JOHNSTON, Iowa — With big wins on Tuesday night, a new progressive bunch will soon join the Johnston Community School District Board of Education.
School board elections are nonpartisan, but in recent years, Johnston’s school board has been controlled by more conservative-minded candidates. Several politically-affiliated groups endorsed various candidates in the race this year, including Moms for Liberty and The FAMiLY Leader.
On election night, it was a progressive group of incumbents — Sooneeta Mangra-Dutcher and Jennifer Chamberland, joined by newcomers Jason Arnold and Lya Williams — that brought in the votes.
"I believe there's more than one spot that can be at the seat to advocate more for students and our students when it comes to equity," Williams told Local 5.
The new directors will now join a trio of sitting board members connected to the Moms for Liberty group.
"When I ran in 2021, I didn't know I was up against such extreme groups," Williams said. "It was important to me to not have our board so far-right, because it's about our students.”
For Mangra-Dutcher, who has held her seat since 2021, she 's focusing on the underrepresented students in their district. She is also a firm believer in mental health support for school-aged children.
"It really is about race and socioeconomic status and mental health and all of those things compiled together," Mangra-Dutcher told Local 5. "The students that look like Lya and I are the students that are struggling the most.”
As women of color, Mangra-Dutcher and Williams want to show students why inclusion matters. Both stand against book banning.
“We pay teachers and librarians to professionally give their opinion. I do not believe that they're here trying to do anything otherwise, or I wouldn't have my child enrolled in a school, nor would I want to have him in the district," Williams said.
Both women had unsuccessful campaigns in previous years to land the seats that they now hold. Now, their focus is on the future.
“We had a lot of teachers leave, we have teachers that are questioning whether they're safe in this district," Mangra-Dutcher said. "I really think the culture is changing now."
The first school board meeting in Johnston following the election will be held on Nov. 20.