Elections

Place of residence: Buffalo
Occupation: Movement educator
Family (will you, do you, or did you have children who attended BHM Schools): I do not have children in BHM Schools. My children are adults.
Years lived in the district? 9

Why do you want to serve on the BHM School Board? 
I want to serve on the BHM Board because change needs to be made. Children need to be thoroughly educated in the fundamentals of reading, writing, arithmetic and core subjects that will make them productive members of society. The school has gone from teaching academics to ideology and our students are suffering, both academically and mentally.

If elected, what qualities will you bring to the school board? 
Honesty, common sense, and hard work with a willingness to serve the people. The School Board works for the Community, not the other way around.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today?
Trying to recreate the wheel on how children have learned for hundreds of years is not working. Our goal as a community is to raise independent, critical thinking, moral human beings – not activist sheep.

Why do you believe BHM Schools is the place to dream, believe and achieve?
Buffalo is a lovely place to grow up. I have seen the dedication, pride and sense of community wherever I go. The teachers and staff are well-liked and caring individuals. It’s a place where children should be able to dream and achieve their goals without growing up too fast. I was raised in a small town, and I am really grateful for that. Parents, with the help of schools and the community, can make or break a kid’s life – I believe Buffalo can be a beacon of excellence – not mediocracy. The children are our future.

 

Place of residence: Buffalo
Occupation: Pediatrician at Stellis Health in Buffalo for 15 years
Family (will you, do you, or did you have children who attended BHM Schools): I have a son in his second year of college who graduated from BHS in 2025. I have daughters who are a Junior at BHS and an eighth-grader at BCMS.
Years lived in the district? 15

Why do you want to serve on the BHM School Board? 
Education is something I hold in very high regard. Having been on the school board for the past four years, I have seen and believe that every employee of this district is doing their best to deliver the best possible education to each student. I would like to continue to support those staff and those students.  

If elected, what qualities will you bring to the school board? 
I feel my background and career have fostered a rational and level-headed mind which I can use when listening to ideas and information to process into sound decisions and opinions. Also, as a pediatrician, I like to think I have a pretty good understanding of children and what they need, and I am a super big fan of seeing them thrive.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today?
There are many, but one of the most worrisome is the institution of education being undermined from many angles, falsely causing distrust and decreasing support. We need to continue to work together to recruit and retain high quality staff, use the limited resources available to deliver as much as possible to all students and bolster the community that school provides.

Why do you believe BHM Schools is the place to dream, believe and achieve?
We have great people and programs here providing solid and ever improving education and opportunities to build citizens ready for anything the world has to offer.

 

Place of residence: Buffalo
Occupation: Retired teacher, community volunteer
Family (will you, do you, or did you have children who attended BHM Schools): We have four Buffalo Schools graduates (2008, 2011, 2012, 2016)
Years lived in the district? 23

Why do you want to serve on the BHM School Board? 
While I retired from 38 years in education, I feel I still have more to give to the public school system. I believe my experience working in a variety of schools gives me a full understanding of the importance of high quality public education. 

If elected, what qualities will you bring to the school board?
I have 38 years of experience teaching and leading in a variety of schools, from rural, suburban to urban, and public and private schools. I have served as a teacher leader for years in professional development curriculum and assessment and local union positions.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today?
The relentless attack on public education causes an undo amount of stress on our public schools. This manifests in underfunding and defunding schools and programs, challenges in educator and support staff retention and equitable experiences for students across classrooms and buildings.

Why do you believe BHM Schools is the place to dream, believe and achieve?
Our four children had fantastic educations in BHM Schools and have gone on to succeed in careers where they can pursue their passions and interests. I see BHM Schools providing many opportunities for students to explore areas of interest and focus on passions leading to career or higher education upon graduation.

 

Place of residence: Buffalo
Occupation: Broadcaster
Family (will you, do you, or did you have children who attended BHM Schools): Four of my children graduated from Buffalo High School and my youngest child is a senior at BHS.
Years lived in the district? 15

Why do you want to serve on the BHM School Board? 
When I was much younger, I thought I could change the world. I realized over time that it is more important to impact your own special corner of the world. That realization led to my wife and me doing foster care for more than 16 years. It also led to me being on the Orono City Council for eight years, led to me being on the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose school board these past 10 years – the last two as board chair – and led to me becoming president of the Buffalo Rodeo, serving as a PDC regional director for 4H and becoming a Region 5 director for Minnesota High School Rodeo. This school district is in my special corner of the world and I want to continue having a positive impact on it as a member of the school board.

