Hermantown School District 2026 Election Guide

Incumbent

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Contributed

Incumbent

Age on Election Day: 46

Community: Hermantown School District

Employment: ME Electmetal - Microsoft Product Manager

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

My name is Matthew Munger, and I am a proud graduate of Hermantown Community Schools. After graduating in 1998, I earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science with a minor in History from the University of Wisconsin–Superior, followed by a master's degree in Information Technology Leadership from The College of St. Scholastica. I have over 20 years of IT leadership experience and currently serve on the Hermantown School Board, where I have served as Treasurer and Vice Chair. Outside of work, I am a husband, father of three, and youth coach with two decades of coaching experience. Volunteering with our youth has reinforced the tremendous impact our schools and community have on children, and I am committed to building on that foundation. In my free time, I enjoy hockey, fishing, hunting, soccer, and spending time outdoors with my family and our dogs.

Why are you running?

I am running for re-election because I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Hermantown Community Schools and want to continue helping our district succeed. As a board member, I have supported strategic planning, the opening of our arena, and staff contract negotiations. I look forward to continuing to provide thoughtful, collaborative leadership focused on the success of our students, families, educators, and community.

Why should voters elect you?

My goal is to strengthen communication and collaboration among school leaders, educators, students, families, local leaders, and the broader Hermantown community. Through our strategic planning process, I have seen firsthand how valuable community input is in shaping the future of our schools. As a proud Hermantown graduate, I am committed to preserving the strong partnership between our schools and community that helped shape my own experience. Student success depends on all of us working together. As our city continues to grow and new opportunities emerge, I will advocate for Hermantown Community Schools and ensure the voices of students, families, staff, and taxpayers are represented. I am grateful for the trust our community has placed in me and would be honored to continue serving on the School Board to help keep Hermantown a strong, connected, and student-focused district.

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

As a School Board member, my responsibility is to help set the direction for the district and make decisions that are in the best interest of our students. That includes adopting policies, approving the budget, providing oversight of district finances, hiring and evaluating the superintendent, and representing the interests of our community. I believe the role is about listening, asking thoughtful questions, and working collaboratively with fellow board members, district leadership, staff, families, and the community. Every decision should keep students at the center while ensuring Hermantown Community Schools remain financially responsible, transparent, and focused on providing the best possible education.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

I don't look to one public leader as a role model as much as I admire the many local leaders who volunteer their time to serve their communities. School board members, city council members, coaches, teachers, and other volunteers often work behind the scenes with little recognition, yet they make a lasting impact. Their willingness to listen, collaborate, and put the community first is the type of leadership I try to mimic in my own service.

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

My goal is to strengthen communication and collaboration among school leaders, educators, students, families, local leaders, and the broader community. Through strategic planning, I have seen how important community input is to the future of our schools. As a proud Hermantown graduate, I want to support the strong school-community connection that shaped my own experience. Student success depends on all of us working together. As city projects and funding opportunities move forward, I will continue to advocate for Hermantown Community Schools to have a clear voice in representing students, families, and taxpayers.

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

The biggest issue facing Hermantown schools is how we continue adjusting to the changing needs of students while preparing them for a world that is evolving quickly. Students need strong academic support, safe learning environments, and access to tools that help them learn, think critically, and succeed after graduation. One important part of that work will be helping our district use artificial intelligence tools in a safe, responsible, and productive manner. As these tools become more common, our schools must support educators and students with clear expectations, thoughtful guidance, and community engagement so technology strengthens learning rather than distracts from it.

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

One of the district's greatest successes has been the development and implementation of our strategic plan. Together with students, families, staff, and community members, we created a shared vision for the future and have already achieved many of the goals while making meaningful progress on others. The next School Board will have the important responsibility of reviewing and updating that plan. I believe it is valuable to have board members who were part of that process and understand the conversations, challenges, and opportunities that shaped it. That perspective will help ensure we build on the progress we've made while continuing to align the district's priorities with the needs and expectations of our community.

