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Lincoln Board of Education member Don Mayhew, who is seeking his sixth term to represent District 7 in southwest Lincoln, faces one challenger in the April 6 primary.

Mayhew, 52, a registered Democrat in the officially nonpartisan race, has served as president four times of the board since he was first elected 20 years ago, including when the board conducted the superintendent search in which it hired Steve Joel.

Michael Patestas, 55, a chiropractor and registered Republican who lives in Denton, is also seeking the seat.

Mayhew said his experienced leadership is more important than ever.

“We have had crises in the past, such as when our administration building burned down,” he said. “But it’s been more than a hundred years since we had a crisis like COVID-19. We need to get our children and teachers safely through this time and find a way to get everybody back to normal. The path to that goal is through experienced board leadership.”

Mayhew noted that during his tenure the district has built 12 schools, a new district office building and renovated the Clifton Center, which is used as a food distribution site and meeting area.

He added that his experience will help the district build three more schools as part of the $290 million bond issue passed by voters last year, as well as craft a budget that can absorb significant cuts in state aid and still continue to deliver a high quality of education.

“Now is not the time for on-the-job training for board members,” he said.

He said other accomplishments during his tenure include creating a strategic plan for the district, starting all-day kindergarten and introducing digital curriculum.

Patestas, who moved from Queens, New York, 15 years ago to his wife's native state, has been a chiropractor for 25 years, 10 of those in New York.

He has four children, two of whom graduated from LPS, one who is still in high school and one in middle school. He said he wants to provide his time and effort to make a positive contribution to the school board.

“I’d like the community and the school board to be in agreement as far as new schools, the taxes and all that kind of stuff,” he said.

A major priority will be to make sure all students are back in school, which was disrupted by the pandemic.

“I have a high school student. The best environment for learning is not in your bedroom or on a couch,” he said.

Like most schools across the country, LPS made an abrupt shift to remote learning for the final quarter of last year. This year, all schools were open, though students could choose to learn remotely.

High school students attended on staggered schedules, so they learned remotely for half the week. After spring break, those staggered schedules will end, and all students will be able to return full time.

He said he believes masks are necessary for some people who are medically compromised but shouldn't be mandated in schools if social distancing is maintained.

Patestas said he’d also like to help set a vision for the district’s future to ensure people who live in his district have a voice.

“If I can make a difference, that’s what I want to do,” he said.

Incumbent board members Lanny Boswell, who represents District 5, and Barb Baier, who represents District 3, face no challengers in their reelection bids.