00:00:07,330 Candidate form for the Osceola School District. To 79, we thank the candidates and the audience for attending tonight and our online audience as well. The League of Women Voters is a 106 year old volunteer, non-partisan organization which encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences 00:00:41,030 public policy through education and advocacy. The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose political parties or candidates for office. The League has a long standing history in our community of providing unbiased candidate and issue information that is widely used by Minnesota voters, regardless of their political beliefs. 00:01:08,730 This forum is a public service, providing you with an opportunity to hear from the candidates themselves. Hear from them face to face issues important to you? The views expressed here tonight are those of the candidates and not those of the League of Women Voters. 00:01:32,330 Sponsorship of this forum is not an endorsement by the League of any candidate. There is never enough time to cover all of the issues. If you feel that your question was not addressed. Please contact the candidate when the forum is completed. I want to thank you for being here tonight. My name is Eleanor and I’m pleased to be your moderator this evening. 00:01:55,200 I’m the secretary of the League of Women Voters in Brooklyn Park. And Maple Grove. I’ll take a moment to walk through tonight’s forum and how it will work. There are seven candidates running for the Osseo School Board, of which six are available tonight. Paul Bailey is not here tonight. 00:02:25,030 Thomas Brooks, Loren Harris, Max Meyer, Sarah Mitchell, Tanya Prince and Stacy Jurczyk are running for the school board. We will begin with opening statements. Each candidate will have two minutes for their opening statement, and opening statements will be given in alphabetical order by the last name. The way you are seated during the question portion of the forum. 00:02:52,930 Candidates will respond to written questions submitted by the public. Both those submitted in advance by email and those submitted here tonight. All candidates will be asked the same questions. Each candidate will have up to one minute to respond to each question. 00:03:17,330 The order for answering will rotate throughout the forum, and we will be ending with closing statements and each candidate will have up to two minutes for their closing statement. We have two league members in the front row that will be our timekeepers tonight, so they will, uh, have a 32nd warning sign, a 15 second sign and a stop sign. And then we ask that you complete your sentence and stop. And candidates. 00:03:45,130 Please be respectful of the time limit so that you both have equal opportunity to speak. So we’re going to begin with opening statements, and we’ll begin with Thomas Brown. Do you want to turn on your. There we go. Hi. Um, I’m Thomas Brooks. 00:04:15,170 Uh, current Osceola School board member, uh, parent, public servant, and one of your candidates for the upcoming November election. Uh, thank you to the Osceola Area Schools community for the opportunity to serve our district since 2020. So many of the issues I first ran on in 2020 still drive my work today, even as we’ve made substantial progress as a district. Safe and welcoming schools remain essential. 00:04:35,470 Every child should see themselves and their future and their learning, and every child should feel physically safe while in the district’s care. Elevating student, family and staff. Voice and decision making remains a top priority. 00:04:53,570 So that is, board members were accurately representing the interests of our entire district, continuing to expand individualized college and career pathways for our students keeps us focused on preparing them for life after high school. And as someone that’s forward thinking, I believe that mindset is essential right now as our district, like many across Minnesota, faces critical decisions about the budget. Continued growth as a district and the strategic investments that would truly move the needle on academic achievement. 00:05:12,670 I bring nearly 20 years of professional experience across both the private and public sectors, and financial services, software, technology and local government to the work of the board. That background, combined with the grad degree in industrial and organizational psychology and an undergrad degree in business administration, shapes how I approach ongoing challenges, new opportunities, and people 00:05:33,470 centered decision making. We’ve accomplished so much, but there’s still so much more work to do. It’s been an honor to serve as an Osceola Area School board member. I look forward to today’s discussion and hope to earn your support. Thank you. Candidate Harris. Hello. 00:05:52,970 My name is Lauren Harris and I’m so grateful for this opportunity to run to serve on the Oso Area School Board. I live in the little town of Osseo with my husband, Ryan. Our two boys. 00:06:11,400 I entered district 279 through early childhood and family education four years ago with my oldest son, and we both found UCF to be a valuable place to develop and grow, surrounded by attentive teachers and beautiful classrooms. While I am Minnesota born and raised, I carry with me global perspective gained in 28 different nations. The simple question how can I serve? Got me into conversations, projects and missions I never dreamed of pioneering new beginnings for others. 00:06:36,030 Music programs in Guatemala. Libraries and school support in Ethiopia. Um, being in North Korea, India, Japan. On and on. Calls for creativity, perseverance, humility, and courage. 00:06:56,930 When Ryan and I decided to live in Oslo full time, our monthly donors wanted to keep contributing whatever we felt was important to whatever, and we chose to build a school in Pakistan for the poorest children, many who are brick kiln bonded laborers. A modern way to save slaves. Partnered with a friend who lives there. We bought land, built the school, hired teachers and equipped classrooms step by step without debt. Today, 185 students attend the school. 00:07:18,830 My passion for education is also for the children of my own socio socio area schools, and I’m committed to strong academics so every student can meet grade level standards, healthy learning environment. So every classroom supports learning and development and responsible spending. So our tax dollars fund what helps kids learn. 