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 #858 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.

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    Brian Bloom
    (NP)

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    Molly A Greden
    (NP)

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    Travis Lange
    (NP)

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    Eric Manley
    (NP)

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    Trevor Moore
    (NP)

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    Elizabeth Peitzman
    (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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Campaign Email TravisL@benike.com
I've worked in the design and construction industry for nearly thirty years. With that experience, I've helped numerous clients manage schedules, budgets and expectations. Those complex projects get completed successfully by maintaining constant and open communication. I will bring my leadership skills and communication experience to the school board position. I will ask tough questions and seek multiple possible solutions to each and every issue we face. My parents went to school in St. Charles. I followed in their footsteps and now am raising our children in this district. I'm invested in our community and I care about the future of my children and their children. I will work hard for the students, staff and families of our district.
Open Communication: ensuring that students, staff and families understand the "why" of all decisions. It's critical that all involved understand the choices that are made by the Board and the reasons why. Create a collaborative working environment. With the potential to have four new board members, an open and collaborative culture will foster positive results. Learn more about the needs of the students and staff. I'd like a better understanding of what's working and what's not.
I'd like to understand why enrollment is declining. There are obvious reasons, but there are others that need further research. Then, start a high-level review of expenditures and work down into the fine details. Work with staff to find creative ways to keep as much of our current offerings as possible, while still being able to reduce expenditures. It will not be easy, but having a positive, collaborative working environment, will allow voices to be heard and choices made together.
This ties into some of my previous comments well. Having open dialogue and discussing issues collaboratively will allow the Board to address all issues that might be affecting our education system. There will be difficult discussions that will be required, but our Board will keep the students, staff and community members fully engaged in those discussions.
I look forward to getting to know all of our great teachers that I don't know yet. In the construction industry, everything we do is a team approach. Nothing gets built with one person, but incredible buildings are constructed when you engage a team. Asking staff and families questions and bringing their responses to Board discussions will ensure we are engaging our whole team in the decision making process. It goes back to open communication and collaboration. I plan to foster that environment.
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Campaign Email moorejtrevor@yahoo.com
I don’t know that I would call myself the “best” candidate. There are several people willing to step forward and serve our community, and I respect that. What I can tell voters is what I will bring to the board: a parent’s perspective, community involvement, real world business experience, and a willingness to listen and ask difficult questions. I won’t pretend to have every answer, and I won’t be afraid to challenge an answer when something doesn’t make sense. I will do my homework, consider different perspectives, and make independent decisions based on what I believe is best for our students, taxpayers, and the long term future of our district.
My top three priorities are student success, financial stability, and trust. Students must remain at the center of our decisions, with strong academics and opportunities that prepare them for life after graduation. We must also confront declining enrollment and financial pressures with a sustainable, long-term plan. Finally, I want to strengthen trust through transparency and communication so our community understands not only what decisions are made, but why they are made.
I would start by protecting the classroom and asking where we can operate more efficiently. I would closely examine administrative costs, contracts, purchasing, staffing, facilities, and other spending before reducing opportunities for students. If difficult cuts become necessary, I would prioritize based on impact rather than cut everything equally. Most importantly, we need to plan several years ahead, address problems early, and be transparent with the community about our options.
Every student should have a genuine opportunity to succeed regardless of race, background, or family income. I would start with the data. If we see differences in achievement, attendance, discipline, or access to classes, activities, and other opportunities, we should understand why. Then we should work to remove barriers and provide support where it is needed while maintaining high expectations for every student. Equity should mean a fair opportunity to succeed, not lower standards.
Good decisions start with listening to the people most affected by them. I would make myself accessible to teachers, staff, parents, students, and community members and seek their input before major decisions whenever possible. I also want to hear from people who may not attend meetings or speak publicly. Listening does not mean everyone will agree with the final decision, but people should know they were heard and understand the facts and reasoning behind the board’s decision.
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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.