Minnesota and North Dakota Voter's Guide

Forum Communications Co., in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and of North Dakota, is providing this voter guide to help keep you informed ahead of the 2024 election.

  • Learn where candidates running for office in your community stand on the issues.
  • Build your ballot before voting. Print or email the information to use as a reference when you actually vote.

We do not save your information; it will be lost when you leave this page. Only candidates that appear on your ballot will be listed. Additional information may be available for your area so be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page for other voters’ guides.

Start Over

Voter Guide

ISD #150 School Board Member {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

School board members oversee the care, management, and control of schools. This includes hiring, firing, and overseeing superintendents, who manage the day-to-day affairs of the district. They also set levies to fund the district and create school policies.Learn more here: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-local-matters-why-vote-school-board

Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.

  • Candidate picture

    Kara Brager
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Jessica Green
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Emily Odland
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Austin Peterson
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Mark Sellin
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

If forced to cut the budget in the face of declining revenues, what would be your strategy? (500 characters)

How would you address any racial and economic disparities in our education system? (500 characters)

Please describe how you will engage teachers and families in your decision making process. (500 characters)

{_btnLabelFor(compare1, _isInSelection(compare1))}
{_btnLabelFor(compare2, _isInSelection(compare2))}
I am running for the school board in Hawley and am currently serving my 1st term on the Hawley School Board. I serve on many committees on the school board. One of those committees is Facilities in which I helped with our current building project, and I also serve as President on the Lake Agassiz Special Education Cooperative board. I am in my 28th year of teaching in the Detroit Lakes school district and teach K-5 music at Rossman Elementary. I have also served a Regional Arts Leader through the Perpich Center for Arts. I always try to make decisions based upon what's best for students and hope the people of Hawley will vote for me because of my education background as well as my current school board experience, leadership, and values.
1) Support Students in keeping class sizes small and helping encourage more mental and social/emotional healh for students. 2) Support Teachers and Administration in continuing to assist and understand the READ act and to help navigate Artifical Intelligence in the classroom. 3) Support the Facilities in Hawley Schools by striving for safe and secure buildings and continuing to be active in our middle school building process.
Hopefully we don't have budget cuts! but if faced with this decision, I would first rely on my superintendent and business manager to assess funding, spending, and programs. I strongly believe in keeping class sizes small and would try to find other options before making class sizes too large. I also believe in keeping a wide-range of classes and electives for all students and so would try to make sure we are not cutting classes that our students need.
To help ensure equity in our schools, Hawley needs to continue our MTSS (Multi-tiered System of Support) programming for our students. MTSS can help any students struggling in academics, behavior, or mental health. I am also proud of our before and after school care (BASE) that allows affordable care for all families. I will continue to support (and hope our state continues to fund) free meals for our students to give everyone nourishment during the school day.
Before making decisions on the board, I always ask myself "What is best for students." I then make myself available to the community and families in our district by trying to attend various school events. I have also visited the school while in session to observe our high school and elementary day to day operations as well as visiting with teachers.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Powered by League of Women Voters Education Fund

The League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota crafted the questions sent to the candidates in the Spring of 2024. They reached out to candidates based on contact information in their public candidate filings. Candidates with email addresses were invited and reminded with emails. Candidates with only mailing addresses were sent a letter. Candidates with phone numbers received a phone call as well.

Candidate responses are published as they responded and have not been edited, except when responses were longer than the given character limit. In those cases, the responses are truncated.

VOTE411 is brought to you by the League of Women Voters Education Fund and League of Women Voters of Minnesota Education Fund. The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose any political party or candidate for office.