00:07:38,500 I’d be honored to have your vote and would consider it a privilege to serve the Oslo area schools community. It’s for the kids. Thank you. Candidate Moller. Good evening, and thank you to the League of Women Voters for hosting tonight’s forum. I’m Max Maher, and I’m running for the Oslo area School Board. 00:07:56,370 Public schools changed the course of my life, and I’m running to make sure that every scholar has that same opportunity. My grandmother taught third grade, and my mom worked as a parent educator in early childhood family education. They showed me how dedicated educators recognized potential strength families and changed lives. 00:08:14,770 I bring eight years of K-12 experience, including at Wayzata Public Schools and with districts across the country. Through my work on student information systems and state and federal reporting, I learned how board decisions affect student opportunities, staff workloads, and classroom resources. Today, I’m a software engineer. I ask questions, examine evidence and trade offs, and turn complicated problems into practical solutions. 00:08:36,070 And that’s the approach I’ll bring to the board. My priorities are academic excellence, supported educators, safe and welcoming schools, and fiscal responsibility, academic excellence means strong reading, writing and math alongside science, the arts, and career pathways. It means early help for scholars who are struggling in meaningful challenges. For those ready for more. 00:08:57,470 Supporting educators means competitive pay, protected planning time, and a voice in decisions. That’s why earning the education Minnesota Oslo’s endorsement means so much to me. Safe and welcoming schools need clear expectations, consistent follow through and strong relationships. They also need accessible academic, mental health and basic needs support so scholars can attend and learn. 00:09:20,400 And fiscal responsibility means examining long term costs, explaining trade offs, and acting early to protect classrooms and max for Osseo. You’ll find local facts. The specific board actions I’m proposing and how you can judge our progress if elected to the board. I’m Max Maher, I’m ready to do the homework, listen to our community, and help every scholar succeed. Thank you. 00:09:39,630 Thank you. Candidate Mitchell. Hi. Good evening. My name is Sarah Mitchell, and I’m currently serving on the Osceola School Board. I was first elected in November of 2022, and I’ve been a resident of this community, our school district, living in Maple Grove for over 23 years. 00:09:59,400 Married to my husband Carleton for over 23 years, and I’m a mother of three, which gives me a unique perspective. I have two children currently attending our public schools, one in elementary, one in high school, and now I have a graduate of ossuary schools, a senior in college that gives me a unique perspective for setting our students up for success post-graduation. 00:10:19,130 I also have the blessing in our family of having one additional child living in our home. My son’s friend, who is also a senior in high school, my priorities are straightforward academic excellence for every student. Meaningful engagement with parents and families, and transparency and accountability around classroom learning and curriculum. 00:10:45,330 As a board member, I want to keep the main thing the main thing providing high quality education taught to high standards, while at the same time building a culture where families and schools can work together for us for student success. 00:11:06,870 My goal is to continue to serve our community and with a student centered focus, and I encourage voters, I don’t like to tell people what to do. I encourage, I don’t like to be told what to do, but I encourage people to be informed, be engaged, knowing who you’re voting for, the character that influences and impacts children and students for generations to come. With our work on the school board. Thank you. Thank you. Canada Prince. 00:11:26,370 Good evening. First, I’d like to thank the League of Women Voters for hosting this event and all of those who are here tonight and watching online. Your engagement and participation in this process makes our community stronger. My name is Tanya Prince, and I have served on the Osceola School Board for nearly eight years, over two terms. 00:11:44,170 I currently serve as chair. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve our community. I am a mom, a district parent, and a community volunteer. 00:11:59,800 I have lived in the district my entire adult life with 24 years and Brooklyn Park in just the last few months in Maple Grove, as my fiancé, Jack and I bring our family of four teenagers together from different ends of the district. I’m a first generation American of Mexican descent. My mom came from Mexico as a young woman, completed her education as an adult, and served others as a head start teacher through her. 00:12:16,700 I understand firsthand the benefit of education and the incredible impact educators have on students and families. I have a degree in accounting and a master of Business Administration, both from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Professionally, my 25 year career in local Minnesota Fortune 500 companies have spanned finance, continuous improvement, organizational transformation and change management and technology. 00:12:40,070 I’ve leveraged my background and experiences to add value to our board as we establish strategic direction, set priorities, and oversee a half $1 billion organization. I am deeply involved in our community as a Brooklyn Park Rotarian and Maple Grove Lion, I volunteer and support many nonprofit organizations that serve the youth of our community. 00:12:59,930 Before having children, I serve for several years as a track and cross-country coach, and the experience of working with young people profoundly changed me. I knew helping young people achieve their potential and purpose was my calling. As a young mom, I served through my church’s children’s program, and I now live out that calling through my school board work and nonprofit work. 00:13:16,500 I look forward to a great discussion of the issues tonight, and earning your vote to continue serving our scholars, families, educators, staff, and community members. Thank you. Candidate. Your check. Good evening. Thank you to the League of Women Voters for putting this on tonight. 00:13:38,270 I’m Stacey Jurczyk, and I care deeply about public education and the strength of our community. Brooklyn Park has always been home for me. I grew up attending Birchgrove Elementary, and ten years ago I moved back with my family and I have two boys currently in the district. This community has helped shape me and it’s important to stay connected and involved. 