Lelan Olsen, candidate for school board in Edwardsville CUSD 7, IL
Name: Lelan Olsen
Political party (if applicable): n/a
Age as of April 6, 2021: 63
Campaign website or social media page: Olsen For School Board on Facebook
Office Seeking: Edwardsville CUSD 7 School Board Member
Are you an incumbent? Yes
Have you run for elected office before? Yes, Edwardsville District 7 School Board
Occupation: Veterinarian
Education: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State University 1990
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Served as a board member on the District 7 School Board since 2013.
Why are you running? This has been how I have repaid my civic duty to our adopted hometown. My wife and I moved here in 1998. The community embraced us as I started my business in Glen Carbon. Our son and daughter are products of the school district that has allowed them to achieve personal and academic goals. I have seen where a good school district is a characteristic of a strong community which embraces growth. Having served has given me a sense of ownership of the direction that I feel the district should be headed which I pride as a progressive, collaborative and transparent district.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? Most people would feel that the pandemic is the top issue of concern. As a board we have done all that we can to get the students attend in person full-time in a safe environment. We have followed the mandates and guidelines from the IDPH. We have stepped up improving the technology in the schools when the students were forced to attend remotely.
Why should people vote for you? Having served on the board for almost eight years, I have the experience. Myself and several of the other board members served when the district was having financial difficulties. Through difficult cuts and “outside of the box” thinking, we were able to maintain providing a good public education for our students. We brought transparency and collaboration to the board and encouraged the board to look at neighboring districts best practices. In 2017, we passed Prop E which allowed the district to relieve the financial hardships and get off of the states financial watch status. Prop E also allowed us to update the technology and curriculum that had not been updated in forever. The board realized that not every student was meant to be college-bound, so we have fostered partnerships with several labor unions, vo-techs, and universities for CTE education and offering dual credit courses for the students that move on to college. We have realized that our community is not perfect, so we have implemented a diversity, equity and inclusion task force in the schools and community to address the community’s need for respect and understanding.