Voters in the Randall Joint #1 School District will be able to vote in a contested election for school board on April 5.
Appearing on the ballot will be: Meredith Kurtzweil and Jeffrey Swanson.
There is one seat open. Incumbent Kelly James-Piccolo did not run for re-election.
The same questionnaire was submitted by westofthei.com to each candidate by email. Here are the candidates’ biographical information followed by their question responses, presented in alphabetical order:
Meredith Kurtzweil — Age: 40. Village, town, city where you reside: Twin Lakes. Education: Bachelors in Education, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Occupation: Teacher. Previous elected or appointed public office: None.
Jeffrey Swanson — Age: 35. Village, town, city where you reside: Randall. Education: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Bachelor of Arts – Communication. Occupation: Executive Vice-President of Sales and Marketing . Previous elected or appointed public office: None.
1.) Why are you the best candidate for Randall Consolidated School board?
Kurtzwell — I have been a resident of Twin Lakes for 10 years and I have seen Randall grow and change over the last 9 years. Randall has had changes in administration over the years and I have seen the positive and negative impacts along the way. Being an educator myself, I know the challenges the teachers, students, and administrators face. I have served on many professional committees and I am a leader in the school setting. Also being a parent of three children in the district provides both perspectives on many situations. Randall is moving in a positive direction and I feel I am best fit to continue it.
Swanson — My wife and I moved to the Randall community in 2020 with our three children, two of whom currently attend Randall and the third who will be joining them in 4K next fall! When looking for our new community, our top criteria was the quality of education that would be provided for our children. Quickly it became clear Randall was the district we needed to join. Over the last few years, I have worked to learn about the district’s successes and challenges. I have participated on the newly formed Parent Advisory Board, attended Board of Education Meetings, and worked to volunteer at different school activities, allowing me to hear feedback directly from families and staff. This 5-person board, while it is the governing body, is an elected one that needs to be a servient leader. As a member of this board, I would be an advocate for the students, parents, staff, and community of Randall to bring their voices to the Board of Education. As a highly qualified business professional with experience on finance boards, I understand the challenges that organizations face. This experience will allow me to work to create long-term strategic plans and utilize fiscally responsible practices to make an immediate positive impact on the Randall School Board of Education.
2.) What do you see as the chief issues faced by the school board and how would you address them if elected?
Kurtzwell — Education and the needs of children are forever changing. It is the school board’s responsibility to learn and grow with these changes, keeping the children as top priority. With any decision comes tough conversations with many different perspectives that need to be taken into consideration. These decisions need to be made while keeping in mind budgets, policies, and academics while representing the community as a whole. The school board will need to make sure that all stakeholders are heard and represented. The school board’s main purpose is to support the administration and community in the betterment of the children. Students come first and the school board needs to keep them the main priority in the decisions that they make.
Swanson — Our district is currently in the process of hiring a new principal and realigning the leadership structure in the building. This leadership team, along with the District Administrator and Board of Education, will be working on creating a long-term strategic plan for our school. Included in this plan must be a focused effort on hiring and retaining the best educators to ensure our students have the support and resources needed to be successful. My experience as an Executive has allowed me to acquire a skill set in building long and short team strategic planning including the creation of measurable goals and developing both internal and external communication plans. If I am elected to the Randall Board of Education, I will use these skills to work with the current administration and board members to create a plan that will guide the goals for the district now and into the future. Clear and effective communication from our school board will be vital for the success of our district. If elected my commitment to the Randall community is: To put students first with a focus on their success, wellness, and safety. To ensure that Randall is a school of choice in our community. To be an advocate for our students, parents, staff & community. To act as a good steward of our tax-payers funds by maintaining fiscally responsible practices.
