Brainerd School District 2026 Election Guide

Contributed

Incumbent

Age on Election Day: 60

Community: Brainerd

Employment: Owner, Dondelinger Automotive

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I'm a lifelong resident of this community and graduate of Brainerd High School. My parents went to school here and so did my kids. We love BPS and want to see each student succeed!

Why are you running?

I'm running with three main objectives: to put core academics first across all our classrooms, to support our teachers, and to empower our parents.

Why should voters elect you?

During my first term, I advocated for right-sizing administration as enrollment declined, I
joined more than 300 school board members from across Minnesota urging state leaders to keep girls’ sports for girls, and I pushed back against invasive student surveys, keeping the focus on academics.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

A school board member represents the community and serves as a steward of our public schools. That means listening to parents, teachers, students, and residents and bringing those voices into our decisions

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

I admire leaders who put the people they serve ahead of themselves. My father, Roger Dondelinger, is at the top of that list. He built something from nothing in 1968 and taught me that your reputation is earned one honest handshake at a time, and that you owe something back to the community that supports you. That is the kind of leadership I try to bring to the school board.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.

My top priority is preparing every Brainerd student for a successful future. I want to expand real world and career focused learning. I have seen what it can do through the High School Learn to Fly program, which I sponsored as it grew from 7 students in 2015 to more than 60 in 2026, and my goal is to build more opportunities like it in trades, technology, and local business.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?

The biggest challenge facing BPS is keeping the money focused programs that directly impact and improve our students future. We have to keep the ever growing bloat of administrative costs from getting out of hand.

What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?

Hiring Chip Rankin as our new Superintendent is a tremendous success and I fully intend to support him with his changes in the district.

Contributed

Incumbent

Age on Election Day: (Field left blank)

Community: Baxter, Minnesota

Employment: Retired

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I bring a combination of educational and professional experience, community involvement, and firsthand school board experience. I have 45 years of professional experience involving teaching financial-industry professionals about retirement plan rules and regulations which required detailed research and interpreting complex tax regulations. I was elected to the Brainerd School Board in 2022 and as a board member I have gained valuable experience with district finances, policies, participating in decisions involving the superintendent, facilities, curriculum, and the district's strategic direction. I focus on the ends not the means letting the professional staff do their jobs. I have coached youth baseball, served as President of the Victory League amateur baseball organization for 20 years, helped raise funds for community athletics, and served as a youth church mentor. Lastly, I have volunteered for numerous district activities involving fund-raising events, committees- including a district resource review committee with numerous district staff and community members.

Why are you running?

I am seeking a second term on the Brainerd school board. Our school is one of the most important investments we can make in our community. I am committed to maintaining a strong focus on student achievement, safe schools, responsible financial stewardship, accountability, and school board governance. The decline in behavior didn't start in schools. Schools are simply where it becomes visible, therefore, we must address challenges such as student behavior, bullying, respecting teaching staff while ensuring our schools remain welcoming places where every child can learn and grow. I believe in our schools and in the difference, they can make in the lives of our children. I want to help ensure that every student can reach their full potential and that our school district remains a source of pride for our entire community by following the" Warrior Way".

Why should voters elect you?

I bring experience, fiscal responsibility, and a strong commitment to students, teachers, and community. I have served on the Brainerd School Board since 2023 serving in various leadership positions. I have consistently emphasized strong academics, core subjects, and providing teacher supports needed in creating productive learning classrooms. I believe the district must carefully evaluate spending, maintain transparency, and make difficult financial decisions responsibly. I have emphasized hearing from teachers, parents, support staff, and community before making important decisions. I have demonstrated a willingness to vote according to what is best for students and taxpayers even when the decision is unpopular. Examples include voting against an operating levy referendum in 2025 as it lacked a structured financial plan, supported removal of non-age-appropriate library books, adding Christmas and Easter holidays to the school calendar, and support no biological boys playing in girls' sports. I will continue being an independent voice of reason.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