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 44

Community: Hermantown

Employment: Flatirons Digital Innovation - VP, Operations and Client Engagement

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

College: BFA, MFA, & MBA / Experience: Served 6 years on Carbon County School District #1 Board of Trustees - Serving as Treasure and Chair

Why are you running?

At a personal level, I like to stay involved to my children's education and my previous school board service was a very meaningful experience. I put a high value on quality education, and I want to contribute to the community where I am raising my family.

Why should voters elect you?

My beliefs for a District trustee are thus, keep the money as close to the student as possible, support educators and their ability to educate, and protect strong academic programs, student services, athletics, the arts, clubs, and other activities while reducing any financial barriers that would prevent students from participating.

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

The Board of Trustees only direct report is the Superintendent. With that position, the Board is responsible for hiring, supporting, evaluating, and holding the Superintendent accountable. Beyond that direct management, the Board is responsible for working with the Superintendent to set the strategic vision for the District, establish policies, and set priorities. The Board monitors District performance and compliance, and is responsible for adopting the district budget and providing financial stewardship.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

This is a bit, perhaps off the beaten path, but Abigail Adams is a leader that I admire. I named my daughter Abigail in no small part to the respect if have for Abigail Adams. Abigail Adams had a strong commitment to education and equality and was outspoken about both. She challenged power thoughtfully and listen to voices often overlooked, all from a position without formal authority.

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

Keep the money as close to the student as possible, support educators in their ability to educate, grow student organizations, sports, clubs, arts, any and all ways to engage the students, all while trying to remove or lessen the cost of entry, and strive for academic excellence.

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

Educational funding is of primary concern. Schools are consistently being asked to do more with less. I have no way of addressing the public funding that flows to the school, but as we create a budget for the school year, the focus should be getting the money as close to the student as possible.

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

Academic achievement and the breadth of activities and programs. Those are two items that I want to support and continue to cultivate.

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 42

Community: Hermantown

Employment: Stay-at-home-dad

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

I moved to Hermantown in 2018 with my wife and two children. My professional background is in Information Technology where I possess associate and bachelor’s degrees. In my career, I worked with multiple local government agencies and healthcare organizations before “retiring” to be a stay-at-home-dad. For the last few years, I’ve volunteered weekly in the classroom of one of my children, primarily helping students with math concepts. I also enjoy coaching and have worked with many student athletes in baseball, basketball, and soccer.

Why are you running?

My motivation to run for school board is driven by the desire to be more involved in the decision making that impacts our community, and to more directly support our teachers to educate our children.

Why should voters elect you?

Voters should elect me because I work cooperatively with team members, communicate effectively, am able to analyze problems, and have experience in classrooms with students in our district. I’m also a dedicated parent and community member, and have long-term goals for our district, educators, and students.

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

The roles and responsibilities of a school board member are to attend board meetings, establish and alter policies, and work with other staff members to conduct the business of the district.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Dwight D. Eisenhower is a public leader I admire. His military career before and during WWII was important, his work leading NATO maintained a fragile world peace, and efforts continuing New Deal programs, establishing the Interstate Highway System, and the authorizing Advanced Research Projects Agency during his term as President changed our country.

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

My first goal is to learn from educators to understand successes and failures, in order to chart a path forward to improve learning in our district. My next goal is to understand current and future district enrollment to ensure our facilities and finances are prepared to meet the needs of the community. Third, I would like to ensure music and the arts continue to be an important part of education.

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 the financial situation we are in and working to maintain staffing levels, keep curriculum rigorous and current, and update technology to ensure high-quality learning for students. Retaining skilled, experienced educators while facing this challenge is a top priority. This is best addressed by analyzing where funds are being used and ensuring these funds are optimally allocated.

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

I would offer support for the multi-year improvement in academic progress. Over the past few years, improvements were made in both math and reading achievement that decreased the percentage of students that did not meet standards.