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.
Brian Dreher
Incumbent: Have Served on the board for 12 years prior
Age on Election Day: 45
City/Township of residence: Mizpah, Koochiching County
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Farming
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
Served for 12 years prior to this
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
To help the district operate and stay sustainable for years to come
Why are you running for office?
To help the Northome School stay open
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
to help the education of the kids that are in our district
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
the long term with every district is the finical piece and try to have goals set to make it stay open
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 believe we need to be accountable for the way the district spends its money and that in return helps to keep our taxes as lows as possible
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
to have level headed people on that you feel comfortable with and to be honest with everybody that asks or wants to know
Jake Hasbargen
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Vickie Hasbargen
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 61
City/Township of residence: Murphy
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Registered Nurse at Lakewood Health Center
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have been a Registered Nurse for 17 years. My experiences include Director of Nursing, RN Care Coordinator, Home Health and Hospice RN, Acute Care, Emergency Room, Interim School District #363 Nurse, Clinic RN Triage, Case Manager, and Medicare Auditing. These experiences provide me with a vast array of Professional interactions. I have taken part in quality control teams, providing instruction and training at several levels, team leadership, and communication skills that would benefit me in the roll of a School Board Member. I am very compassionate and take pride in my work, striving for the most positive outcomes.
Prior to Nursing I held my Series 6-63 and Series 7 investment licenses as well as Property Casualty and Health Insurance licenses. I understand time management and believe that follow through is a critical element as is the importance of personal attention and public satisfaction.
During my years of Nursing, I created a business plan and opened a Floral Shop. I offered a full-service Floral shop, Coffee Shop, complete with Custom Apparel and Photo processing. My business was awarded the SBDA new business of the year in 2015. I owned and operated this business for 5 years while continuing to work as an RN. I am an initiative-taking, dedicated, and dependable individual who can be counted on to follow through with assignments and responsibilities in a timely manner.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
School Board Member: Envision the districts education future, set goals and Strategic Plans to guide the district, ensure resources and policies align with attainment of goals. Hiring and Evalutation of the Superintendent that effectively implements the boards policies and manages the district to attain the goals set forth in the Strategic plan. Monitor and assess the districts performance. Keep the public informed and engaged.
Why are you running for office?
In March of 2023, our community was rocked with the vote to close our Indus Schoolhouse. It was devastating to our community and would result in eliminating over thirty local jobs and one hundred students without their local schoolhouse. The proposal was to bus these students to Northome, with obviously, unreasonable travel time. Due to open enrollment the students from Indus now were traveling in three different directions. Our neighboring school districts,, International Falls, Littlefork, and Baudette took in the “Indus kids” providing transportation and education. Not one Indus Student was transported to the Northome schoolhouse. During the months following that initial vote, I attended special and regular school board meetings. I watched my neighbors’ asking questions, proposing different options that potentially would not have a negative impact on the Northome Schoolhouse, begging and pleading for one more year to manage this closure, if in fact it was necessary and reasonable. My neighbors and I would go to meeting after meeting and there was never a response to any of the concerns. It was a closed case in the eyes of the current schoolboard. ISD #363 2024-2029 Strategic Plan states “Supporting a district wide culture….to ensure high levels of learning to All students” , “Ensuring articulated programs and systems to support a comprehensive, consistent, and responsive learning environment for ALL students” , “Implementing mental health and behavioral interventions to best meet the social and emotional needs of ALL students.” As a school board there should be accountability to ensure ALL students have accessible education. As a school board member I will be transparent and work with the other board members to reach for the goals set forth in the 2024-2029 strategic plan.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
1. A commitment for District matters to be managed in a transparent manner.
2. Propose a community strategic team to investigate, study and make proposals to a balanced school board with representation from both ends of the district. The Indus Community taxpayers are paying for the bond and have supported the schoolhouse. Consideration of the building’s use or fate should be given to Indus community members.
3. As board members we will work collaboratively with State and Local officials and neighboring school districts to make sure the needs of ALL district students are met, as stated in the Districts 2024-2029 Strategic plan. .
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
I believe the biggest challenge currently facing ISD 363 is the closure of the Indus Schoolhouse, and transparency with what is going to happen with the closed building.
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 board members we need to work collaboratively with State and Local officials, as well as neighboring school districts to ensure the needs of all students in District 363 are met and tax dollars are following the students. In regard to taxation related to the bond there needs to be a community strategic team to investigate, study and make proposals to a balanced school board with representation from both ends of the district. The Indus Community taxpayers are paying for the bond and have supported the schoolhouse. Consideration of the building’s use or fate should be given to Indus community members.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
I believe that it is imperative if a community member comes to a public meeting and/or sends questions to the school board it should be followed at the next meeting, with a response. Maybe follow through will require more time: it's OK to say that, but response and follow through is critical to trust.
Douglas Jourdan
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Bob Stueven
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Thomas VanDamme
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.
