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5 candidates filed nomination papers for the upcoming GR School Board election to be held on Sept. 8

My name is Anne Boyer. I was born and raised in Reinbeck and after leaving for a short time I returned almost 5 years ago to raise my family here. I am married to Skyler, who works at Pioneer and have 2 daughters Lauren, a fourth grader and Avery a first grader. I graduated from UNI with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. After working for Pella Corporation for a couple of years I returned to the area and have been the Sales Manager at A-Line E.D.S., an environmental recycling company for the past 10 years. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

I am running for the school board because I believe that I can bring creative, positive and proactive ideas to the table. I will have an open mind and take into consideration all factors to help make the best business decisions for our school district that are in the best interest of the kids. Harder economic times, including reduced state funding, have forced the district to make some difficult decisions in the past couple years. I support what the school district has done and am committed to working with our district and surrounding communities to look toward the future. The petition that has been filed to dissolve our district has threatened the future for our kids and I will work passionately to secure our school district and most importantly the future of our children’s education. Our kids have been provided the best and deserve to continue to have all of the educational, athletic and fine arts opportunities they have always had. Years ago I camped out on a front lawn to keep Gladbrook Reinbeck together. I love G-R and intend on working hard to keep our district strong for years to come. Should you have any questions or wish to speak with me more I can be reached by email at anne@alineeds.com or mobile (319) 231-5270.

5 candidates filed nomination papers for the upcoming GR School Board election to be held on Sept. 8

Linda Reardon-Lowry earned her Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Professionally, Linda has been employed in social service fields assisting children and juveniles in need; ten years of management and budgetary experience and five years experience in collegiate enrollment management.

Linda has resided in the Gladbrook-Reinbeck School District for nearly 20 years. She has volunteered on local, state and national community boards, including the Jaycees, the Waterloo Community School District Career Academy Advisory Board and Tama County CASA.

Candidate Statement

I appreciate all the residents who have taken the time recently to attend school board meetings. For months, I, too, have actively attended the meetings. I have learned a lot about the school system; how it is currently being administered; enrollment challenges; the changes our district faces and the financial obstacles. Several months ago at a meeting, it was noted in the last election, there was a lack of candidates. It was at that time, I decided to run for office.

Currently, the G-R school district is sharing a Superintendent, who allocates 40% of his time to the G-R District. Administratively, that leaves 60% of the duties to be dispersed to others. School Board Officials will now be called upon to take a more proactive role. Board members will likely need to attend awards ceremonies and school functions; classroom observations and actively engage in duties previously done by a full-time administrator. These duties should not be viewed as “micro-managing,” rather an avenue for school board members to be involved. As elected officials, members are entrusted to make decisions on behalf of students, taxpayers, teachers, parents and the community. To make the best decisions, board members should actively be engaged. The level of engagement will need to increase due to the loss of a full-time Superintendent. I commit to being actively engaged.

According to an article in GreatSchools, “One of the most difficult parts of school governance is creating a strong relationship with the public. An effective board knows and respects its community, and encourages the community’s trust in its school system.” Now, more than ever, this is true in the G-R District as we transition through change. To build trust, respect and transparency, equal representative from both communities needs to be present on the board. If elected, I will strive for transparency, effective communication and devote time to the position.

Declining enrollments and financial constraints are (and may continue to be) issues administrations will be confronted with. Proactively seeking growth opportunities for children to attract them to the district is a goal. Utilizing resources, such as the Western Outreach Center, Hawkeye Community College and connections with local industries are ways G-R can attract students into the district. If elected, citizens can expect I will meticulously review monthly budgets and probe into specifics. I will expect greater accountability to our students, district, teachers and taxpayers.

I welcome the opportunity to meet you. I welcome your questions, should you have any. I appreciate your time and vote on September 8, 2015.

5 candidates filed nomination papers for the upcoming GR School Board election to be held on Sept. 8

My name is Eric Sieh.

I have lived in Reinbeck for 12 years.

I have been married to Sarah (Randolph) Sieh for 15 years. We have four children Ashley who will be a senior, Jocelyn who is going into the 7th grade. Malachi our oldest son will be in the 3rd grade and our youngest Xander will be in Kindergarten.

I’ve been employed at Heartland Coop for 9 years and work in Lincoln.

I have two years of college education and have also finished my certification of ministry and am currently working on becoming licensed.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, as well as spending time hunting. I also enjoy coaching youth wrestling and flag football.

Having currently served the past four years on the G-R school board I feel that it is important for me to run again in order to continue to keep G-R moving forward in a positive direction. G-R is a great school district and I will continue to work hard to keep it that way for our kids and the future of G-R.

If re-elected I will continue to work hard for the G-R community school district and continue to do what I feel is right for G-R.

5 candidates filed nomination papers for the upcoming GR School Board election to be held on Sept. 8

Bio:

Lisa (Kiehne) Swanson

Occupation: Compensation & Benefit Analyst at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Volunteer Activities: Cedar Valley Society of Human Resource Management board member, current G-R School Board Member

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business from UNI

Family: Husband, Steve; son, Wyatt, 19, student at Iowa Central Community College; Megan, 15, 10th grade at G-R

I ran for school board 4 years ago as a way to learn more about the school system. I have learned a lot in the last 4 years on the school board and understand the time commitment as a school board member. We had some very tough decisions to make in the past couple of years. We have great teachers and I believe the changes we have made will allow them to collaborate more which in turn will also be better for our students. The children are our ultimate focus, as a school board member, I can have an active part in making decisions to improve the quality of our school system.

I want to do all that I can to remain G-R as long as we can. I strongly believe that we have tremendous teachers and staff working with our children. We made some tough decisions this past year and we must re-establish relationships amongst district residents. By working together we can all share in the knowledge and satisfaction that we have provided for the educational needs of all children, and have built a district where students, parents, teachers, and staff feel they are welcome and that they belong.

5 candidates filed nomination papers for the upcoming GR School Board election to be held on Sept. 8

My name is Matt Wyatt. I have lived in Reinbeck since 2002. My wife Chelsea and I have 3 kids; Cael (15), Aiden (13), and Ava (10). I farm with my dad in southern Black Hawk County. After graduating high school from Gladbrook-Reinbeck, I went to Iowa State and received a degree in Agricultural Business. In my spare time, I like to spend time with my family, attend G-R and ISU sporting events, I have coached youth wrestling and soccer, and I enjoy golfing. We attend the UCC church in Reinbeck, and I’m active in the Masonic Lodge. I have been on the G-R Board of Education for 8 years, and I believe I have been a good board member and deserve to be reelected for another term. Since I have been on the board, many things have been accomplished, including the construction of daycare buildings in Gladbrook and Reinbeck, implementation of the 1 to 1 computer program in 5th through 12th grade, renovation of the football field and concession stand, new gym floors, and college courses being offered at the HCC Western Outreach Center, to name a few. I have served as board president for 2 years and vice president for 4 years, and have had a good working relationship with the GREA during contract negotiations. Being a school board member is very important to me. The board is charged with hiring quality people, sustaining good facilities, making sound financial decisions, but most importantly giving the kids in our district the best education that we can. I believe the decisions that I have made while on the board have been in the best interest of the future of G-R, and I believe that G-R can continue to be a GReat school with committed leadership and continued support from the community. Please vote for the future of G-R. Go Rebels!