Meet the Candidates: West Fork Board of Education hopefuls discuss platforms

With the Iowa School Elections to select school district and community college officers right around the corner, three seats are up for re-election on the West Fork Board of Education.

To be decided by vote on September 12 will be a Director District 1 seat (which is the north part of the West Fork School District), a Director District 2 seat (which is the south part of the district) and one Director At-Large seat. All of the open seats are four-year terms.

Filing to enter the school election ran from July 10-August 3.

Over the last week, candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring for this year’s school election interviewed with The Pioneer Enterprise to discuss their backgrounds, and their goals should they be elected in two weeks.

Director District 1

Name: Roger Witte

Town: Rockwell

Have you ever held an elected position?

“I’ve been on the West Fork School Board for four years now. I’ve been on St. Peter Lutheran Church’s council in Rockwell for six years, serving as president for two years, and vice president for two years. Then on the Cerro Gordo County Cattleman’s board.”

How long have you been a member of the West Fork School District? 

“Lifetime, I was born and raised right here on the farm I’m standing on right now in Rockwell. Our family farm is 130 years old this year. So we’ve been here a long time as a family.”

In your opinion, what is the most important issue the district is facing currently?

“I feel there are a lot of issues that have not been taken care of in the last few years. Even though I’ve been on the board, I haven’t been able to remedy the situations that I think need to be taken care of. I don’t want to pinpoint one thing I guess. I just feel that there’s issues that the public knows are out there, and I just haven’t been able to, as a board member myself, take care of them. I think there are communication things, there’s bullying, staff morale, I mean those are all issues to me that I think are big issues that need to be addressed.”

What is an idea you have for how to solve it?

“I think one thing the board needs to do is as a whole board, we need to listen to the public, and see what direction they want the board to take this school in the next four years. Listen to the public, and try to make the best decisions that work for everybody, not just a certain group of people, but everybody. Trying to guide the school district in the best direction we can.”

What are other priority items you would have should you be elected?

“Some of the things I want to see done are going to take some time. You can’t right a wrong in one board meeting. It takes several board meetings, it might take a year. Some people think you can change things overnight. But in a good honest board, a board member will look at all perspectives. Then they’ll sit down and make a decision and try to do what’s best for the school district. My other high concern is I want to make this school district so that it’s going to be here for a long time, even though we have a lot of state funding issues. I don’t want to see the school district get gobbled up by a bigger district years down the road. I want to see it financially and educationally stay strong to make a good district. To have a good, small school district is what I want.”

What perspective do you feel you would bring to the West Fork Board of Education?

“A strong perspective I feel is I’ve been on the board for four years. And I also have four kids in school now being educated by our district and I want what’s best for them.”

Why did you decide to run in this year’s election?

“It boils back to there’s issues still going on within our school district that I haven’t been able to, in my own feelings, feel that have been done right. And I want to try in the next four years to get those issues resolved and straightened out. I have my four kids also. I have a vested interest in my own four kids. And not only my kids, but everyone’s kids.”

Director District 2

Name: Amber Marzen

Town: Dougherty

Have you ever held an elected position?

“No I have not.”

How long have you been a member of the West Fork School District? 

“I have been within the school district since 2009.”

In your opinion, what is the most important issue the district is facing currently?

“I feel that it’s extremely important to improve upon our communications between staff, parents, students and the community. I would encourage everyone to bring their concerns and opinions forward. The second thing I think is a pretty big issue is that as a rural district, I believe it’s important to improve upon the ways that we’re utilizing our resources to provide the highest quality education in a very safe environment.”

What is an idea you have for how to solve it?

“I’m new to this, but I think that there’s probably resources sitting out there that we aren’t utilizing that we could be. Or maybe utilizing something differently. I don’t know exactly the finances of the school right now. But I kind of think that we’ve been doing things in kind of a ‘this is the way we’ve done it’ kind of attitude and there’s probably some room for change with that.”

What are other priority items you would have should you be elected?

“I think that safety of our students and our staff became apparent at the end of the last school year, and morale between staff and administration. I wasn’t aware of a lot of that until I started talking to people in regards to running. And I noticed that seems to be an apparent issue.”

What perspective do you feel you would bring to the West Fork Board of Education?

“I feel like I would be able to offer a fresh perspective. I’m a mother of three children that are currently in the district and attending both campuses. I feel that’s a perspective that we’re currently missing out on.”

Why did you decide to run in this year’s election?

“I had been talking about it for a few years with a few people. And I decided that in the past I hadn’t been involved with the district long enough to know enough people or enough about the district to be approachable. But at this point I feel like I’m out there with the kids’ activities and I feel like its important to bring things to the board. I believe in speaking up for what’s right in situations instead of just going along with what everybody else is doing.”

Name: Eric Reicherts

Town: Sheffield

Have you ever held an elected position?

