KAXE contacted every candidate twice using contact information submitted to the Secretary of State's Office to invite them to participate in our Election Guide.
Candidate responses have not been edited and are published as submitted.
As necessary, our news team added contextual information clearly marked with an "editor's note" and in italics, though responses have not been uniformly fact-checked. With our small team of three, we are unable to proactively fact check every statement made by candidates. But we will make every effort to make note of inaccuracies if they come to our attention.
Please contact our news team at news@kaxe.org with questions or comments or to report any errors.
KAXE's Election Guide only includes candidates in contested races. Visit our full list of who's running for office in Northern Minnesota to see who else is on the ballot.
April Grunhovd
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Tia Gullckson
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Brenda Hallgren
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 58
City/Township of residence: Fertile
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Part Time Art Teacher, Cathedral School, Crookston
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I was an educator in the public school system for 30 years. The majority of my career has been in Special Education. I hold a BS in General and Special Education and a Masters Degree in Teaching; Reading and Language Arts. I have been involved in curriculum development as well as writing and implementing IEPs. I believe it is vital to have an experienced educator on the school board as I have a clear understanding of what is truly important to run an excellent school.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
I am running for School Board
Why are you running for office?
I feel it is vital to have an experienced educator on the school board! Having taught for many years, I understand the needs of teachers and most importantly students. I bring a fresh eye and fresh perspective to Fertile-Beltrami School. Our family roots run deep in Fertile and that is why we moved to the area from Michigan. We love this community and my desire is to bring my experience and expertise in education to the school board. The needs of students will be my number one priority!
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
If elected, students and teachers will be my number one priority! I would like to start by sending out a survey to the community (including teachers and students) to get their perspective on the school. With that information, strengths and weaknesses will be brought to light. As a teacher, we are evaluated on those exact principles; what are we doing really well and where do we need to improve. The school board needs that vital Information.
I also know, from years of teaching, that it is important that teachers need to feel supported and highly valued. They are the heartbeat of an excellent school! If teachers feel supported, heard and highly valued, the school will thrive. Teacher moral and appreciation will be a focus of mine. I would go out of my way to be IN the school on a consistent basis. It is important for students, teachers and community members see my face and know who I am.
Unfortunately, I don’t feel that school boards fully understand how a school runs. They do not always hear about what is actually happening in the classrooms. I have that knowledge and understanding!
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Teacher moral! It is very hard, especially in a small community, to hire and retain excellent teachers during the current teacher shortage. Questions need to be asked, why are teachers leaving the profession? Why are they leaving Fertile-Beltrami? School board members must be seen and involved in their school. Conversations need not only happen with administrators, but more importantly, with the teachers. We need to make Fertile-Beltrami a school that teachers flock to because it is such a great place to work.
The best school board and administrators I ever worked under as a teacher were “servant leaders”. They led by serving the teaching staff. As a result of that incredible feeling of support, I gladly served my students and colleagues! I ran my classroom under that same model. I never asked my paras to do something I would not do, I gladly helped new teachers, I parented with parents to their students would be successful! When we serve others, they in turn, will gladly others as well.
High taxation is a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. Please share any specific opinions you hold related to taxation, and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
I think the key to any school district is to discern where and when to spend money. That is why it is important to have vocational diversity on the board. Members from all different backgrounds and perspectives. An experienced teacher NEEDS to be on the board. That is who I am! I am a team player, who has a gift for listening to others. I feel the most important investment is in people! If we invest in our teachers and students, the rest will fall into place.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
Open Communication. The school board minutes are currently published in the paper and that practice needs to continue.
Alicia Kieckbusch
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Nathan Rasch
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Valerie Wagner
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 35
City/Township of residence: Fertile/Garden township
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Alluma, Inc. Substance Use Department Supervisor & Mental Health Professional
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have history of partnering with a non-profit board in Pennington County; I grew up in Fertile and attended the Fertile-Beltrami school through graduation; I worked at the school for a period of time while attending college to be a counselor, and lastly, I have children who attend the Fertile-Beltrami school.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Community relations, student achievement, curriculum,
Why are you running for office?
Being a Fertile native, I have a goal to help keep the values that have made Fertile-Beltrami school great to begin with. I'd like to challenge processes that aren't working well, and help reduce barriers to student success.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
A part of student success is improving the quality of food they consume; I'd like to explore opportunities for healthier lunch options in addition to the current menu for student who may prefer fresh produce/whole foods to help them function at an optimal level during the school day. I would also hope to focus on the mental health of the students and ensure that they are getting the support and care they need; ensuring proper referrals are in place for the youth and that staff members know how to make proper referrals and have conversations with parents/guardians about mental health concerns they are noticing in the classroom.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Mental health issues, parent involvement, student and family economic hardships. I would like to have open conversations with the board and community members about how to provide more resources for the students to learn healthy ways to cope with the stressors that come with school. Utilize more mental health professionals in the school setting and offering resources for parents to be involved in their child's mental health needs.
High taxation is a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. Please share any specific opinions you hold related to taxation, and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
As long as dollars are used efficiently and effectively, I don't have an opinion on taxation. I will expect transparency about where the tax dollars are going regarding new projects and that money isn't being wasted on frivolous spending.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
I am an open book and I would strongly encourage other school board members to be the same. Even if conversations are difficult to have out of fear of criticism, honesty and transparency are crucial from the school board, especially in a smaller school district.
Chris Zimmel
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Still have questions for the candidates? Contact information for all those who've filed to run for office can be found at candidates.sos.state.mn.us.