00:14:01,200 For the past ten years, I’ve served on the District Planning Advisory Council, and that work has given me the opportunity to hear directly from families, staff and community members across the district. I’ve learned a lot by listening to the concerns, challenges and hopes people bring forward. 00:14:21,600 The District Planning Advisory Council has taught me how collaboration can move us forward to solutions, and how important it is to bring different voices together. Professionally, I have over 20 years of marketing experience where I have had the opportunity to do voice of customer work, listening to external customers and internal stakeholders, and that understanding has helped me translate needs and move the business forward with actionable initiatives. 00:14:48,200 It’s work that requires empathy, curiosity, and a commitment to finding the best path forward. The same skills show up in my community involvement, whether it was volunteering for the Edinburgh PTO, helping with the soccer boosters, or mentoring leadership students at the University of Saint Catherine. 00:15:07,400 At the heart of everything I do is a simple goal to help create better environments where people feel supported and valued. I believe in collaboration, steady progress, and keeping our schools and community moving in the right direction. Thank you for being here tonight and I am grateful for the chance to share a bit of my perspective. Again, I’m Stacey Jurczyk. Thank you. 00:15:23,900 Thank you. And now we have our first question. And this first question is divided into two parts. And we’re going to go in different orders for each question. And the first question. Uh, candidate, your check will be first, then prints, then Mitchell. And we’ll go on from there. 00:15:47,470 Um, so here’s the first question. What concerns about the district do you hear from students in schools, and what concerns about the district do you hear from adults in schools? And we’ll start with candidate. Your check. I would say one of the concerns that I hear from students would be feeling safe and accepted. 00:16:16,200 And I know the recent survey shows that overall, many students feel safe in our schools. But that’s not everyone. It’s not across the board. And so that is is one concern I’m hearing. 00:16:38,200 Um, and I would say that’s more at the middle school and high school level is where I’ve heard that as far as parents and community members, what I’m hearing is they want to see equal opportunities for students across all three of the high schools. So that’s what I’m really hearing at a high level. Thank you. Candidate Mitchell. I think I’m next. Right. Prince. Next. 00:17:03,730 I have a I said the number is wrong the first time. Now it’s Mitchell. And then it’ll be Prince. Okay. Okay. Thank you. That’s a great question. Um, I at our community conversations that we implemented in the district this year, um, adults and also staff members, behavior disruptions were the number one concern that was brought up at 00:17:25,200 every one of our community conversation. And I think it’s really important to listen to the voices of the adults as parents. Some overlap with being parents of the district and also staff and teachers. Um, because, you know, behavior impacts learning and there’s a correlation. You can’t separate the two. 00:17:43,330 Um, also, hearing from students at every level, you know, elementary to middle school, high school that the behavior disruptions in the class are really difficult. It makes it hard to learn. And, um, that’s one of our goals, too, is just to make it a safe place for for learning. 00:18:00,530 This is an area for growth in, in our district and a concern we want to address going forward. Thank you. And candidate Prince. Okay, so we do a ton of student engagement. In fact, we have student board reps who we invite to participate at work sessions and inform us on policies and concerns. 00:18:19,200 So we hear a lot from our students and we take action on it right away. So they’ve been involved in setting a policy, um, being involved in technology. Um, they in fact even shared with us some of their concerns about the overuse of technology. Um, yeah, we’ve we hear from them quite a bit. Um, vaping. 00:18:39,000 We just had a work session with Brooklyn Park on a vaping issue. Um, access to the bathrooms is actually a concern from students because of the safety concerns around vaping, that we have adults. Again, we’ve invited in, uh, to have a community conversations. And again, we’ve taken action on it. So technology, student management. 00:18:57,100 I was just in a meeting this morning, um, how we’re going to be monitoring the data around student discipline and referrals and taking immediate action to understand what do we need to support teachers and students in the classroom? Thank you. And now we’ll have from hear from Candidate Brooks. Then Harris. No. Brooks, Ma and Harris. Um, so Kennedy, Brooks. 00:19:23,170 Yes. So a common theme that I would say we’ve heard from students, staff and adults throughout the community. Um, is it everyone wants to feel seen and heard. 00:19:42,330 Um, so whether that is the emails that are submitted to the board, um, the visits that we receive in the boardroom or, um, when we’re out and about talking to community members. Um, that’s the thing that comes up. Um, you know, our students want to be seen and heard by the adults in their school buildings. Um, it was mentioned already that students want to feel safe and want to feel that sense of belonging. 00:19:58,200 Um, and so that’s both a sense of belonging, but also that physical safety that comes with being safe around your peers, being safe while you’re in the building. Um, so those are ongoing concerns, uh, supportive educators. Um, our students have big dreams, and they want our educators to help them get there. 00:20:14,430 Um, and then for adults, um, again, I think it’s just making sure that we’re continuing to elevate the voice of our families and our community. Thank you. Candidate Mauer. Yeah, I echo a lot of what’s been said. 00:20:36,870 You know, when I’ve been out in the community door knocking and when I’ve been speaking with different students at our district at events, um, the theme of of of being included and belonging is a very common theme. 