College freshman wins school board election

CHURUBUSCO, Ind. -- A 19-year-old college student who unseated a longtime incumbent to become one of the youngest members of a school board in Indiana says he used hard work and old-fashioned campaigning to win.\nBrandon Almas, a freshman political science major at IU-Purdue University Fort Wayne, spent just $250 on his campaign for the seat on the Smith-Green School Board in northeastern Indiana. The win makes him one of the youngest people in the region and the state to serve on a school board.\nHe grew up in Churubusco, attended schools in the district of about 1,300 students and graduated from Churubusco High School this year.\nAlmas said a U.S. government and contemporary interest classes in his senior year stoked his interest in politics.\nHis teacher Gary Smith agreed. After school, the two would sometimes discuss and debate the government and current issues.\n"In the classroom, he was one of the very few kids who were willing to state an opinion that went against the majority," Smith told The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne. "He had a real deep thirst for understanding how the political system works in the United States."\nHe and some politically minded friends talked about what they wanted to change in the school district such as reducing teacher turnover and overhauling the curriculum.\nHis friends urged him to put his name on the ballot in the next election.\nHe would face Joan Lillmars, 66, a well-established, eight-year incumbent and former board president.\n"At first it didn't seem like a practical fight for us," Almas said.\nBut he ended up soundly beating Lillmars with 1,243 votes to her 569.\n"I was completely shocked," he said. "I felt confident in the campaign. It was a lot of word-of-mouth."\nOthers shared his surprise.\nOutgoing board member Carol Vinnedge, who did not run for re-election, said she was not expecting his victory.\n"When you think of somebody running for school board, you look for someone who has a history of civic involvement, business leadership," she said. "I don't think most people think of someone who is a college student."\nHis 2 1/2-month campaign had no manager nor committee. Three signs were made, one was donated, and friends and family distributed a brochure. He also visited people door-to-door.\nSmith said many young people turned out for Almas.\n"There was some deep dissatisfaction with the current school board, and his youth, enthusiasm and idealism worked to his advantage," Smith said. "People wanted a change, and he was a dramatic change."\nAlmas' victory was unusual in that young people are rarely elected to serve on school boards.\nA study in 2002 prepared for the National School Boards Association in Alexandria, Va., showed that among districts with fewer than 5,000 students, 0.3 percent of board members were between 20 and 29 years old. For all districts, the average was 0.5 percent.\nFor her part, Lillmars said she thinks Almas will be a good board member.\n"He's going to have a great political career. I'm feeling that he will be able to achieve what he wants to achieve," she said.