With the general election swiftly approaching on Tuesday, Nov. 5, voters seek out the candidates they feel best represent their values in office. The Union-Times asked the candidates running for Princeton School Board seven questions to help voters make their choice:
1. What is your education background and current occupation?
2. What are your previously elected, appointed or volunteer positions?
3. What motivates you to want to become, or continue as, a school board member?
4. Every council, board, and organization benefits by having individuals with varying skills and expertise. How might you contribute and add value to the school board and the district?
5. What are the major challenges facing the district in the next year and beyond? How do you think the school board should address these challenges?
6. Why should people trust that you will make decisions in the best interest of the school district and its students and staff?
7. How can the school board and its members be more accessible to the community?
Answers are listed in alphabetical order by the candidates’ last names. Four candidates may be elected.
Dawn Bourdeaux
1. I am a business owner, and I work part-time at Immanuel Lutheran Church as the office coordinator and financial administrator. I attended the University of Minnesota Crookston and St. Cloud State University.
2. I am honored to be serving on Princeton School Board #477. I am a Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce member and the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association member. I have had the honor to serve on the following boards: Clearwater County Memorial Hospital Children’s Center Advisory Board, Clearwater County Dairy ambassador, Samhold Lutheran Church Board of Education, St. John Council Member, liaison for Cornerstone Christian Preschool Board, liaison for Education Committee and liaison Nominating Committee. I have held the following positions: treasurer, secretary, and vice president on the St. John Council. Currently, I’m the committee chair of Boy Scouts Troop 16. I am a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts of America Central Minnesota Council. I have received The Servant of Youth Recognition from BSA.
3. I’m motivated to continue serving on the board to give back to our schools and community by providing the best education for all students. Every student, regardless of their background or circumstances, deserves the resources, skills and opportunities to pursue their dreams, whether it is college, trade school, the military or the workforce. To prepare all students to achieve their goals and succeed in this ever-changing world. Educate, inspire and empower are all possible when working together to provide the best education, programs and activities. It would be an honor to continue to serve on the school board.
4. As a good financial steward of the district funds, I will bring leadership, a willingness to listen and act, accountability and dedication to being a robust and educated voice for all students. I will work with multiple partners and families to create the most supportive and thriving school district that will provide the very best education. Communication is critical at every level and every step of the way.
5. Budget Management will be essential. Being a good steward of the district funds by maintaining a fund balance. By matching our district resources with our vision and being able to provide the best teachers and staff. With budgetary constraints being flexible enough to change as our needs evolve. Fiscal Planning will play a key role. Finally, with budgets, we need to be an Innovative District providing high-quality education/programs without all the traditional costs. We need to be accountable in all areas of our district.
Maintaining and keeping current with technology and resources is
needed to prepare our students for the current and upcoming workforce. Not having the proper resources or equipment causes stress and anxiety for students, families, teachers, staff and all who are involved, which can lead to mental health issues. We need to provide more resources and tools in all these areas while maintaining low-class sizes.
6. I will continue to build on the experience and knowledge I gained in my first term and continue to be educated by taking the available training and other resources. I will continue to listen and spend the time needed to be educated in all areas of school board business. As a board member, you must be neutral and do what is best for the students, the district and everyone involved.
7. The district website provides each board member’s email and phone number. We are available before or after board meetings. Our board meetings are open to the public; you can give citizen comments. Also, when out in public, whether at an activity, sports event, local event, shopping or whatever it may be, I am accessible. It would be an incredible honor to be reelected.
Scott Bowman
1. Bachelor’s of science from Minnesota State University — Mankato, M.A. WGU; Science Teacher at Ogilvie High School.
2. I frequently volunteer and work as a bookkeeper and public address announcer at various high school and amateur athletic events. During previous summers I have worked in a contractor position doing scientific research for Air Force Research Lab in New Mexico.
3. As a teacher in a neighboring district, I feel I have a unique insight into the challenges that face local schools, as well as the good things that are happening. With my additional background in scientific research, I feel I have an additional perspective on what skills students need in order to be successful. Princeton is a vibrant community with many people inside the school and out who are dedicated to providing the best possible education for students. My goal is to facilitate support for the dedicated people who work with students by advocating for resources the district needs, whether at the state or local level.
4. The two main things I bring to the table as a candidate for school board is my experience as a teacher, and my experience doing research at Air Force Research Lab. I feel there are two important goals I would work towards reaching as school board member. First, students must be exposed to a variety of career paths before high school ends so that they are prepared when they graduate. Work that the Princeton Schools are doing to get students exposure to these options through internships and explorations should be supported and expanded on. Second, we should support staff in having high expectations for student achievement. Connections that students make with staff members are so important because they can help give direction for a students’ future professional career and allow a student to know that they have people in their corner who are cheering for their success.
