Wauzeka-Steuben School Board Primary Election Feb. 20

Because there are three individuals vying for the same seat on the Wauzeka-Steuben School District Board, there will be a primary election on Tuesday, Feb. 20, to narrow the field to two for the April election. These candidates were each asked the same series of questions regarding the issues of the district.

Mara Hird

Challenger
30 years old
Lifelong district resident, married, 2 young children
Peoples State Bank consumer loan officer

•What are the top 2 issues facing the district and how can you help address those problems or enhance growth in those areas?

Decreased enrollment is one of the biggest issues our district is facing. We have quite a few families in the area that open enroll their children elsewhere, but we also have the same amount of families that open enroll into our district. Striving to keep the interests of current families and providing the same education or programs that other districts are offering is key.

Financial stability for the long term is an issue for any smaller district in the area. With the decline of state funding in previous years, we have had to find other ways to provide for our students and community and it will continue to be hard unless we find alternatives for income. I hope, with my financial background, to bring some insight in this area.

•What are your thoughts about the goals the district should have in preparing students, elementary through high school, for the future?

A lot of district goals are based on the state test scores, which I think are important, but there are other subjects that are just as important in shaping a well-rounded student. I think that not only do we want students to learn the core classes that provide the test scores, we also want to teach them to be well-rounded kids who are able to function and contribute in society as well as their future work places.

•How do you believe Wauzeka-Steuben can keep enrollment steady and growing?

Make positive connections with kids and families. Make (or keep) our community a place where people want to raise their kids. Offer diverse course offerings for students—possibly look for elective options through more distance or online learning when we cannot provide a certified staff member so our kids can still experience a wide variety of classes.

•Why do you feel the district is considering referendum? Explain why you agree or disagree with a possible referendum?

There are some issues related to building and grounds that need to be addressed. Very minimal updates have been done for a number of years and there are some improvements that need to be done in order to continue to keep the building safe for our children. Yes, I do believe at some point in the next few years a referendum is needed. As a community we will need to decide if a quick fix option is the best or fixing everything at one time. For either option the most important reason is our children, their health and their safety.

•Are there any offerings you feel need improvement or opportunities you’d like to see brought into the district?

I believe that our food program has improved with more home cooked recipes and menus, but feel we need to continue to look at the nutritional needs of the students. Incorporating locally-sourced food options or even items our students grow themselves in our classrooms or at home would be great.

A 3K program would be beneficial as well with growing families that don’t want to split their children up to different places. A lot of families don’t live and work in town and struggle with transportation and day care options. Giving a 3K option could bring some of those families back to our district.

•How do you believe the school district and its communities can work together to keep Wauzeka-Steuben strong and viable?

Keep students at the center of our conversations. You can’t lose if you always do what is best for kids. Encouraging more community comments at School Board meetings with suggestions and feedback from parents and community members would strengthen the gap that is sometimes felt between the school and communities.

•Additional comments
I truly feel that keeping the best interests of the students in mind is the most important goal as a School Board member. Keeping this district open and moving forward in a positive manner is what I am passionate about. I want my kids to grow up in the same hallways I did and the same sense of community that my husband and I felt when we went to school here. Small class sizes, shaping well rounded students and preparing them for their lives after school is what we should aim to do together.  

Bill Marfilius

Incumbent - 3 terms served
51 years old
Lifelong district resident, married, 3 adult children
Dairy farmer

•What are the top 2 issues facing the district and how can you help address those problems or enhance growth in those areas?

Declining enrollment and the affect it will have on the mill rate, recruit/retain quality staff

•What are your thoughts about the goals the district should have in preparing students, elementary through high school, for the future?

Prepare the students to be diversified in education and the workforce

•How do you believe Wauzeka-Steuben can keep enrollment steady and growing?

Positive attitude and retain quality staff for a good education

•Why do you feel the district is considering referendum? Explain why you agree or disagree with a possible referendum?

Declining enrollment, low operating budget

•Are there any offerings you feel need improvement or opportunities you'd like to see brought into the district?

Sharing staff/services with other school districts

•How do you believe the school district and its communities can work together to keep Wauzeka-Steuben strong and viable?

Stay positive

Kathleen Schwartz

Challenger
“Old enough to know better but young enough to learn”
Lived 10 years in district, married, 2 adult children
De Soto Middle School teacher

•What are the top 2 issues facing the district and how can you help address those problems or enhance growth in those areas?

The facilities and how we are to pay for any repairs needed. I understand that a facilities needs report was done and I invite both communities to come together and listen to the report. The communities need to have their say in how the district will pay for any repairs. Another issue is to hire a district administrator. Again, we need input from all people, teachers, students, etc.

•What are your thoughts about the goals the district should have in preparing students, elementary through high school, for the future?

The district should always be aware of how we can improve curriculum, course offerings, etc. I would like to see a group of students, teachers, school board members, parents, community members and administrators discuss goals for the school and how we can be successful in achieving them. The district also needs a 3-5 year plan for our school and district; we need to think ahead.

•How do you believe Wauzeka-Steuben can keep enrollment steady and growing?

Keeping a steady enrollment is a concern for our district and the neighboring school districts. Has the district ever met face-to-face with parents enrolling their children in another district? Asking questions, of why they are leaving or what the district could have done differently, may be the start to open communication. Listening and hearing concerns would be top of the list.

•Why do you feel the district is considering referendum? Explain why you agree or disagree with a possible referendum?

I am so proud of all the additions that the school has achieved. Before I can or cannot agree to a referendum, I would need more information. I think both communities would need to know what the money is used for and what projects will it cover. There has not been enough information communicated to people to make a decision.

•Are there any offerings you feel need improvement or opportunities you'd like to see brought into the district?

I would like to see the Skills USA continue and grow and the after-school program needs to continue. This program may need to be a little reworked—families need to be informed of what this wonderful program is all about. We need to talk this program up.

•How do you believe the school district and its communities can work together to keep Wauzeka-Steuben strong and viable?

To continue our strong school, we must have more parent input and communication with both communities. We also must retain positive teachers who have higher expectations of our students. I would like to see some kind of life skills for all our students;  it could be incorporated within our curriculum.