00:20:56,900 Um, I’ve been very grateful to help out with our district, GSA’s, to help raise funds so that they can can have programming and event events like pizza parties and and just, uh, tie dye shirt making opportunities so that they can have a sense of community in what they’re doing. Um, from families I’ve heard a lot about classroom disruption. I think that we need to continue making sure that we are trying to intervene early on behavioral issues so that they do not escalate. 00:21:13,670 And the other main concern I’m hearing is just around, um, academic excellence. Um, so we want our students to have a broad access to a broad curriculum while also making sure that they are leaving school with the capability to, to read, write and, and do math. Thank you. Candidate Harris. Yes. 00:21:37,830 I’m hearing from the kids that the classrooms, the behavior that’s happening is causing moments of long moments of figuring out what’s next or distracting the teachers from doing their job, of being able to teach what they’re passionate about. 00:21:57,930 Um, another thing that I heard from both parents and students at the end of last year was that once the academic, they hit their milestones, there were about three weeks that the kids were kind of like, we’re just bored. We’re watching movies. Um, so that was one thing that parents and kids were also saying. 00:22:13,530 And then parents, I continually hear they’re concerned about the screen time used in school and knowing that that is not the best way for their brains to actually be learning in the classroom. And so pulling back on the the tech use in their classrooms is a request. Thank you. Yes. And the next question, we’ll start with Harris, then Brooks, then your check. 00:22:39,600 In general, do you think our school campuses address discipline and behavior issues well enough that students and staff feel safe in school? And what, if anything, would you change to improve safety? So, Candidate Harris. Yes. Thank you. Um, I would say for in classroom. I’ve heard some stories of kids who are out of control and for in, you know, interiors, scissors that kind of behavior. 00:23:10,200 Um, we need some help there for the teachers we need. We can’t remove the child, so that’s really difficult for them to do their job in that environment. But as for the the school, I think that they’re doing really well. I am really happy that the SROs are back. 00:23:28,830 The the students are saying that they really like having them there and having the relationship of someone who sees them and knows that if a finger was ever pointed at that kid, like, oh, wait, no, I know that student, there must be more. Let’s dig into that. 00:23:43,600 So I think that that’s really great, and I love hearing that there’s more surveillance going into parking lots so that if something were to be coming at our schools, we have a at least a few more minutes to know what’s happening. So those are very important to me. Thank you. And Candidate Brooks. Yes, I believe that we have, um, very well educated, um, staff and resources available in our school buildings to address behavioral challenges. 00:24:10,900 But there is still more work that needs to be done. Um, it was already mentioned that an ongoing concern in the classroom is the behavior of, in many cases, other students in the classrooms and the disruption that that causes. 00:24:25,330 Um, and so I would say there’s still more work that needs to be done. But, um, when you look across the district, IT programming that’s been implemented. Um, there are already some pilots and some models that I know as a board. We’ve had some interest in expanding across the district. Um, that reinforces, you know, positive behavior and a positive school culture. 00:24:46,600 Um, and then strategically invest in the resources needed to respond and keep our students safe while they’re in the classroom. Thank you. And candidate, your check. It’s a really big question to answer in 60s. And I think overall, our district is doing what they can. We have a lot of challenges that we’ve seen since Covid. 00:25:13,470 And, you know, the the in-person interactions for some of these scholars has been a challenge to adapt back to that. And these we have educators who have very large class sizes that they’re trying to manage and teach. And so the class sizes add an additional challenge with that. 00:25:34,200 I do think there are some buildings that handle things different than others. It’s not consistent throughout the district, but with different, um, you know, different administrators and different challenges. Um, it’s hard to be uniform, I guess I’d say. Thank you. Thank you. And next we’ll have candidate Smiler Mitchell and Prince. So candidate Maher. Yeah, absolutely. 00:26:01,500 I mean, safety is a prerequisite to a healthy learning environment. People need to feel safe in schools in order to learn. Um, but the fact remains that they’re there sometimes fights, there’s disruption, there’s inconsistent behavior, expectations that can absolutely make students and staff feel unsafe. And the board should not minimize that. 00:26:21,130 Um, I would want clear expectations, um, consistent and fair follow through. Um, early intervention before behaviors escalate and enough staff and mental health support to address the the reasons that these problems are occurring. 00:26:40,400 Um, I would also want regular aggregate reporting on serious incidents, suspensions, bullying and school climate data so the board can see where problems are concentrated and what policies are working. Um, the goal should be straightforward. Students deserve orderly schools where they can learn. And staff deserve the support and the policies needed to maintain that environment. Thank you. Candidate Mitchell. Yes. I just want to be hopeful that this is there’s some active work. We’re making progress in the district. 00:27:00,770 But I also believe this is an area where we need to have greater accountability and transparency. And it’s an area for growth. I believe that behavior and discipline have a direct impact on learning. 00:27:20,530 I would like to see greater transparency and clearer communication around behavior incidents, not with the purpose of pointing fingers, but to build trust with families, support our teachers, and ensure that concerns are being addressed consistently with children, with students, with teenagers. Consistency is key. Parents deserve to know how the district is responding to significant behavior concerns, while still respecting student privacy. 00:27:45,530 And again, I think part of the solution is having those clear expectations, being consistent and providing the strong support for our teachers. Thank you. And, uh, the next question, we’ll start with. Hold on. Oh. Can I? Did I miss you? Yeah. That’s I am so sorry. No problem. Probably won’t be the only time tonight. I’ll miss somebody. That’s okay. Um, so this is a challenging issue. 