MADISON, Wis. -- Only one incumbent is running for re-election on the Madison Metropolitan School District school board this spring, with a longtime city resident aiming to unseat the board's president.

Johnny Winston Jr., who is also the school board president, is being challenged by life-long Madison resident Tom Brew.

Winston was elected to the school board three years ago to fill the seat vacated by current mayoral candidate Ray Allen, WISC-TV reported. He is a native Madisonian himself having been born, raised and educated in Madison public schools. He's a husband and father of three, whose two older daughters graduated from Madison public schools.

He's also a full-time Madison firefighter, putting in 48 hours a week at the station. On the side, he's also a high school and college basketball referee.

"I try to use everything I have learned in my life to be a better school board member and better leader in this community," said Winston.

Winston also spends more than 40 hours a week on school board business.

"Being the school board president is a full-time job," said Winston. "You have to listen to the community. You have to listen to the superintendent, administration, legal department, the school board, your colleagues, it just doesn't stop."

"It's not enough to just be the school board member on Monday nights," he said. "You have to be the leader in the community Tuesday through Sunday."

He said that civic duty was instilled in him when he was just a child. His father was the first black police officer in Madison. His mother, Mona Winston-Adams, is a well-known community activist.

His path in life was paved even before he knew it, he said.

"I think that's very important to me," said Winston. "They instilled that into me, to give back always to the community."

Winston serves as a board member for many local organizations and volunteers as much as possible.

"I try to be in as many places as I can possibly be," said Winston. "I try to listen and be accessible and I think that makes for a better decision-making process in the end."

Now, Winston wants to serve a second term.

"I feel really good about what has been accomplished this year and what has been accomplished in three years on the board. I'd like to serve another three years."

Winston said that he brings three years of school board experience to the race. He said that experience has included new revenue ideas for the district and community involvement in schools, WISC-TV reported.

He said year after year of severe budget cuts has the board looking to finally take their budget battle to the state to fight the revenue caps.

"We're really going to have to start pressing them and really trying to educate our legislators and people in our state government that we need to fund education adequately and we need to change the funding formula," he said.

Winston said that any board member elected this spring should be prepared to do that.

"It's developing relationships, being able to talk to the governor, being able to talk to our legislators, talk to our senators and I've done that," said Winston.

Challenger Not Rattled By Incumbent

Winston's challenger, Tom Brew, draws on years of political experience himself. Brew is a former member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors. He also served as a Wisconsin delegate to two recent Republican conventions, WISC-TV reported.

He said running against the school board president doesn't rattle him.

"I know Johnny, I like Johnny," said Brew. "We want excellence in our schools. We just get there in different ways."

Like Winston, Brew is also a graduate of Madison schools. He attended Longfellow Elementary and the former Central High School. His children also graduated from Madison public schools.

He said that he believes strongly in public education.

Brew was an insurance agent for more than 20 years before leaving the field to work in information technology. He said he still has a passion for public education balanced with fiscal responsibility.

"We're spending a tremendous amount of money over $12,000 per student and student achievement results have been going down over the past few years," said Brew.

Brew said he's not an insider on the board and believes that more could be done to tap into resources right here in the community.

"We should be reaching out to the community to the people who do not have children in schools," explained Brew. "We're a vast, highly educated community. We have a lot of resources from the university, MATC, businesses and labor community."

One interesting characteristic is that for more than 30 years, Brew has been a regular blood and platelet donor for the Red Cross, WISC-TV reported.

He said that eh counts being a bone marrow donor as one of the most important things he has done in his life. He was matched with a young child struggling with leukemia in the 1990s. His bone marrow, though painful to give, saved the girl's life.

Brew said the fact that there are no hot-button issues this election could make voters apathetic, but it shouldn't.

"What's going on is a little city council, mayor and school board races, but these are the most important ones because this is what affects you the most especially in the pocketbook," said Brew.

The spring election is Tuesday, April 3. That falls during spring break week for the University of Wisconsin, Madison public schools, and most surrounding communities. Voters who might be out of town on vacation are urged to vote absentee.