Don Leathers learned a lot during his first term as a school board member, but he isn’t done yet. Leathers recently filed to seek reelection this November.

“With my knowledge and understanding of the district, I can make a difference [here] in the next four years,” he said.

Leathers, a former teacher, first ran and was elected to the board in 2012. During his first four years, he learned the ins and outs of the Austin Public School District. According to Leathers, one aspect of the district he gained more knowledge about was the partnership between Austin Public Schools, Riverland Community College and Winona State University.

The trio of schools partnered to create a four-year program that allows students to receive an Associate in Arts Degree through Riverland and a Bachelor of Science Degree to teach elementary education through Winona State University — all without leaving Austin.

“I think it’s just outstanding,” he said.

He also attended several Minnesota School Board workshops and conferences throughout his term. According to Leathers, he spent about 160 hours during his term in training programs.

“I just learned an enormous amount,” he said.

Looking ahead to this year’s election, Leathers is ready to face the problems facing students, parents and staff. Some of the biggest issues he sees in the district is the achievement gap between white students and students of color and universal pre-kindergarten.

Leathers believes that a definition of pre-K needs to be agreed upon first and that scholarships should be offered only to students who need them. He also thinks that organizations like Discovery Learning Center and Apple Lane would be put in danger of losing business if universal pre-K is enacted.

“I don’t want them to get eliminated,” Leathers said.

Leathers graduated from Austin Public Schools and the University of Minnesota and went on to teach high school English for 33 years in Glenville. He and his wife, Marsha, have three children.

Three school board seats are up for election this year, which will be held Nov. 8. School board members serve four-year terms.

Along with Leathers, fellow incumbent Richard Lees and newcomers Carolyn Dube and Nathan Wradislavsky also filed for the three open seats on the board. The top three vote-getters from the Nov. 8 election will win seats on the board.

See Sunday’s Herald for a story on Lees.