By Chris Spangler
Contributor
Turnout was light in Fort Atkinson — and all of Jefferson County — as voters went to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the primary for state superintendent of schools.
On the ballot were seven persons vying to advance to the spring election for the top Department of Public Instruction post.
The current DPI chief, Carolyn Stanford Taylor, was appointed by Tony Evers after he stepped down from that spot upon being elected governor. However, she is not seeking re-election.
The top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s statewide primary will face off against each other in the April 6 general balloting.
According to the Associated Press, the two are Deborah Kerr and Jill Underly.
Rounding out the ballot were Sheila Briggs, Shandowlyon “Shawn” Hendricks-Williams, Steve Krull, Troy Gunderson and Joe Fenrick.
A total 10.38 percent or 5,624 of the 54,180 registered voters across Jefferson County went to the polls, including 7.2 percent or 531 of the 7,373 registered electors in Fort Atkinson. Three Fort Atkinson residents registered to vote on Tuesday.
Turnout in surrounding towns was: Hebron, 7.01 percent; Koshkonong, 4.5 percent; Cold Spring, 10.54 percent; Oakland, 8.67 percent; and Jefferson, 7.29 percent.
“The turnout was seasonably slow as the colder temps may have participating in the lower turnout,” said Fort Atkinson City Clerk-Treasurer Michelle Ebbert.
“Thank you to the election workers and voters for a pleasant day, and mark your calendar for the next election on April 6th. The April election will include city council and school board,” she added.
The day went smoothly, Ebbert said, noting that all of the same COVID-19 precautions used in the last November and April elections were in place.
“We continued the same protocol as the past elections: mask wearing recommended, hand sanitizer at every table, a new pen for every voter to use, sanitized voting booths throughout the day,” she said. “Voters were respectful and maintained social distancing.”
Overall Jefferson County vote tallies were: Kerr, 1,709; Underly, 1,211; Hendricks-Williams, 594; Briggs, 539; Krull, 459; Gunderson, 340; Fenrick, 247.
Ballots were cast in Fort Atkinson for: Underly, 187; Kerr, 113; Krull, 36; Hendricks-Williams, 46; Gunderson, 23; Fenrick, 22; Briggs, 95.
Tallies for votes cast in surrounding townships were: Koshkonong, Underly, 35; Kerr, 35; Krull, 6; Hendricks-Williams, 7; Gunderson, 7; Fenrick, 6; Briggs, 15; Hebron, Underly, 16; Kerr, 15; Krull, 6; Hendricks-Williams, 4; Gunderson, 3; Fenrick, 7; Briggs, 1; Oakland, Underly, 63;Kerr, 43; Krull, 8; Hendricks-Williams, 29; Gunderson, 12; Fenrick, 12; Briggs, 36; Jefferson, Underly, 18; Kerr, 45; Krull, 12; Hendricks-Williams, 12; Gunderson, 5; Fenrick, 6; Briggs, 7; and Cold Spring, Underly, 0; Kerr, 0; Krull, 0; Hendricks-Williams, 2; Gunderson, 0; Fenrick, 2; Briggs, 0.
Deborah Kerr says on her website that she has 40 years of experience in education, 21 of those as a superintendent of public rural and suburban school districts. She stepped down in 2020 after serving 13 years as the superintendent of the Brown Deer school district.
The website describes her career as spanning all sectors, including parochial, private and public schools.
She has served as a co-chair of a UW System task force, charged with advancing teachers and leaders into the pipeline.
Kerr is a past-president of the national (AASA) and state superintendent (WASDA) associations.
Kerr received her doctorate of educational leadership from National-Louis University, her master of education degree from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and a bachelor’s degree in arts and science from Valparaiso University. She also attended Walther Christian Academy in Melrose Park, Ill.
The website lists among her achievements serving as an adjunct professor at local universities, championing opportunities for all students, serving as a mentor and advocate for women, coaching a state championship girls varsity basketball team, serving as an athletic director and physical education teacher, and serving as a middle school principal and assistant principal.
Information posted on Jill Underly’s website notes that since 1999, Underly has worked in many facets of education, including teaching high and middle school social studies, serving as an elementary school principal and as a University of Wisconsin College of Letters and Science academic advisor, a Title I consultant, and as an assistant manager at DPI.
She currently is superintendent of the Pecatonica School District, where she has served for six years.
Underly and her siblings are first-generation college students. A native of Indiana, Underly arrived in Wisconsin in 2005 to attend UW-Madison, earning a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy analysis in 2012.
Underly also holds two master’s degrees: one earned in 2008 in educational administration from UW-Madison and a second earned in 2004 from Indiana University-Purdue University in secondary education curriculum and instruction. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in history and sociology earned in 1999 at Indiana University, Bloomington.
Editor’s note: this story has been updated.
Deborah Kerr
Jill Underly
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