5. From a district-wide perspective, keeping a healthy fund balance and facility upkeep will be the primary challenges that face the school board. It will be important that we advocate for what we need as a school district from the state and local level, and even more important that the resources that the school district is entrusted with continue to be used as responsibly as they have been in the past. Another challenge that will face the district is ensuring that staffing needs are met. There are good class size guidelines in place in Princeton that should be continued, and we should continue to take advantage of programs that fund behavior and mental health resources.
6. I have shown that I care about student wellbeing and positive academic outcomes through my career. With my experience working in schools, I am familiar with how the decisions a school board makes affect staff, students and families. I am passionate that the school board works so that the community sees the schools in the Princeton School District as being a source of pride — whether that is pride in the academic, athletic and creative abilities of students, pride in the programs that are offered or pride that comes from having great school facilities the community should see the schools as places that have value.
7. No decision at the school board level should be made without input from staff and parents. To some extent, the school board has to trust administrative staff to represent the interests of multiple stakeholders. Working with established employee groups to develop relationships with staff leaders is an important method of gaining input on pending decisions. Most importantly, finding communication methods that families engage with and asking for their input wherever appropriate is essential.
Christopher Klinghagen
1. Princeton graduate, St. Cloud Tech graduate, work for the City of Princeton at the Wastewater Facility.
2. Volunteered on numerous youth sports groups for years.
3. My motivation to be a school board member is I would like to give back to the community, also to learn all the ins and outs I can about the district to make the best possible decisions to give our students a top-notch education, as well as helping the teachers achieve their needs.
4. I have experience with the budget process. Also, have overall knowledge in what the facility needs are for the district. Value I’d bring is listen to all, and then make best possible decision.
5. Money is a challenge. I would like to work with staff on keeping school costs as low as they can be while giving students the best education. We also need to retain the great teachers and staff we have at the district. We need to get that per pupil money up to where it should be.
6. I want to continue to keep striving for a better education for all students and make Princeton School District a great place of employment for all employees.
7. Tough to answer this question when I don’t know what the protocol is now. I would guess that an email address for each board member would be accessible on the district’s website.
Chuck Kobes
1. Associates of arts in Telecommunications, current occupation is construction coordinator at Midco.
2. Youth coaching for multiple sports including baseball, wrestling, football (assistant) and basketball.
3. My motivation is to promote the school and community that my kids and family live in. I have 4 kids in the school system and it is important to me that all kids have a safe and effective learning environment.
4. I come in with a fresh, open mind and I can see both sides to many issues. I am willing to speak up for things that don’t seem right, but I am also willing to listen and learn from others.
5. One of the largest issues is a balanced budget. We need to be able to pay teachers and staff appropriately so we can keep our teachers. Teachers are such an important part of school culture. We also need to upkeep our building and maintain safety regulations.
6. People should trust me because I am open and honest with people. Anyone who has seen me out in the public knows that I am not afraid to voice my opinion. Even if we disagree, I always have the best interest of this community in mind. I am proud to be part of this community and to raise my kids here.
7. I believe one way to be more accessible is to provide clear, concise and easy to understand updates about key-decisions and policies. There are many ways to disseminate information including social media, newsletters and community bulletins.
Eric Strandberg
1. Sprinkler fitter field superintendent.
2. I have been on the Princeton school board for eight years. I have served on my church council board, youth basketball board, faith walk mentor, executive board member for Local 417, youth football, basketball, baseball and soccer coach.
3. I have three kids that attend school in the Princeton School District. They motivate me to be on the school board. I want the best possible education and experiences for all students that attend our district. I think it is important for people that have kids in the district to be involved and help make decisions that guide the education that they receive.
4. My area of expertise is construction and buildings and grounds. I love being part of the long range planning committee because we look at the big picture of the districts facilities needs. Our district currently has many facility needs. We have an aging building in the high school, aging roofs at the high school and middle school, an undersized kitchen and cafeteria at the intermediate school, HVAC issues at all building except the primary school, exterior tuckpointing issue at all buildings. On top of all of these issues we have a major problem with not enough recreational facilities for all of our students and their activities.
5. There are many challenges that our district is facing in the next few years. I touched on just some of our facilities issues in the previous response. The largest challenge our district faces is actually an annual issue. School finance is our largest issue. Our district is one of a handful of districts in the state that do not currently have an operating referendum. Because we don’t have an operating referendum it is a constant dance of what can we adjust to try to balance our budget at the end of the fiscal year. This becomes increasingly difficult because the state school funding formula is inadequate. Our school district receives approximately $5,000 less per student than many metro districts. If you add that up to our 3,100 students that is approximately $15 million less that we receive than some of our neighboring metro school districts.
