Four of the five candidates running for the New Ulm District 88 school board prepare to take part in the League of Women Voters (LWV) candidate forum. The candidates in attendance (L to R) Christie Dewanz, Sarah Leslie, Matt Ringhofer and Jonathan Schiro were able to attend the forum Thursday night. The fifth candidate, Paula Humbard was unable to attend.
NEW ULM — City Hall was packed Thursday evening for the League of Women Voter (LWV) District 88 school board candidate forum.
Four of the five candidates, Jonathan Schiro, Matt Ringhofer, Christie Dewanz and Sarah Leslie participated in the forum. The fifth candidate Paula Humbard was unable to attend.
Throughout the forum the four candidates found common ground on every issues. None of the topics discussed were contentious. Three of the candidates, Schiro, Ringhofer and Dewanz, are incumbent board members. Leslie is running for her first term on the board but has served on the school district’s curriculum advisory committee, the 2022 referendum committee and was on the recent Superintendent search committee.
The first question was what personal ground rules each candidate had to maintain civility as a school board member.
Schiro said it came down to actively listening and consider all aspects of a situation before making a decision. He believed the decision needed to be in the best interest of the school as a whole.
Ringhofer agreed listening was an important part of civility, but added it was important to not immediately react.
“There is a lot of different things that come are way,” Ringhofer said. “We really have to stop and listen and be respectful in the process.”
Dewanz said a big part of civility is showing respect. She said everyone is entitled to their opinion and the deserve respect.
“I think you need to be willing to have an open dialogue with people to understand the ‘whys’ behind their ideas,” she said. “You also need to be prepared to do the research.”
Leslie said the children are at the center of everything the board does.
“If we can align on that and find some other commonalities, we can have a civil dialogue,” she said. “I think you will find we have more similarities than difference.”
The candidates were asked about the most important function of a teacher.
Leslie said children learn best when they feel supported. She believes teachers who create supportive learning environments will have greatest lasting impact on students.
Dewanz agreed it was important to have supportive teachers because each student comes with different strengths and challenges.
“It is important for [students] to feel safe and comfortable and know someone has their back,” she said.
Schiro and Ringhofer both cited making connections as an important part of teaching.
Schiro said the teachers that have the most lasting influence are those who made students feel welcome and gave them the opportunity to strive while in school.
Ringhofer said if the teachers feel connected to the teachers they are with, they will learn. He said his kids succeeded the most when they had great relationships with their teachers. He said this was true of the school he work in Mankato.
“I can tell you where the positivity occurs in a room, it’s the relationship,” he said.
Asked about plans to recruit quality educators?
Each of the candidates acknowledged that recruitment was a big challenge for the district and required multiple solutions.
Dewanz said the district could use competitive salary and benefits to attract teachers, but they also needed to have a respectful and safe place to keep them in the community.
Leslie agreed the school needed to be competitive with other schools, but also suggested offering professional development opportunities for teachers.
Schiro wanted to use the local colleges for recruitment, but also bring back students who graduated from New Ulm.
Ringhofer believed the school needed to get the word out about the community and how it is a great place to live with great people.
The topic of book banning and restrictions was discussed. The candidates were asked how should the school board approach challenges related to the selection of books in school?
The candidates all agreed the board should be listening to recommendations from the school media specialists.
Schiro said he is not an expert and would rely on the experts for making recommendations from the teaching recommendation. He said a few years ago there were concerns from some citizens about certain books, however those books we not in the district at that time. He did believe it was a good idea to have conversations with concerned citizens.
Ringhofer believed the district had strong process for determining which material was brought into the curriculum. He said as a public school system, the students should have access to a lot of resources, especially through books and different media.
Leslie said the board has a role in the education environment, but believed the media specialists and teachers needed to determine what books were age appropriate for students.
“I would rely on their expertise,” she said. “I don’t think that is a task of the board to decide what books do or don’t belong in the library.”
Dewanz agreed the board should rely on the media specialist and administration to guide through book selection.
The last question was about what actions they would support to increase school safety?
Dewanz said it was a broad questions, but believed the upgrades to the school through referendums helped improve the safety of the different buildings.
Leslie said school safety was a concern. She had two kids in the district who experienced lockdowns at the schools.
“It’s an awful feeling,” she said.
Leslie supported the districts effort to maintain a single entry to all buildings. Beyond that, she was on Safe Routes to Schools committee which works to streamline the drop-off process and increase the safety around the school.
“I wish I could say I had a magical solution for the gun violence we are seeing,” she said. “I don’t and do not believe this board will, but we have made some strides.”
Schiro praised the safety officers at the school. He said the School Resource Officer (SRO) maintains a good relationship with the students which is important and a safety feature.
Ringhofer believed the upgrades to the schools to create one point of entry and the return of the SRO program were a great benefit to safety. He also praised the staff training that ensure the safety of kids.
In closing remarks, Ringhofer said he has enjoyed his time as school board member and would like to continue the work for another term. He believed the current board was a good cohesive team and he wanted to continue the teamwork with them.
Schiro said he appreciated serving the district and believed the board has done great things for the community. He cited the creation of Career and Technical Education Center as a great opportunity for students to pursue other options beyond high school.
Dewanz said it means a lot to give students the best opportunities. She believes the board was moving in a positive direction and she would like to continue helping with the districts strategic planning.
Leslie said she believes the board works well together and she was eager to join the team. She believes her involvement with the district and being a parent of kids attending school in the district gave her a unique perspective.
“I think my priorities as a school board member candidate are no different than any other voter,” she said. “We want quality, equitable education. We want a strong partnership with the community and schools. We want to support are students and staff. We want to be fiscally responsible.”
The LWV school board candidate forum will be available on New Ulm’s YouTube channel, accessible through the city’s website. New Ulm Community Access Television (NUCAT) will also periodically broadcast the forum before the election.
The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5 as part of the general election and early voting has already begun.