I ran three years ago in 2020 to be a voice for educators/staff, as well as to help move the board in the right direction. I later watched my wife become an advocate in MSTA and in the district. I decided to run again because I saw the wonderful things happening in the district and it is making progress. I want to continue shaping the Board of Education and SJSD into a place of strength. I will continue to listen to the community, the staff and the students to build a better and stronger future for my daughter who will one day be a student in the district.

The strengths I would bring to the table as a SJSD board member would be that I am heavily involved with many groups in our community which gives me the advantage to see situations from different viewpoints. My connections have already helped strengthen partnerships between the district and the business community which continue to be beneficial in improving education, equipment and technology.

I believe we need to really dive into our attendance and behavior policies and see where we can improve on them. Attendance has been listed as a top priority of the district admin and I feel that is a great place to start.

I would support the admin as they access the facilities and which have the most urgent need. Making sure SJSD goes through the proper channels to make sure we do what is best for not only our students but our community as well.

I feel the mask mandate was handled by SJSD during the COVID pandemic in the best way it could given the information available at the time. While I believe several steps could have been taken to better handle the situation, the district could only do so much with what was available.

I believe there are pros and cons to mandating face masks and vaccinations of students within the school district. Depending on the state of the economy would help in my decision to implement policy.

I do not feel like I can answer this question without doing more research into the financials for the school district.

1. Early Learning initiatives 2. Staff support 3. Upgrades/improvements to our facilities

I would ensure financial transparency and accountability with the public by allowing the public to see the financial reports and ask the questions they want to ask. Keeping any information from the public that is legally allowed for them to know only breaks the trust the community has in the district which is still in a fragile state.

I believe the district is currently facing several challenges such as recruiting quality staff due to Independence going to 4 day weeks; facilities plans in regards to 6th grades, middle school and high schools potential closings; and lastly, earning and keeping the community’s trust.

I feel the current approach to special education within our school district, like many things, is in a good spot but can always have room for improvement.

What I see as some of the most significant challenges teachers face within the district are lack of support for behaviors in the classroom and

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I believe that it is a board member’s obligation to be accessible to their constituents. As an active community member I am accessible on various outlets such as through email, cell phone and social media sites. I welcome all feedback and am willing to meet with whoever needs to discuss matters, especially if they feel they are not being heard in other areas.

Getting involved with both what is happening with your student as well as their school is a huge positive for our district. One way would be to sign up and get involved with your local PTA organization.

I support every student receiving the same quality environment to help them thrive. No student should feel like an outsider in our district.

No

Socially Moderate

My faith plays a huge part in my life and the decisions I make on a daily basis. I volunteer as a Big Brother in Big Brothers Big Sisters St. Joseph to my little who is a 6th grade student in SJSD. I am an active member of St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Diplomats. I am the assistant General Manager of Pizza Ranch. I have used these connections to increase student engagement and reading minutes this year by implementing the Pizza Ranch Reading Rodeo. This program incentivizes students to read in return for a free buffet coupon, also top readers get a pizza party each quarter.