The single parent of two special-needs Lawrence public school students filed Tuesday for a school board seat.

Ron Powell, who has worked as a medical assistant for much of his 14 years in Lawrence, said budget decisions made by the school board that reduced district spending on special-education programs was a mistake.

“I have a feeling for special education,” he said. “We’ve got to make those children productive citizens.”

Powell, 44, said that if elected he would explore dedicating sales tax revenue to public schools in Lawrence.

He said the school board’s proposed $59 million bond issue should be rejected by voters April 1 because it has too many new construction projects. A smaller bond issue for school renovation could then be put before voters.

Powell, who is unemployed, graduated from Ottawa High School in 1976. He started a medical career after finishing a program at Kansas City College of Medical Assistants in 1989.

Powell was the fifth person to file. However, Samuel Gould said Tuesday that he would drop out. That would leave three candidates: Mary Loveland, Scott Morgan and Cindy Yulich. The deadline to file for the school board is Tuesday.