“I’m on the deacon board on my church here in Sheffield, First Grace Baptist.”

How long have you been a member of the West Fork School District? 

“We’ve owned our residence here in Sheffield for six years now. My wife was originally from here.”

In your opinion, what is the most important issue the district is facing currently?

“There’s all kinds of issues coming up, there just seems to be lots of new issues that are prevalent in our society today that are starting to hit home even more in the smaller communities. I think those are the big new issues and are what need to be addressed. Certainly we’ve had a start. I’d just like to do my part in pursuing progress to prepare our schools for the future.”

What is an idea you have for how to solve it?

“Nothing specific. I think it’s going to take a team and we just need to put that team together.”

What are other priority items you would have should you be elected?

“I’d really be looking to catch up on what’s going on with the district and just become more involved. I have a son who just started first grade this year. I just want to be invested in his future and help out where I can, and be a representative for our family and friends and do what I can to support them.”

What perspective do you feel you would bring to the West Fork Board of Education?

“I’ve always prided myself on having a level-headed common sense approach to everything. I can detach my personal emotion on issues and look at it from the perspective of the good of the whole. Those are some personal character things that would benefit a school board. I’ve also got seven plus years of facility management, it’s what I do in my career. So I’m very familiar with what it takes to maintain buildings and infrastructure.”

Why did you decide to run in this year’s election?

“I just really felt led, and some people in the community approached me and my wife about my running. It just kind of opened my eyes that people see a need, and I think I can probably be a good fit. So I was really led by just wanting to serve the community.”

Name: Mary Schlichting

Town: Thornton

Have you ever held an elected position?

“I have been on the board of education since 2009. I was on the S-C/M-T board appointed at that time. And then in 2011 of course we went to a West Fork board. I was the president of the Mercy Auxiliary at Mercy Medical Center of North Iowa in Mason City for about six years. And I also am a volunteer up there and I’ve been there for 31 years.”

How long have you been a member of the West Fork School District? 

“I’ve lived here all my life. I graduated from the Meservey- Thornton school district. My family grew up here, we’ve always lived here.”

In your opinion, what is the most important issue the district is facing currently?

“I believe we have some issues with communication in our school district, and we need to try and help solve some of these issues. I think we need to help make better communications with everyone.”

What is an idea you have for how to solve it?

“Hearing both sides of the problem first. Just trying to help solve some morale in our school. If there’s a communication problem we need to iron this out. I’m all for the kids. Kids need to be number one on the list, that’s the main thing. I’ve always believed in that. And I think kids are the best part of our society, and they’re going to make our society.”

What are other priority items you would have should you be elected?

“Just making school better for all students involved. I want to make it a happy place for kids to come to. And we have super teachers. I want to make those teachers and kids a happy family. So that kids come to school and are happy to learn. So they can go out in the world and make something of themselves.”

What perspective do you feel you'd bring to the board? 

“I have been on the board previously. I bring the perspective of the west part of our district.”

Why did you decide to run in this year’s election?

“The reason I’m running is because we have no other representation in the west part of the school district. There’s already someone representing the Sheffield-Chapin area, there’s no one over here for Meservey-Thornton. We have no one over here to speak up for us, to listen to our people over here.”

Director At-Large

Name: Grant Petersen

Town: Sheffield

Have you ever held an elected position?

“No, I have not held any public office or anything like that.”

How long have you been a member of the West Fork School District?

“I grew up outside of Rockwell on a farm. So I went to the Rockwell-Swaledale school district during elementary through high school. And then I’ve lived in Sheffield since 2009.”

In your opinion, what is the most important issue the district is facing currently?

“I would say communication between the board, administration, parents, students and faculty. Strengthening communication between all those parties would be a big thing on my to-do list.”

What is an idea you have for how to solve it?

“I think setting up better policy with security issues and finding out when is the right time to notify parents, students and faculty of changes would help.”

What are other priority items you would have should you be elected?

“Just making sure policies are set up or changed, or policies that need to be integrated get followed and adjusted accordingly to situations. Just making sure policy is being enforced and followed.”

What perspective do you feel you would bring to the West Fork Board of Education?

“I have three children, two currently in school. So I bring a perspective of an invested parent. My financial background hopefully can help me make solid financial decisions when necessary for appropriate spending of the school’s resources and financial assets. I have my BA in finance from the University of Northern Iowa. I currently work at United Bank and Trust Company at the Sheffield branch as the branch manager. So I’ve got a little bit of financial background there.”

Why did you decide to run in this year’s election?

“I think we have a really strong school district with strong community backing. Just to be able to be part of anything that will help make the school better for my kids and everybody else, that was my motivation.”

Name: Stacy Tompkins

Town: Rockwell

Have you ever held an elected position?