Effective school boards provide the school district with clear direction towards expected student outcomes. They collaborate with district staff in developing goals, interim goals, assessments, and guardrails. It regularly monitors progress towards those goals and continually inquires as to what is and isn't working and asks what the strategy is moving forward. It also models a culture of accountability. This doesn't mean monitoring mistakes and then disciplining, it means defining what is expected, outlining processes to reach set goals and then managing the results. It requires staff to develop a continuous improvement plan that requires clear measures of what we are trying to accomplish, routinely measures to determine if we are moving towards or away from our goals, having the discipline not to make knee jerk adjustments, and begin the CIP process all over again if necessary. The school board governs by providing oversight. The Superintendent provides the leadership/supervision.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Emily Hanford is an educational journalist who rose to recent prominence exposing that teaching literacy throughout the country was based on theoretical claims, popularity, and pressure from politicians. Hanford's podcast Sold a Story, examined how most literacy curriculums were supported by theory and not evidence-based claims. She was able to present findings in easy-to-understand research terms, so parents, administrators, teachers, and school board members were able to understand the Science of Reading tenets -phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Hanford placed little blame on school districts and teachers as they were sold on the idea of balanced literacy and decoding words from publishing companies and other so-called literacy experts. Her work has impacted many states enacting new methods of literacy instruction such as Minnesota enacting the READ Act. Sold a Story may well go down as one of the most important literacy education podcasts ever produced.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?

What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?

Contributed

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John Linn via Mark Lelwica

Age on Election Day: 55

Community: Brainerd

Employment: N/A

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

Small Business owner, Chamber Board Member, Finance Council member, stay-at-home dad, community advocate, Foundation board member

Why are you running?

I believe my experience, leadership skills, and commitment to bringing people together can help strengthen our school board and support our shared goal of making Brainerd Public Schools the very best they can be for our students, families, and staff. Our school district is strongest when board members work collaboratively, listen to one another, and focus on what's best for our students, staff, and families. I want to be part of building a unified board that helps build Brainerd Public Schools into a model district respected by everyone.

Why should voters elect you?

My leadership skills revolve on establishing trust and listening in a constructive manner. I also expect people to give me the respect I give them. Working together is the goal and that usually means concession. As long as we make decisions based on sound information and facts, we should be able to collectively move forward making our district the best it can be.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

School Board members are the elected body responsible for governing finances and policies, establishing and monitoring the strategic direction and goals, and hiring and evaluating the district's superintendent, who serves as the district's chief executive.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Matt Killian has always been a person who I admire due to his ability to speak respectfully, and to listen to others with openness. His leadership skills make him someone others look to for ideas and inspiration. Matt's integrity stands out as a model for others. He exemplifies selflessness in his passion to have our community's best interest always at the top of his priority list.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.

My priorities would be to address what I see as the biggest challenges our district faces. The question below I believe answers this question.
Working together to create a plan to improve elementary literacy, creating a plan to help improve morale among staff by addressing their needs, and by gaining an understanding of what it will take to balance our budget are all goals I hope to help our district improve upon.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?

In my opinion, the most pressing challenges currently facing ISD 181 involve strengthening our elementary literacy outcomes, maintaining fiscal responsibility through a balanced budget, and cultivating a more positive professional morale. I am confident that by working collaboratively with effective administrative leadership, we can successfully address these priorities. While navigating these complexities will require both patience and persistent dedication, I believe that achieving these goals is essential for the future of our students and the health of our district.

What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?

I have always been a proud supporter of high school athletics. We should be proud of our Warrior athletic program. Given the size of our school and the resources we have within our walls, I'd support a program that establishes and maintains a livestream and broadcast of live games and sporting events, with human beings operating cameras, sound, visual graphics, etc...

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 70

Community: Baxter

Employment: Self-employed insurance sales

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I came to Brainerd in 1978 as a teacher in the district, and also as an assistant football coach at Brainerd High School. I left teaching in1983 to start an insurance agency, and continued as a strength/conditioning coach at BHS until 2019.
My volunteer activities include serving as the vice-president and president of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brainerd. As president of our church. I coordinated the effort to start a pre-school Head Start program with TCC (Tri County Community Action), which is now in the third year of operation at Bethlehem. I have been a member of the morning Sertoma Club since 1989, and serve as the event coordinator of the Sertoma Warrior Liftathon, which has raised over $500,000 for local charities in the Brainerd area. My experience in education, coaching, business, and volunteer work gives me a broad perspective on the issues our schools are facing today.

Why are you running?