00:28:09,030 And under our state constitution, every single child has a right to their education. Both the children who need additional support, but also those we need to protect the rest of the students who are being affected by classroom behaviors. 00:28:28,270 It is our responsibility as a board to set the culture and the policies that set the conditions for our teacher supports and that classroom culture. Um, as has been mentioned, we have been doing a lot of work. We’ve actually invested in additional special education staff. Um, we have a parent academy that we’re working on, so we hope to increase our parent engagement around this and other topics. We’ve got investment in our PBIs work. 00:28:46,930 We’re improving consistency. Like I just mentioned with our work on the referrals and review. And we updated our policy actually around transparency. So now if a student is engaged in a behavior situation or bullying situation, we have details around how they’ll be informed, how parents will be informed. Um, so we are really greatly improving our consistency and our policies. 00:29:07,700 Thank you. Candidate Prince. And you will be the first one. Candidate Ma and candidate Jurczyk. Uh, each time a tragic school shooting occurs in our country, there are calls for increased safety measures in schools. 00:29:39,770 What actions would you support be taken by the school board to increase safety in our schools? Yeah, actually, we had this past year work session on safety, and part of that was a closed board session in which we saw a lot of the technology and the policy work behind the scenes. A lot of the safety measures. 00:30:00,130 So I am really confident that we have the incredible resources and the technology to keep our students safe. The connection with our police departments should an event occur. However, we did have some really good student survey data that says students do feel safe in our schools. Um, I fully support our SROs. 00:30:19,900 95% of our kids support our SROs, believe that our schools are better with an SRO in it, and that’s across every demographic. When I looked at the 11th grade data. Um, so I really feel we’ve done a lot of investment, and I am confident that our kids are safe in our schools. One more thing. 00:30:35,270 With all of the building a better future, we improved secure entrances at all of our schools as well. Um, so a lot of work has been done and I’m 100% confident our kids are safe. Thank you. Candidate Ma. Yeah, absolutely. This is an issue that absolutely tugs at the heartstrings. 00:30:54,570 I think we all recently were reminded of this with the Annunciation shooting last year hitting so close to home. Um, I’m proud to be a Moms Demand Action gun sense candidate for the 2026 campaign season. 00:31:11,830 I believe that it should actually be one of our legislative priorities that some sensible common sense action that the vast majority of Minnesotans agree on around guns should be something that the state takes up, and that we should advocate for. Um, I am also in favor of I. I’ve been very pleased with everything that the building of Better Schools initiative has been doing to help make our schools more secure, and I’m very much in favor of SROs at our buildings. 00:31:31,370 I think that, um, they they do a great job establishing relationships with their students, understanding adolescent development, and being prepared to step in, uh, where we wouldn’t expect our administration to. Thank you. Thank you. Candidate. Your check. Today there was a lockdown at Elk River, and I believe it was related to, um, possibly a threat. 00:31:59,170 But, you know, that’s very, very close to home. And, um, many of us probably know people who have my friends have have children going to school there. And when we send our kids off to school, you know, you might be worrying about, okay, do you have all your homework, all that, like safety is, is something that is a 00:32:15,270 priority, but something we don’t want to have to think about. And, um, you know, we want to make sure our kids are safe and then they can learn better. And as was mentioned with the building, our future, it’s very important that we have safe, secure buildings and that makes all of us feel a little bit more comfortable. 00:32:32,700 And I know a lot of the SROs have good relationships with the students and the staff in the building. So I think we’re definitely going in the right direction with that to keep them safe. Thank you. Thank you. And now we’ll have candidates Brooks Harris and Mitchell County. Brooks. 00:32:49,800 Yeah, thank you. So yes, many of it’s already been said, but our if you walk through some of our buildings, you can see the investment that’s been made to our physical infrastructure to help keep students safe. 00:33:08,200 But also thanks to our taxpayers, so many of you, we’ve also been able to continually invest in technology to help keep students safe as well. Um, I think it’s important to continue to stay on top of safety protocols in each of our schools. 00:33:26,130 Um, and then also, I think it’s important going forward, actions that we can take to leverage our collective voice as a large district to prevent any future school shootings in our state. Um, I have asked in the past that we at this to our legislative agenda, and I would continue to ask that we pursue that as an option to use our voice. Thank you. Candidate Harris. Yes. 00:33:48,030 Yes, I agree that the measures that have been taken recently are great improvements, and I’m very thankful for that. Um, the building better future, the improvements. Yes, we need more. I think that having every parking lot with surveillance cameras so that we can see what’s coming from more minutes away, is very important. 00:34:05,800 I talk to different officers in the community, and they’re like, it starts in the parking lot, so we need to know what’s happening there. Um, I also really enjoyed talking to staff and asking them about safety. 00:34:20,100 And they go through trainings of what? And something happens and they wear a lanyard around their neck to remind them of the plan on the back. And, um, I find that really, really helpful to know that they’re all included in if there were to happen. How do we keep every child safe? Um, um, and yes, I’m fully behind our SROs. 00:34:44,870 Have you ever wondered, could we get retired officers who have squeaky clean records, who want to serve into our schools as well? Thank you. Um, candidate Mitchell? Yes. I think as a parent, this is a question we we don’t want to think about. It’s a nightmare to think about. Um, I actually reached out. I like to talk to the experts. 