“I have never campaigned for an elected position, but I was nominated to be director of a parent-run daycare cooperative in Iowa City. I held that position for five years. I was also nominated to organize a carnival fundraiser for an elementary school’s Parent Teacher Organization in Iowa City, and I did.”

How long have you been a member of the West Fork School District?

“My husband Van and I moved here three years ago with our two sons, Sander, who is in sixth grade, and Levi, who is in second grade. We wanted to be a part of a smaller community that was closer to our families, who reside in north Iowa.”

In your opinion, what is the most important issue the district is facing currently?

“Communication is key for any type of relationship to be successful, including the relationships among parents, students, teachers and the school administration. In my opinion, it’s better to have too much information than not enough. With the digital era we currently live in there are so many ways to communicate. While this can be advantageous, it also complicates things. There have been times that I’ve wondered why I didn’t hear things directly from the school, rather than through the grapevine. Finding information has been more difficult than I feel it should be.”

What is an idea you have for how to solve it?

“I think many of the tools that help us communicate are in place, they just need to be used more effectively, or clarify the role of each communication tool. Facebook is my way of getting information from the school, but I feel most of the information posted there is for the high school. Separate posts should be made by the different levels or in addition to the West Fork School District page, additional pages should be created for the separate buildings: Sheffield Elementary, Rockwell Elementary, middle school and high school. I would also love to see open school positions and board agendas, minutes and openings posted on Facebook in addition to the website and newspaper. Taking a survey of parents and students about how they get or would like to get their information would be helpful in knowing the best way to communicate. Anything out of the normal routine at school should also be communicated via the school wide email and phone lists. It is one of my goals that the items the board discusses are given to the board members in a timely manner prior to final voting. That way, board members have time to do their research, whether that’s getting community opinions or researching what other schools’ best practices are.”

What are other priority items you would have should you be elected?

“I want to help make researched, thoughtful decisions that are best for those involved. I want to see all kids challenged at their level, whatever it may be. I don’t want average to be our standard. Let’s find a way to be better than the average school district.”

What perspective do you feel you would bring to the West Fork Board of Education?

“Because we are relatively new to the area, I would come in with a fresh set of eyes. This gives me a unique perspective and allows me to make calculated decisions based on facts. Before deciding, I like to do my research. I want to know positives, negatives and potential consequences before making the best decision for those involved. I would like to do the same for the school. I ask a lot of questions and make sure I understand things before agreeing. Working in Iowa City as a data manager, our group’s role was hospital efficiency. I continue that efficiency mentality in everything I do.”

Why did you decide to run in this year’s election?

“I decided to run because I’ve always been involved in my kids’ education, whether it’s talking to their teachers, principals, superintendents and other parents or helping when and how I can. I want to offer the best there is to my kids and every other kid in the district, and I feel a public education can be that. I want to make sure we, as a school district, are doing everything we can to make that happen.”

Name: Toni Lauffer

Town: Sheffield

Have you ever held an elected position?

“No.”

How long have you been a member of the West Fork School District?

“Nine years.”

In your opinion, what is the most important issue the district is facing currently?

“Probably the most important would be security and safety of the children, by having them be safe, having a safety and security plan at school and having a better anti-bullying plan.”

What is an idea you have for how to solve it?

“I think the district needs to work on their security plan and practice evacuation drills. And have a stronger anti-bullying plan that’s enforced.”

What are other priority items you would have should you be elected?

“I think that financial responsibility for the taxpayers’ money is really important to make sure we’re not wasting taxpayer dollars.”

What perspective do you feel you would bring to the West Fork Board of Education?

“My education is in medicine. But I have some education in politics related to that, and working with boards and grant writing, and so I think I’ll bring a different perspective than what they’ve had on the board recently.”

Why did you decide to run in this year’s election?

“I wanted to see changes made in the school district, and I’m a person that if I want to see changes made, I try to get them made. I don’t want to just sit on the sidelines and wait for anybody else to do it.”

  Name: Kevin Zeitler

Town: Rockwell

Have you ever held an elected position?

“No, I have never held an elected seat.”

How long have you been a member of the West Fork School District?

“Since ‘93.”

In your opinion, what is the most important issue the district is facing currently?

“Well, I’m a big guy on education. We have to get our kids ready for college and the working world. I’m big on that. Education is huge. We need to educate them, education is the key to life.”

What is an idea you have for how to solve it?

“We have to keep our current teachers that we have now and keep recruiting other good teachers.”

What are other priority items you would have should you be elected?

“Probably the spending of our budget, and then also the wellbeing of our teachers and staff members.”

What perspective do you feel you would bring to the West Fork Board of Education?

“I’ve got some good ideas for education, also for saving money, saving the school district money. Just all around some good ideas coming in.”

Why did you decide to run in this year’s election?

“I’ve run the last couple years that seats have been open. My son’s gone through the system at West Fork. Then also again on the teachers and support staff, just things need to be changed.”