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.
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Voter Guide

ISD #300 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

    Brandon Lange
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Eric Morken
    (NP)

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    Steven Porter
    (NP)

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    Paige Matthews Schoepel
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Wade Welper
    (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)

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Contact Phone 5072591266
As an educator for over twenty years and a dedicated advocate for education, I bring firsthand experience in engaging with students, parents, and teachers. My commitment to improving academic outcomes, promoting equity, and ensuring fiscal responsibility drives my candidacy. I believe that all students deserve access to a quality education that prepares them for a successful future. I will bring transparency, thoughtful decision-making, and a collaborative spirit to the school board, ensuring that all voices in our community are heard. With a passion for positive change and a deep understanding of our district’s needs, I am ready to help shape policies that support students, families, and educators.
Equity in Education: Ensuring all students, regardless of background, have access to resources and opportunities.

Fiscal Responsibility: Managing the budget effectively to prioritize student success while maintaining transparency.

Community Engagement: Strengthening the connection between schools and families to foster collaboration and mutual support.
My strategy would focus on minimizing the impact on students by preserving essential academic programs. I would conduct a thorough analysis to identify areas where efficiencies can be found without compromising quality. Open communication with teachers, parents, and the community would guide decisions, ensuring that cuts are made in a transparent and thoughtful manner. I would prioritize long-term sustainability and seek alternative funding sources where possible.
I would advocate for equitable resource distribution, ensuring that schools serving economically disadvantaged or racially diverse students receive the necessary support. This includes targeted interventions, diverse hiring practices, and promoting cultural awareness in the curriculum. By fostering inclusive policies and programs, I will work to eliminate achievement gaps and create a more supportive environment for all students to thrive.
I will prioritize open dialogue by holding regular meetings with teachers and families to gather input and feedback. Utilizing surveys, forums, and focus groups, I will ensure diverse perspectives are considered. Transparency will be key, and I will actively communicate board decisions and rationale. By fostering a culture of collaboration, I will build trust and ensure that decision-making reflects the needs and values of the entire school community.
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I am a parent of two students in the district in 7th and 4th grade. My wife Kelly and I have been members of the community for 17 years. My personal experiences as a parent and community member give me perspective on topics I’ve seen that have gone well and others that haven’t. I have a degree in electrical engineer and in my career, I often work on long term strategic projects. This is similar to how the School Board members should be focused on the long-term direction of our school district. If I become a member of the School Board, I will work with district leadership to set the direction and allow our district’s great educators to execute the district’s vision and goals for the optimal achievement and experience of the students.
My top priorities are communications, the district’s use of technology, and bullying. Good communication is critical. We need families and educators supporting each other to achieve great things with our students. This requires communication & support from both sides. I also want to see a technology plan. Good use of technology can help students, families & our educators. Bullying is an issue I hear about and it’s important to me to understand and work towards addressing it.
Once we understand the funding gap, I would welcome input from families and the district’s team of educators. I often see people have great ideas that others have never thought of. I would also want to review for areas where we can improve efficiencies to save on costs. Once we got to the step of having to make cuts, my goal would be to limit the impacts to students as much as possible while keep a focus on the minimal impact to our academic offerings.
I often think of the quote, “a rising tide lifts all boats”. If we can find improvements within our district that supports our students, all students will benefit. That being said, there may be areas where disparities are more difficult to overcome. Everyone deserves to come into our school district, get the best educational experience possible & be supported. If issues emerge that need to be addressed, I would be prepared to discuss this with our district leadership and support our students.
As I discussed in my top priorities, communication is so important. I have experienced times where, as a parent, it wasn’t clear if my concerns were being heard. I’d like to be a part of a School Board that is engaging and listening to help parents/guardians know that their feedback is important. This can be via email or attending school district events to talk to families so I can hear and understand what issues matter to district families and community members.
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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.