I am very proud of District 181, and want to see it remain strong and vibrant. A position on the school board would enable me to work with students, staff, administration, our new superintendent, school board, and community to deal with today’s challenges and secure our standing as an excellent public school system. Cuts in government funding for public school programs, social media issues, school safety, declining enrollment, other educational options, and perceptions influenced by political agendas have put a great deal of pressure on public education. These issues are a direct threat to our academic, art, and athletic programs, which for many years have been considered some of the finest in the state. We need to rally and come together to deal with these issues as a community, which is why I have decided to run at this time. I will be fully committed to this effort if elected.

Why should voters elect you?

The time is now for all of us to work together and focus on the positive, enhance the programs that are working well, fix or change those that we should, entertain new programming and funding ideas, and model kindness and respect to our students at every level. Our students come from different walks of life, and one blueprint doesn’t fit them all. I will be a strong advocate for our schools as we deal with the issues that affect our kids, programs, and financial challenges.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

The primary role of the school board is to shape the vision and goals of the school district. School board members are elected to work with the community and school district on matters related to budget, personnel, school safety, facilities, programs, and more. A school board member should be a strong advocate for public education while serving as a conduit between the school district and community. School board members should also be positive role models and active in the community.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Former Brainerd School District 181 Superintendent Bob Gross. Mr. Gross was a visionary leader who supported students, staff, and the community with his positive leadership and communicative skills. He was very visible in the schools and community, and was always willing to listen and share his thoughts on school issues. He was hard-working, fair, and firm when necessary.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.

Priorities include funding for public education, declining enrollment, and high standards for academic, arts, and athletic programs. We need to collaborate as a community to deal with these priorities by identifying what is working well, and what we should fix or change. We should also entertain new funding and programming ideas.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?

Declining enrollment may be our biggest challenge today. Declining birthday rates and other educational options seem to be the key contributing factors. We need to collaborate as a community to deal with these issues so we keep kids in our schools, and also attract new families to the area. Businesses, service organizations, churches, community groups, parents, and individual volunteers must work together in this endeavor. The school board should be open about sharing ideas with the community, and also be receptive to ideas from the community.

What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?

The quality of our academic, arts, and athletic programs, which for many years have been some of the finest in the state. We need to publicly promote the many positives in our programs, and continually work to enhance them.

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 60

Community: Brainerd

Employment: Attorney Edward R. Shaw, Attorney/Owner.

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I have run a business for 30 years. I have a Masters’s Degree and a Law Degree. As a business owner I have worked with people, including those with different opinions and experiences and managed budgets. Those skills are important in working as a school board member with other board members, parents and community members, and educators.
I have two children in the Brainerd public schools, they are in 7th grade this fall. For several years I have coached my son and daughter’s soccer teams. I have also volunteered in their schools in a number of ways, field trip chaperone, classroom volunteer, dance supervisor. Coaching and volunteering in the schools has given me a good sense of how the schools work, and the importance of education.

Why are you running?

A. I believe that our schools can, and need to be the center of our community. Brainerd has a long tradition of close ties between school and community, which we can build on and expand. Our future depends on our children, the next doctors, scientists, nurses, engineers, mechanics are in our schools right now, our success as a society depends on their success, I can use my experience to help our schools succeed in providing the best possible education for our children. By listening to parents and the community, using school buildings and facilities wisely, and supporting teachers with the tools and class sizes that they need to succeed we can make our schools the strong center of our community.

Why should voters elect you?

A. Since my children started school in the district I have been involved in their education, they are currently 7th graders at Forestview. I have been involved with the district schools as a parent, volunteer, coach and community member, I am also a member of the Forestview parent group. My experience coaching, volunteering in the schools, and running a business has given me the experience needed to be an effective board member. As a board member I will listen to everyone, support a healthy and safe environment for all students, and use taxpayer dollars wisely to bring families back to our schools and provide the best possible education for all of our students.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

The school board is responsible for oversight of the district, it exercises that oversight by supervising the the superintendent. It is the responsibility of each board member to be informed on the issues facing the district, to work together with other board members, and to make decisions in the best interests of students, educators, parents and the community. As a board member I will listen to parents and community members, and work to provide excellent career, technical or college track education for all students, depending on their needs and preferences.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Senator Ben Sass is a leader who served Nebraska in the United States Senate. He was a Conservative Republican who worked across the aisle and found common ground with senators from the other party for the good of the country. He stepped down from his seat to care for his wife, and, after he resigned was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, a terminal illness. He is facing death with dignity, co hosting a podcast discussing mortality, faith, family, and making the best use of the time that remains.
He has put duty and principle over political convenience, at times challenging his own political party. Ben Sass is the type of leader that we should aspire to be.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.

