The first official candidate of the 2003 Lawrence school board race supports a planned $59 million bond issue for school construction and closure of three elementary schools.

Lawrence bank executive Cindy Yulich filed Tuesday at Douglas County Courthouse for one of four pending vacancies on the board.

âÂÂI believe in the power of public education and I believe in community service,â she said. âÂÂI think I know the issues. I bring a lot of strengths to the board.âÂÂ

Board members Scott Morgan, Mary Loveland, Jack Davidson and Sue Morgan face re-election. As of Tuesday, none had committed to running again.

Yulich, 43, is a senior vice president at Emprise Bank and oversees both Emprise locations in Lawrence.

She supports the boardâÂÂs $59 million bond issue for school construction and renovation. The bond vote will coincide with the general election April 1.

âÂÂIâÂÂd be for the bond issue,â Yulich said. âÂÂWe need to give kids good facilities.âÂÂ

Yulich endorsed closure of Centennial, East Heights and Riverside schools to permit more efficient use of district resources.

She said lack of state funding had forced public school districts into a cost-cutting mode. âÂÂItâÂÂs going to get tougher before it gets better,â she said.

Yulich said she didnâÂÂt want the election to focus entirely on the bond issue and consolidation.

âÂÂThis shouldnâÂÂt be a single-issue campaign,â she said.

The debate needs to include strategies for protecting the districtâÂÂs quality teaching staff and maintaining solid academic programs in the schools, Yulich said.

Yulich has lived in Lawrence for 11 years and has been a volunteer in the districtâÂÂs business-education partnership program since 1995. SheâÂÂs on the East Heights and Quail Run site councils.

Her children attend Southwest Junior High School and Quail Run.