6. I am invested and care about this community. I was born and raised here and am a proud Princeton graduate. I am married to my high school sweetheart. We have three children who attend school in this district. My wife is a kindergarten teacher in this district. I have coached many kids that attend school in this district. My friends and family are all here. I want to see every kid graduate high school and become successful adults.
7. We have a meeting the first and third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. Feel free to come to a meeting!
Jennifer Super
1. I have spent 25 years working in safety, security, and emergency management, becoming a nationally certified emergency manager. I received my Master of Arts degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Safety Executive Leadership from St. Cloud State University.
2. Citizens’ Vote Yes for Princeton committee member bond referendum 2021; Start Times and Community Engagement Task Forces.
3. One of the foremost motivators is supporting the opportunity for my two children to have the best possible education. I believe we all can find a way to give back to our community, but those ways can vary. As I reflect on my professional experiences, the skills and abilities include building and facilitating collaborative working groups, listening to differing views, managing construction, physical security, technology and operating budgets, facilitating large group discussions and presenting to a variety of audiences.
4. I bring a collaborative approach with a strong emphasis on allowing all stakeholders an opportunity to be heard. My business leadership skills include financial management, long range planning and program development.
5. The financial future of the district is a major challenge facing Princeton along with maintaining strong lines of communication with parents while ensuring students can learn in a safe and secure environment with the necessary resources.
6. The people should trust me to make decisions in the best interests of the students, staff and district because I have a vested interest in the success and wellbeing of my two children and our school district.
7. The board can be more accessible to the community by bringing the board to the community. This might include hosting a board meeting at each of the schools once a year highlighting that school, getting to know the board through a social media campaign and sharing the members’ participation and attendance at events.
Bret Yuker
1. Monticello High School; Bachelor’s of science from St. Cloud State University for three years — incomplete. Federal Cartridge/Vista Outdoors Anoka Minnesota.
2. Not applicable.
3. Federal monetary policy forces School Board compliance to Biden’s (executive order) 13985 (which states) “equity” means members of Religious Minorities and LGBTQ+ persons; “underserved community” refers to specific characteristic, denied participation, “+” symbolizes scope, infinite inclusion any/all, sexual behaviors. Obama changed Title IX assigned sex, gender identity, transgender voiding 1964 Civil Rights Act protections for women in sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms.
Minnesota withholds funding for refusal to implement State initiatives (as stated in) Walz (executive order) 21-25: children protected from “Conversion Therapy”; (executive order) 23-03: provides LGBTQIA+ gender “Conversion Therapy”; $23.2 billion funding “Bill requiring schools to stock period products in boys’ bathrooms” — Shared Bathrooms, Risk Mitigation, $30 million Lawsuit against Loudoun County, Virginia school district (where) two girls (were) raped.
4. (Princeton) School Board debate September 9, 2024: Eric Strandberg confirmed funds withheld from non-compliant Districts—Karl Marx “Controlling Means of Education/Production.” Candidates indicated district concerns (as) teachers’ compensation, district spending and increasing property taxation.
My concerns (are) curriculum, resource reallocation and refocused educational academic outcomes. A Department of Education report confirms we are failing children. Our student to teacher ratios are 16 to one, (we have) a graduation rate of 90%, 3,234 students with grade level standards/minimum requirements proficiency in Math 42.6%, Science 47.1%, Reading 48.6%. (What about) American history and civics?
Social Emotional Learning feelings, not facts. Critical Race Theory (creates) hate/division. Comprehensive Sex Education (in) kindergarten. Teen Mental Health First Aid (leads to) student on student peer pressure. (Princeton School District) knows boys don’t wear tampons, shouldn’t be in girls sports, locker rooms or bathrooms. Administration needs Mental Health Therapy.
Roe v Wade; Fed(eral government) unconstitutionally took State powers regarding abortion decisions/rights.
Chevron Deference (is an) unconstitutional agency overreach. Congress establishes law. Why hasn’t the School Board Association or Teachers Union filed litigation?
Parents should flex voting muscles, stop taxation without representation and contact elected officials directly.
5. Process controls, replicable success and transferable knowledge.
6. Customer, benefactor, end user recognition, directly/indirectly. Governing “by consent” of those Governed.
7. Questions/Concerns call (763) 856-6048 or email bret_yuker@hotmail.com.
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