the public...I encourage voters...to cast their vote for Jim Choura on June 6."

Ms. Wilson, a retired educator who ran as the "student's candidate," drew roughly 16.6% of the votes cast for candidates in the ELB/Lakewood School Board race. David Barton, one of three candidates backed by the Teachers Ass'n of LB (TALB, the union that negotiates contracts overseen by the School Board) drew roughly 44.8% of the votes. Boardmember Choura, finishing second with roughly 38.5% of the votes in the three way race, now has one-on-one showdown with Barton in June.

Retired educator Wilson's letter containing her endorsement of Boardmember Choura is posted on the PT's website at May 8 Wilson letter.