If elected, what qualities will you bring to the school board? 
Experience. I have been on the school board more than 10 years, with the last two as board chair. I have knowledge of how the board and school district function, and I am proud of the job this board has done helping guide this impressive district over the last decade.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today?
There are many issues facing the school district, but the one that is paramount is making sure the state provides adequate funding to our district and others across the state. The state failed this past year, and many districts, including ours, had to do some serious belt tightening. When funding isn’t provided by the state, there is a ripple effect that impacts everyone in the district, including our students. The way to solve this problem is to pound the table – literally and figuratively – to get the attention of state legislators who make the funding decisions. I have spoken to several legislators about it, and that dialogue will continue if I am re-elected to the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose school board.

Why do you believe BHM Schools is the place to dream, believe and achieve?
For starters, BHM has terrific administrators, teachers, para-professionals and staff, and they all play a role in allowing students to dream, believe and achieve. And, as I mentioned earlier, I have more than 10 years of experience and knowledge from serving on the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose school board, with the last two as the board chair. I am proud of the work this board and district have done to keep Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose among statewide leaders when it comes to serving our students. Our district ranks in the top 20 out of 366 districts with “the Best Teachers in Minnesota,” according to Niche, which claims its “rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.” In the “Best School Districts in Minnesota” rankings, Niche has Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose 36th out of 362. The school board plays a part in the success of the district, and I would like to continue doing what I can to empower that and to make sure BHM Schools continue to be a place to dream, believe and achieve.


 

Place of residence: Buffalo
Occupation: Educator and associate pastor
Family (will you, do you, or did you have children who attended BHM Schools): My husband Andy and I both attended BHM K-12. We have two 10th graders at BHS, Connor and Emma, Nathan is a 9th grader at BHS, Kai and Nova are 8th graders at BCMS and Maya is a 6th grader at BCMS.  
Years lived in the district? 34

Why do you want to serve on the BHM School Board? 
I don’t have a personal or political agenda. I am not a politician. I am an educator, mom and citizen who is passionate about her community and taking an active role in making it flourish. I have always been a fierce public school advocate and believe strong schools make a strong community. My passion for education and love for this district made running for re-election an obvious choice. It has been a delight to serve the past four years and I want to continue the work I have started. With my own children having many more years of schooling at BHM and hopefully my grandchildren too, I knew I wanted to take an active role in helping ensure District #877 is strong now and into the future. My goal as a school board member is to be a positive voice for ALL students and make sure they have every opportunity to get a well rounded, high quality education so they are ready to take on the world!

If elected, what qualities will you bring to the school board?
Not only do I bring 4 years of experience as an incumbent, but as an educator, I have a unique perspective to bring to the school board. Along with full-time classroom teaching experience and frequent subbing in the district, I have been on numerous committees that support our schools and have taken an extensive resume of classes through the Minnesota School Boards Association. All of these roles have taught me vital information and given me crucial data about school function and governance that improve my ability to be an effective school board member. I have held numerous leadership roles throughout my lifetime that have shaped me into a creative collaborator and clear communicator. I am a genuine team-player, life-long learner, active listener, and detail-oriented go-getter.  I am committed to serving with integrity, diligence and transparency so our staff and students can excel!

What do you believe is the most important issue facing education today?
I believe the most important issue facing education today is educator support and retention.  There is a very real national teacher crisis happening as more and more teachers leave the profession because of the mental strain and lack of support. Our district has some of the most committed and caring teachers and staff I have ever encountered. They truly love our students and go above and beyond their job description. They deserve our full support as we trust them to do the job they are highly trained to do. I want to make sure our district is a place where top-notch educators and staff want to work and build their career, because excellent classrooms are built by excellent educators. Secondly, we have to fully fund public education. I will continue to support board decisions that steward tax payer dollars wisely and continue to communicate with legislators as we work together to invest in future generations.

Why do you believe BHM Schools is the place to dream, believe and achieve?
I have experienced BHM Schools as a place to dream, believe and achieve as a student, educator and parent. My husband and I both graduated from Buffalo High School and our experience in the district was exceptional! Our educational and extra-curricular opportunities truly prepared us to go into the world equipped to be successful and achieve our dreams. The staff and teachers in District #877 believe in you in a way that you can’t help but believe in yourself. We moved back to Buffalo specifically so our own children could attend BHM Schools and we have been delighted with our children’s education thus far and how they have been challenged, encouraged and supported to be all that they can be.