00:35:05,430 Um, I’m not a police officer, but I wholeheartedly support our SROs and our schools. So I had a 30 minute conversation yesterday with a friend who’s currently a police officer, but he’s spent the last eight years in Hennepin district. And directly his words were talking about relationships and the benefits of preventive measures, relationships that SROs do in our schools. 00:35:26,770 Um, but he said, unfortunately, in our schools, just in general, it’s not a matter of if, but when. And so he said, having SROs in our schools every second, in the case of an active shooter or a bomb threat equals lives saved. Okay. So imagine imagine minutes. Um, so it’s it’s so important to have them there when we equate it that way. 00:35:44,430 Minutes or seconds equal lives. So I’m really grateful for them. And thank you. And our next set of questions first will be Mitchell and candidate Prince and candidate Harris. And the question is in 2022, the school board passed an LGBTQ history and culture resolution that included ten district and department operational plans be implemented. 00:36:16,000 Do you have a position regarding the resolution and what impact, if any, do you think this resolution has had? Candidate Mitchell.. Yes. Thank you. I’ve been thinking about this. 00:36:45,830 When we teach and lead by example, I think especially when we’re in leadership roles and staff and teachers, mutual respect and kindness, compassion, character, integrity and honesty. There should be no disrespect ever. I believe when we teach these standards to our students, there is no other program necessary, no other guidelines, no other resolution. Every human being, every one of our students and staff have value. 00:37:04,900 And I will always lead with, as I have the past four years with compassion and kindness and empathy and respect. Because like I said, it’s our job to model that for our students. Thank you. Candidate Prince. Firstly. 00:37:27,430 To be clear, our job is to create an instructional environment that enables every single student to show up in their full, authentic self and receive exceptional instruction in educational opportunity. I did not vote for the resolution in 2022, as I felt it wasn’t our place to impose gender and identity based curriculum, or asked teachers to teach on areas they are not trained to teach. While I believe the resolution was well intentioned, it ultimately has created harm and division in our district community. 00:37:44,570 Every single year. As students and educators exercise their rights to opt out in a false perception of being for or against members of our district, family swirls and damages student and educator relationships. I believe we should reassess and replace the resolution with strengthened school culture and belonging work. 00:38:06,430 And through our anti-bullying policies with the primary objective of ensuring every single student feels value and valued and knows that they belong. Every single student in our district belongs and can be in their full, authentic, authentic self. At Austin Area schools. Thank you. Candidate Harris. 00:38:27,370 Yes, I believe that the district has a legal duty to ensure that every student is treated with dignity and is protected from bullying and harassment, including students who identify as LGBTQ, IA, plus all of them. Respect and honor used to be the core of our culture here, and that would mean that they are valued. They are celebrated. As we do with our students, all of them. 00:38:58,230 Personally, I have some strong core values of protecting our young prepubescent children from sexual grooming, seated sexual ideologies, and politically charged agendas that have little to nothing to do with an age appropriate learning objectives. This is the moment where is it developmentally appropriate to be a addressing attraction to four year olds? To two year olds? In my opinion, no. 00:39:24,330 Thank you. And now we’ll have our candidates. Brooks here. Check. And Mark Kennedy. Brooks. Yes. So I do support the LGBTQ plus history and culture resolution. That was voted on in 2022. Um, I to me, this aligns with our goals of creating safe and welcoming schools. 00:39:55,570 Um, the impact that it’s had is that it does create an environment where students and staff feel seen and heard and value within our system. Um, I’d like to see, um, resolutions, this and others move into policy to go through the same, um, stakeholder engagement process. The same a regular review process, and the same update process that so many of our other policies go through. 00:40:18,270 Thank you. Candidate. Your check. I do support the resolution and I think it is a good start to helping create a safe and welcoming environment. I have worked for large corporations who have policies that support everyone, and it allows people to show up as their authentic selves and feel welcome and supportive and creates better 00:40:46,100 collaboration. I believe that our our students should be welcome no matter who they are, what their background is, and feel safe and secure in the school. So it’s important for us to welcome everyone and also teach students that you know they’re their friends. May, um, there’s there’s differences amongst all of us and that’s okay. And accepted. 00:41:11,130 Thank you. And candidate Ma. Yes, I absolutely support the LGBTQ plus resolution. Um, as someone who is a member of this community, I think to my own school experiences 20 years ago, um, and how different it could have been if I went to a school that where I felt 00:41:28,800 welcome, where I felt safe, where I could have had different opportunities. Maybe I could have asked the person to the prom who I wanted to ask the prom. So this is the kind of thing that it’s, I think, important on two fronts. 00:41:42,700 One is creating that culture of of a safe and welcoming school environment, and another which is, um. Teaching, you know, of course. Not only is sexual orientation and gender identity protected statuses in the state of Minnesota, when you go out and you work and you work with other people, you don’t get to intentionally misgendered them. 00:42:04,030 You don’t get to say things about them that would be derogatory. Um, so I’m absolutely in support of that. It prepares our students for for the future. Thank you. And the next question we start with Candidate Mauer. Then your check, then Mitchell. 