Each week, Lowell’s First Look will be profiling a different candidate for the Lowell Area Schools Board of Education. These profiles are intended to provide voters with information on candidate backgrounds and why they are running. Watch for weekly Q&As for details on each candidate’s position of various policy issues.
Jessica Curtis has had a lifelong relationship with Lowell Area Schools.
The 43-year-old went to Alto Elementary School as a child and graduated from Lowell High School as part of the Class of ’99. After a brief period away from town while she earned her bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University, she returned to Lowell where she and her husband are raising three children who either attend or have graduated from LAS.
“I felt like I had a great experience (at LAS), and I want all kids to feel the same way,” Curtis says. That’s one reason why she applied for a vacancy on the Board of Education four years ago.
As a current member of the board, she is hoping voters will return her for another term in the upcoming election. Curtis is one of five active candidates vying for four open seats on the November general election ballot.
Love of Education, Focus on Service
As a college student, Curtis thought education would be her career. She earned a teaching degree but then discovered the job market was not favorable upon graduation. “I would have had to move out of state to get a job,” she says.
Instead of teaching, Curtis went into a career in sales, but the desire to be involved in the schools never left her. Fourteen years ago, she joined the Lowell Education Foundation, which supports LAS by providing grants to teachers to implement learning initiatives. She currently serves as secretary on the non-profit’s board of directors.
Throughout the years, she has also volunteered in other capacities within the school district, including a stint as the vice president of the athletic boosters. When Gilda’s Club was looking to roll out its support programs in the schools, she volunteered to help with that too.
Outside the school district, Curtis has volunteered for Beyond26, an organization that helps adults with disabilities find employment. With her family, she supports the work of the Jason Kinzler Foundation, which provides financial assistance to families who are grieving an unexpected loss.
Four Years of Board Experience
Curtis was first appointed to the LAS Board of Education in December 2020 to fill a vacancy created when Jim Turner retired from the board. She narrowly lost the 2022 election and was off the board for a month before being reappointed in January 2023 to fill the remainder of Dan Stephens’s term after his resignation.
Her tenure on the Board of Education has been marked by stark disagreements within the community about how to approach topics ranging from the use of masks in classrooms to the availability of certain books in school libraries.
“I would say the most difficult part is not being able to please everybody,” Curtis says. She understands that people have differing opinions but says the board is committed to working in the best interest of all students. “It’s not just what’s best for my kid, but what’s best for all kids.”
She worries that negativity on a few issues distracts from the many great things going on at Lowell Area Schools. “There are so many good things,” she says, pointing to the recent Pink Arrow games as one recent example.
“At the end of the day, I know we’re doing the right thing,” she says.
Creating Schools Where Everyone Can Succeed
Curtis says her favorite part of the school year is graduation when she gets to listen to student speakers and watch as the next wave of Red Arrows head out into the world.
“We produce great students with what we have,” she says. “Every year, I am blown away by their test scores.”
As a board member, Curtis says she is always looking to learn more about how to support students from all walks of life and of all abilities. “I feel like we’ve done a good job of supporting kids of all skills,” she says, but adds that credit goes to staff members for the outstanding work they do. “Without them, we would be nothing.”
Looking to the future, Curtis sees a world in which the next generation of students might learn differently, but she hopes LAS will continue to develop graduates who are both lifelong learners and good humans. She hopes voters will return her to the board so she can help make that vision a reality.
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