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.
Charles Bainter
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Karisa Johnson
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Lisa Kvas
Incumbent: Yes
Age on Election Day: 53
City/Township of residence: Great Scott Township
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
I am employed at the Northeast Service Cooperative in Mt. Iron, MN, and am the Regional Coordinator of Planning and Development.
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I worked for 20 years in higher education in NE Minnesota, many of which were focused on working with students and families in poverty or with projects and departments contributing to career planning and workforce development. I started my own consulting business doing capacity building, project management, and resource development for municipalities and nonprofits. Prior to my current role, I was the principal for Marquette Catholic School in Virginia, MN. I have also held many board positions and roles in our community that underscore my love for the wellbeing of my community and the people in it.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
The roles and responsibilities of an MIB school board member is to create and uphold policies and provide oversight and support for effective school administration and operations.
Why are you running for office?
To continue to support the MIB school district and assist any way I can in helping it to thrive and best serve students.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
Academic excellence, strong technology, student health and success- academic, mental, physical, social, and fiscal school health.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Our district is small—which I love. But this also poses some challenges including funding. I plan to work with fellow board members and school administration to help make thoughtful, informed, and strategic decisions to make best use of the resources we have.
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.
We have high quality schools in Northeast Minnesota. I am grateful that we have a tax base that values and appreciates our schools and understands the impact a strong and solid education has on our kids and our communities.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
We have to continue to have good communication and respectfully, honestly share our opinions, and work through any concerns or challenges that come our way.
Ann Marie Lubovich
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 62
City/Township of residence: Mountain Iron
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
retired school teacher
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
As a public school teacher, I was on the receiving end of policies enacted by a local school board, as well as mandates from the state legislature. I believe my experience as an educator provides a diverse and needed viewpoint as to how these decisions affect the students and staff who are required to implement them.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
School boards are the policy-making branch of a local school district. Members are responsible for setting the budget, hiring personnel, and monitoring the overall operation of the administration of the schools within the district.
Why are you running for office?
I believe I have the background, experience, and education to provide a diverse and needed voice to the decision-making process of our local school board. Public schools continue to be challenged, but I feel I have the courage and expertise to participate in the difficult conversations needed to assure our students are receiving the best educational opportunities that we can provide.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
Operating the district with a balanced budget is always a top priority. Keeping a steady or even increasing student enrollment is necessary to continue to provide quality programs and services. Assuring we have the resources to attend to our young people's mental and physical health is also a contributing factor to student success.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
The declining population of our area forces our local schools to compete for the same group of students. We currently participate in collaborative agreements with other districts to provide athletic opportunities to our students, and we share administrative services with a neighboring district. I would like to discuss ways that we can further cooperate on academic and extra-curricular activities not only to save expenses, but to retain some of our per pupil aid.
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.
Usually the first step in cutting the budget is cutting services. Any program eliminated by a district has an effect on the students. I would ask staff if there are any programs or services that currently exist that they feel are not needed, or could be provided more efficiently and economically. I would also work with our local government units to assure a fair and equitable property assessment process, and encourage the development of local businesses to ease the property tax burden on homeowners.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
Students and their families are the primary constituencies of a school board. I would like to reinstate the student representative position on our board to give us the perspective of the student body. I would support providing an item on our meeting agendas to encourage parent groups and the employee's unions to ask questions or let us know their concerns. An additional item could be an opportunity for individual teachers or classes to make presentations to the board regarding what they are doing in their classrooms or activities.
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.
