There will be two new members of the Lakeland Joint School District 272 board. 

During the 2021 school board election, two new candidates were elected onto the school board. David Quimby and Bob Jones both won the position they were running for. 

The voter turnout came out to be about 35.3 percent, with about 35,950 voters who cared a ballot. 

David Quimby, a former Lakeland High School graduate who now is the assistant coach for wrestling, won the election by 129 votes, getting 928 votes. 

His opponent, Mark Worthen, a retired Lakeland teacher from John Brown Elementary, as well as a member of the Rathdrum City Council for 14 years, received 799 votes, getting 46.27 percent of the votes. 

Bob Jones won against incumbent Debbie Major. Jones received 597 votes, while Major received 484 votes. 

Major had served on the board since April 2020.

There was also a recall ballot to remove Michelle Thompson from the Lakeland school board. However, more people voted to keep her on the board. Exactly 700 people voted in favor of the ballot to remove Thompson. However, 851 people voted against it. 

Thompson currently serves as the chair of the school board. 

Teachers at Lakeland feel that electing the right person for the position is very important. 

Shannon Hall feels like making sure picking the right person is a major decision that should not be handled lightly. 

“School board members decide the course of action for the entire school district,” Hall said. “They approve curriculum, decide school activities, and their decisions impact the students.” 

Paraprofessional Whitnee Johnson also believes the school board election is crucial.

 “Its important because it gives parents a chance to voice their opinions and input to help with the students,” she said.  

However, some students at Lakeland are not as known to the topic as the parents and staff. 

Maverick Gerrior stated, “ I don’t care too much about the election, unless it changes the school environment.” 

The elected board members will serve four-year terms.