Chris Lovenguth is a 1978 Cape High graduate who’s lived in Milton his whole life. He’s been a salesman for NAPA Auto Parts for 47 years, and in his free time, he loves to fish, golf and hunt. He has nine grandchildren, one of whom currently attends school in the Cape district and another who will start soon. While he was growing up, he said, his mother worked in the cafeteria and his grandfather was a janitor at the former Milton Junior High. Several other family members and friends have also worked in the district over the years. His oldest daughter is a special education teacher at Sussex Tech, and his daughter-in-law is a speech pathologist in the Cape district. “Hearing some of the things they’re saying are going on, I’ve always had a concern,” he said. “I thought, you know what? I talk about it all the time. Step up to the plate. You can’t change anything by sitting on the sidelines.” Lovenguth said he’s running on four key points: to ensure quality education for all students in the district, to ensure teachers are equipped with the tools and materials necessary for successful instruction, to help the district turn the page to a new vision, and to ensure district transparency and fiscal responsibility. “I just feel like we’ve fallen short of the basics,” he said. “Our reading, writing and arithmetic. If you don’t have those, you don’t have much in life. We’re not working our brains like we used to.” For students to learn these things, though, the teachers must be provided with the necessary teaching materials, he said. Hearing about teachers bringing their own tissues and copy paper into their classrooms was an eye-opener, he said. “We have a multimillion-dollar budget, and we can’t even afford copy paper or a box of Kleenexes?” Some families are able to help with such supplies, he said, but “There are a lot of families that can’t, that are living paycheck to paycheck.” This ties back to his point of fiscal responsibility and transparency in the district. He said the district needs to prioritize funding basic necessities, the things students and teachers really need to learn and teach, before spending money on unnecessary wants. “The Cape district is a well-groomed district,” he said. “We have all the fancies, the great football fields, basketball courts and all that. And we need that, because kids need [to be] driven. I mean, I played three sports. But guess what? If I didn’t keep my grades up, I didn’t get to play.” Moving forward, he believes the board needs to be more strategic when it comes to referendums. “I really think referendums would pass if we were smart in putting in what we absolutely need,” he said. “Sometimes, we throw in a lot of extra things and say, ‘Well, it’s all or nothing,’ and then people get bent out of shape. But right now, if you’re needing money for great schoolteachers and things like that, then let’s put the money toward who’s teaching our children.” The teachers, he said, are on the front lines every day, working from early morning to evening and putting up with kids disrupting class. He believes they aren’t given enough authority when it comes to students acting out. “I’ve heard of teachers being shoved,” he said. “There should be no three-strike rule. If a kid touches a teacher, they’re out, at least until someone sits down and talks to them and their parents.” When kids come to school, he said, they should feel welcome, knowing they’re going to learn, but they should also know that actions have consequences. In terms of creating welcoming learning environments, he said he grew up attending diverse schools and living in diverse communities and was always taught not to judge a book by its cover. “They’re talking about DEI, and transgenderism, and things like that,” he said. “And my thing is, no kid should be bullied for anything. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay, you’re straight, you’re transgender, you’re fat, you’re skinny [...]. Well, there’s a lot of things that we need to focus on. And the key focus is education. And our kids aren’t getting the education that they need.” Lovenguth said he’ll always have respect for his opponent, Collick, who was his wrestling coach in high school, but sometimes, “You just need a new vision, a fresh perspective and new ideas. Instead of the old status quo, let’s get out into the neighborhoods and talk to people, and see what’s on their minds. I’ve done a lot of door-knocking, and I think everyday common sense goes a long way.” Lovenguth encourages anyone with questions for him to reach out: “To talk to me is to know me. My cell number is 302-381-2294.”