LEBANON - Voters' choices this May for the Lebanon School Board likely will determine the school district's next superintendent and the internal organization of Lebanon High School.

Superintendent Jim Robinson, 59, has said he has made no plans in connection with the upcoming election, whether to retire or anything else. However, he said, board members will need to think about their goals for the district whenever a new superintendent does become necessary.

In Zone 1, Kathy Benzo is running to replace incumbent Sherrie Sprenger. In Zone 4, Debi Shimmin and Eric Jefferson are competing for the seat to be vacated this July by Tom McHill.

Positions held by Rick Alexander, Josh Wineteer and Chris Fisher are not up for re-election this May. Wineteer and Alexander have been frequent critics of Robinson and the programs he supports.

The four candidates call themselves independent thinkers and promise to carefully weigh all information before making decisions.

Benzo and Jefferson, however, say they're not happy with Robinson, nor do they like some of his signature recommendations, such as an effort he led to separate the high school into four "systems."

Benzo, who helped lead an unsuccessful recall effort last summer against Sprenger and two other board members who have supported Robinson and his recommendations, said she would "most definitely" work for Robinson's removal as superintendent.

"I think he has his own agenda," she said. "He doesn't really care. He doesn't really have our kids' best interest in mind."

Jefferson said he wants to study Robinson's evaluation criteria and make his decision based on facts. However, he said, "I really do think the Lebanon school district would be better off without him."

Both candidates said they are most concerned about Lebanon High School, which is divided into four systems, each with its own principal.

Benzo adamantly opposes the current structure and said it's part of the reason she decided to transfer her daughter, now a senior, to Sweet Home.

She said she's particularly concerned because entering freshmen are required to choose a system based on a single broad study area, such as "Physical Systems," for engineering and vocational-technical programs, or "Social Systems," for business.

Students are making choices based on where their friends are going, not what they really like to do, Benzo said, and shouldn't be asked to specialize until at least their junior year.

Jefferson questions the need for multiple administrators, but said he would gather his own information, particularly by talking with teachers, before forming an opinion on the structure.

He said his youngest son had graduated by the time the systems were in place, and while he wasn't personally impressed with the reorganization, he was open to the idea that it might improve education. "I don't know if it did or not," he said.

Sprenger was among board members who gave Robinson high marks on his most recent evaluation for instructional leadership, organizational management, curriculum planning, leadership values and ethics, and policy and governance. She has twice voted to continue his contract.

Sprenger said she supported the small-schools effort at Lebanon High as a way to reduce the dropout and absentee rate and improve student achievement. She said she's willing to look at different programs instead, as long as the programs do something more than just "go back to the way it was."

"Instead of just attacking the one solution we have in place, come up with something else," she said.

Shimmin said she doesn't believe she has enough information to offer an opinion on the small-schools system, but that if elected she plans to "become as knowledgeable on this subject as possible."

Regarding Robinson, Shimmin, a former school district employee, said she did not think it would be appropriate to comment. She said she would keep an open mind, learn as much as she can, emphasize respect and professional conduct, and "not get mired in the minutiae of politics."

"I'm not a person who takes sides," she said. "I'm an independent thinker and my decisions are my own. I will do the right thing, whatever that is."

Robinson said his personal job is "really not a very big question in light of the long term" and the district's need to improve academic achievement.

"If the board would like a different approach to that, that's always their prerogative and we would adjust accordingly," he said. "If somebody's got a better answer, why wouldn't we use it?"

Zone 1 candidates:

KATHY BENZO

Age: 42.

Profession: Receiving manager, Home Depot; former receiving assistant manager.

Education: Graduate of Torrance High School; one year at El Camino College.

Government experience: None.

Children in school: One daughter graduated from Lebanon, the other is a senior at Sweet Home High School.

Major goals: Motivating high school students to stay in school by modification of the "small schools" system and possible modification of lunchtime off-campus rules; removal of Superintendent Jim Robinson.

SHERRIE SPRENGER

Age: 41.

Profession: Owner, Sprenger Radio Communications; former Benton County deputy.

Education: Attended Lebanon schools, graduated from Jefferson High School; bachelor's degree in management and communications from Corban College in Salem.

Government experience: Lebanon School Board 2003 to present; Linn Compensation Board 1997-present.

Children in school: Son is a fourth-grader at Lacomb School.

Major goals: Continued focus on the continuity of learning, kindergarten through 12th grade, and on student achievement and equipping students to be successful in post-high school life, including jobs, trade schools, community college or university.

Zone 2 candidates:

ERIC JEFFERSON

Age: 49.

Profession: Pipefitter apprentice, Pope and Talbot Halsey Pulp Mill; former owner of Jacob's Well coffee shop; has worked in construction, business, sales and public speaking.

Education: Graduate of Lebanon High School; honor graduate, Naval Air Technical Training Center; one year at Flathead Valley Community College; Testing Institute of Alaska (welding/fabrication).

Government experience: None.

Children in school: All four sons, now grown, attended Lebanon schools.

Major goals: Questions the need for multiple high school administrators; seeks teacher input and direction for district decisions. "They're the professional educators; they're the ones I think we should listen to the most."

DEBI SHIMMIN

Age: 53.

Profession: Administrative assistant, city of Lebanon public works; former administrative assistant for the Lebanon Community School District; former business manager for KIQI (now 103.7 FM) radio.

Education: Graduate of Lebanon High School; business classes taken at Linn-Benton Community College and Oregon State University.

Government experience: None outside government employment.

Children in school: Two daughters graduated from Lebanon.

Major goals: Budget management, evaluating achievement standards for student progress and accountability, ensuring professional conduct at all levels and making sure "teachers are respected and feel like they've contributed to kids' education."