00:42:30,370 And the question is, what is your opinion regarding transgender students participating in school athletic programs? My position is that we should be focused on creating an environment where everyone feels that they can participate in what interests them, in a manner that is both fair and safe. 00:42:52,230 We’ve got incredible coaches that are able to to help ensure that throughout our district and also bring up that obviously there are going to be concerns in certain circumstances where there are legitimate concerns about fairness and safety, but that shouldn’t be something that just automatically excludes a certain class of student permanently from being able to participate. We need to evaluate this. And this is something that is also a protected characteristic under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. 00:43:13,930 Um, the district does not govern the decision of who can participate. The Minnesota State High School League does, and we agree to their rules. And and I’m proud that we’re we’re doing that. Thank you. 00:43:37,030 Can you check? Yeah I know this is a challenging subject, and I think it often is brought up as a much bigger issue than the number of instances. Um, we actually see. I think, um, these, you know, as minors, too, we don’t need community. 00:44:00,900 Um, there’s, I know of situations in neighboring communities where it has gotten a lot of attention, and it it hurts me to think that, um, you know, a minor in high school has to deal with that. And the family feels like they have to explain their situation. Um, no one wants to be under that microscope. And so I think it’s a very private situation. And that’s something that we should all be necessarily concerning ourselves about when we have a lot of big issues going on. 00:44:19,530 Thank you. And Candidate Mitchell. I believe that girls deserve fair opportunities to compete and succeed in girls sports. I support maintaining girls sports based on biological sex because there are meaningful. Differences that can affect safety and opportunities. I believe that girls deserve a fair and level playing field. 00:44:50,030 I believe that we can stand firm on this principle while treating every student, every athlete, with dignity and with respect. Thank you. And now we all hear from candidate Prince Harris and Brooks, candidate Prince. First I want to name something. There’s a lot of fear in discussing this topic. 00:45:16,170 Members of our community have different perspectives on it, yet fear sharing their concerns and input. Nobody wants to be labeled as hateful or harmful. In our community, members don’t want to be harmful. In their discussion of this topic, but we can discuss this with care, with precision, and with empathy for one another. 00:45:35,970 Personally, as a former collegiate athlete and high school coach. My observation is that there’s a difference between participating and competing. Many people are not concerned about participation. Participation according to one’s gender. 00:45:54,630 So, you know, my brothers and I all were competitive athletes, but there was a difference in our biology, in a substantial difference in our competitive outcomes in our times and our distances. So I do think our athletic rules and regulations should recognize this reality. But ultimately, the courts and legislature will settle this question in our responsibility as a school board is to follow existing state law and precedent while treating students with care and dignity. Thank you. Candidate Harris. 00:46:18,600 Yes, I, I support girls in the Girls League and the boys and the Boys League. But I do realize that we could have an open league. Or we could find a place where the competition can stay fair. But that anyone can participate together. 00:46:43,030 I am encouraged by following the Olympics over the last little while and having them navigate and figure out what are they going to call fair, and they have decided that they’re going to go by the SRY gene. And it’s a one time test. 00:46:58,130 I don’t know that we need to do that in schools, but it’s it’s realizing what sports on an international level have decided to do. And I think that there is something to just not just but following what competition on a high level would look like and setting that standard in the beginning. Thank you. Candidate Brooks.. Yes. I just want to support and uplift our kids and everything that they try to achieve. 00:47:25,930 For me, I want to continue focusing on accepting and supporting our students. I do not and would not support any policy in our district rooted in exclusion. Um, particularly of any small or marginalized group. Um, I do support the Minnesota state state High School League’s role in evaluating safety and fairness in school sports. Um, and so I will I’ll leave it there. 00:47:50,270 Thank you. And the next question, it’ll be candidates. Brooks Harris, Ma. And then Mitchell Prince in your check going to be in alphabetical order. Um, this question is concerning the budget. 00:48:17,630 What do you think should be the district’s priorities when evaluating the district’s budget is a change or reallocation of funds needed in order to reflect these priorities? Kennedy. Brooks. Yes. Um, so when determining our priorities, I think it’s important for us to stay focused on our mission, our values and our strategic priorities. Um, many of which are decided by the board and our superintendent. 00:48:48,730 Um, as far as changing and reallocating funds, I believe it’s important to do that all the time. We should be doing that proactively. Um, we should be evaluating the success of the programs that we’re implementing and the impact that it’s having on students. Um, and making adjustments as we need to, um, to meet the needs of our students. 00:49:07,170 Uh, we have been fortunate enough in Osceola to have a fairly strong budget and a fairly strong fund balance compared to many districts across the state, and that is due to the stewardship of our community and our staff. And in previous boards. Um, and so I would want to maintain and protect that. 00:49:27,970 But, um, Stay on top of what’s truly impacting and moving the needle for our students. Thank you. Harris. Yes, of course, the priorities for our dollars should be to meet kids in the classroom. Number one, um, is a change or reallocation needed? Well, yes, because if we’re going forward in a spending deficit, eventually that becomes a problem. 00:49:54,200 But thankfully, we do have that buffer. So as we are figuring out how to do this in a really clear and wise way, we do have some room to make those changes quickly, but not in a drastic way. Thank you. Any more? Yeah, absolutely. This is very important question, especially now we’re in a fiscal year where we do have an $18. 