I would reach out to parents of children who are not attending ISD 181 Brainerd schools, there are almost 2 thousand school age children in the district who are not in public schools, we need to talk to them, find out why they are not in public schools, and, do what we can to address their concerns and encourage them to return to our district schools.

I would seek to reverse the class size increases of the last couple years to get classes back to the sizes they were at before the recent increases, which will help give our teachers the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

Career and technical education are excellent in our school district, I will build on that strength and continue the strong partnership between the district and Central Lakes College.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?

Enrollment has been declining, and demographic projections tell us that the school age population will not increase in the district for the near future. To meet that challenge we need to reach out and encourage school age children who are not currently in the district to enroll in our schools. We will also need to provide reasonable class sizes and provide a safe supportive learning environment for all students. If we do that, while listening to parents and the community we will encourage some of the children who are not attending district schools to return, helping to reduce or reverse the enrollment decline.

What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?

The district has maintained neighborhood elementary schools, which are very popular with parents. I will support the continued use of neighborhood elementary schools.

Contributed

Incumbent

Age on Election Day: 51

Community: Baxter, MN

Employment: Sourcewell, VP of Marketing

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

My background spans journalism, education, marketing, public relations, and strategic management, with degrees in broadcast journalism, language arts education, and an MBA.
I come from a family of educators and administrators who always put students first. I am truly invested in this community, and its success starts with a solid foundation for educating its population.

Why are you running?

The health of a community starts with how it educates and cares for its kids.

Serving on the board has reinforced my belief in this district and public education as a pathway for students to reach their greatest potential. Experience and continuity matter right now with difficult decisions ahead. I have something meaningful to contribute as we continue the important work of creating an environment where staff and students can be successful.

Why should voters elect you?

I bring more than five years of school board experience, including serving as Board Chair for the last two years. Pair that with experience in education, business, and other nonprofit board governance. I understand the distinction between governing and managing and have experience facilitating and making difficult decisions with students, staff, taxpayers, and the district's long-term health all being critical pieces in the puzzle.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

School board members are called on to govern the district and represent the community at the board table. Some ways we do this is by setting policy and strategic direction, approving the budget, and building accountability for results, and maintaining focus on students and the long-term health of the district.

As board members, we are responsible for listening to staff, students, and community while making decisions in the best interest of students and their educational success.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Maybe a little unconventional, but I just finished a book about his presidency, and he is fresh on my mind. Dwight Eisenhower. He led through a time that was riddled with complexity. He was not afraid of bringing differing views into the discussion and then making sure everyone left the room with clarity and commitment. I am drawn to that collaborative approach and keeping the focus on the mission. I am less interested in being right than I am in getting it right for our community.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.

All of my priorities map back to our district strategic plan. 1. Financial sustainability. School districts across the state are facing the same struggle - the gap between the cost to educate and available funding. Year-to-year cuts are not a long-term solve. Our goal is to create a 3-5 year sustainable plan.

2. Student behavior and mental health. The goal is multifaceted - less screen time, more parent and community involvement, and revisiting policies and practices that impact student belonging.

3. Student achievement and career preparedness. We need to elevate math and reading outcomes and make sure each student graduates with an experience that prepares them for their next step.

These priorities are interconnected. Student outcomes only happen when students feel safe and ready to learn. Financial stability is what enables us to maintain student academic and well-being programs.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?

The biggest challenge facing our district is financial sustainability. Like many household budgets, our district budget is impacted by the rising cost of goods and services. That means we will need to continue to be discerning in what gets prioritized and make hard choices.

My approach would be to look further into the future. There is no magic wand. Solving this will take a combination of continuing to look for operational efficiencies, getting creative to maintain programs that have the greatest impact on students, being clear with the community about the choices in front of us, advocating for funding our schools need, and being a good steward in balancing what is needed today with the long-term outlook and health of the district.

What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?

One success I would continue to offer support for is the district's work to create more clear pathways for our students to be successful after graduation. We have made meaningful progress towards this goal. If reelected, I would continue to support career exploration and other programs designed to give students opportunities to try out options, earn credentials, and step into whatever comes next feeling prepared. Every student should leave our school with a strong foundation and a clear next step towards their post-high school goals.

The board's role is to make sure this piece of our strategic plan maintains priority status, that resources stay aligned to it, and that staff and community partnerships are supported.