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.

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Voter Guide

ISD #2342 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-boardIf your candidate didn’t fill in the guide below, visit the Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing site to find contact info (https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/). If you reach out, ask candidates to complete their Vote411 Voters Guide from LWVMN!

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

    Chris Anderson
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Ryan Saurer
    (NP)

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    Joshua Ulrich
    (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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I have worked my entire life and served my country in the United States Marine Corps. I also worked my way through college and earned a doctorate in counseling. I know the discipline, sacrifice, and hard work it takes to succeed. I bring years of experience in higher education and service on state boards, where I have dealt with budgets, policy, accountability, and hard decisions. I will put our children and communities first, not personal beliefs, agendas, or egos. I will listen, ask hard questions, expect openness, and use facts to guide my decisions. My goal is to protect student success, spend tax dollars wisely, and keep our district strong long term. I will work for the whole district and make sure every community has a voice.
My top priorities are academic success, finding a long-term facilities plan voters can support, and growing enrollment. We need a realistic referendum that addresses the needs of all our schools, respects taxpayers, and does not limit our ability to grow. We also need to reach out to homeschool and open-enrolled families, learn why they left, and ask what WCA can do better. Our goal should be strong schools that families want to choose and communities are willing to support.
I would start with a line-by-line review of spending, staffing, contracts, programs, transportation, and scheduling. I would also review the cost of closing school for sporting events when those days may have to be made up later. We should not cut simply for the sake of cutting. Any cuts should reduce waste and unneeded costs while protecting classroom learning, key student services, and the district’s long-term financial health. Every dollar should support a clear need or purpose.
A family's income or life situation can affect how easily they take part in school. I grew up in a single-parent home where my mother worked hard and could not always take time off for school events. I would use surveys, direct outreach, and student data to find barriers tied to income, race, transportation, access, or opportunity. Then we should use practical steps to meet real needs so every child, no matter their background, has a fair chance to succeed. Every family should feel heard.
Teachers and families are vital to our district. Teachers work with our children every day and understand their academic needs. Families see firsthand how school decisions affect their children and our communities. The board should hear from both before making major decisions. I support open communication, surveys, listening sessions, and board members who are accessible in our communities. Student learning must stay at the center, and the public should understand how and why decisions are made.
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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.