00:50:20,300 2 million gap, where we’re spending more than the revenue we’re receiving. So the starting principal needs to be protecting the classroom as much as possible. So it doesn’t mean that every expenditure can remain untouched. But I would start by separating our one time spending from our recurring costs. 00:50:38,630 On reviewing our administrative and contracted services, looking for any duplication, and asking whether programs are producing measurable results. We want to avoid across the board cuts. They can sound fair, but but they can protect lower priorities while damaging things that we know are effective. Um, there’s a lot to think about here. 00:50:57,430 I would like to make thoughtful adjustments now, certainly before we get to a point where we’re forced to make those emergency critical cuts that some neighboring districts have had to experience. I’ve written a lot more on this. If you Google Max Maher Associates choices, you’ll see an article that I put together on this topic. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Mitchell. 00:51:18,470 Yes. This is an area that we’re constantly working on every month in our work sessions and hundreds of page packets for the for the school board. So we’re actively working on this. And the number one priority when it comes to our budget should always be student focused. Decision making. And that responsibility to protect the classroom. 00:51:37,530 The first question is always to ask, does the spending directly improve student learning and outcomes? It’s about outcomes and looking at programs, reducing programs that aren’t producing measurable results. Again, this is active work that we’re doing right now. We want to when it comes to trimming, to always start outside the classroom. 00:51:56,030 I don’t believe in cutting for the state of cutting, but prioritizing what matters most. The academic achievement and growth for every student. And it’s so important for us to be responsible stewards of every single dollar of our taxpayers and stakeholders for our district. Thank you. Candidate Prince. 00:52:16,700 I’m proud that we’re an exception among Minnesota school districts and having a very healthy fund balance and know district wide cuts, as you’ve been seeing across the state. This is because we do have exceptional finance processes, including a modified zero based budgeting approach, disciplined expense parameters set by the board these past years, and transparent expense management. 00:52:34,970 With that said, we do have rising costs. We’re primarily a people organization in salaries and benefits, along with health care costs particularly have been rising and really isn’t sustainable. With the 1 to 3% state funding that we get each biennium. 00:52:52,200 Um, so, as was mentioned, the $18 million, about 5% over our revenue. And as discussed in our June work session, we feel very confident in being able to very easily find opportunities for efficiency and cost containment in the districts already doing this, following a process called glide. 00:53:07,530 Our next work session on this is in October, where the board will continue to revisit this, and we are seeking to bend that curve. And of course, the priority is students, instruction, educators. Thank you. Thank you. Budgeting is always a difficult decision, but it’s important that we maintain a good position. 00:53:30,970 I know there’s a lot of districts near us that are struggling right now, and so making sure that we continue to evaluate and make sure we are having the least impact on our scholars and educators to support them. And so making sure that we are being mindful of the decisions we make to support those students and educators. 00:53:54,370 And then, you know, looking for other areas, reviewing administrative costs and contracts to make sure that we are being mindful of the budget and supporting our community. Thank you. Our next question is a follow up on the budget, and we’ll start with Mitchell. Then Mara and candidate Prince. 00:54:16,900 Do you think the current allocation of funds are appropriately dispersed to best meet the needs of all students, including those struggling and those higher performing, including staff for special education or other speech and special needs? And we’re starting with candidate Mitchell. Wow. Okay. That’s a big that’s a big question. I think it’s a delicate balance. 00:54:47,230 But this is why we’re here right from, um, taking care of our special ed teachers and staff to our high achievers and our grade level proficient students. So this, again, is an ongoing conversation, ongoing looking at the data. 00:55:08,030 Um, one of the things I appreciate about our district is having the zero based budgeting approach, where we look at not basing traditional budgeting, looking at, um, building on the increasing from the past year. But we’re taking a look at expenses that can be justified. Um, only ones that can be justified moving forward and included in the budget. 00:55:23,100 But I was just speaking at the Osceola Parade to a teacher that had spent many years in special ed and then also in Talented and gifted. So again, this is something that we need to definitely, um, be working on because all of those areas are significant. Thank you. Thank you. Candidate Mar. Yeah, absolutely. 00:55:41,170 Tighten the conversation on the budget to to some like education is definitely something that’s important to me in an area where I think we would need to allocate more resources. Um, you know, I grew up with a brother who needed additional support in school, and I saw firsthand how important his paraprofessionals were and how important they were to a student, to an entire family. 00:55:57,700 Um, they weren’t just another adult in the room. There was someone who helped make participation, learning and belonging possible. Um, it is one of our legislative priorities and should continue to be for the state to fully fund the special education cross subsidy. 00:56:15,770 Um, it’s going to be a harder fight, I think, at the federal level, where Ida has never been fully funded in the 51 years since it’s been enacted. But we need to do what we can as a district to help address this, because we need to make sure that our special education staff feel supported, that they’re not getting burned out, that they have manageable caseloads. 00:56:32,570 Um, it is our duty as a district to serve every single student. And in a time where more. Yeah, I’ll finish up. Thank you. That. Yeah, I agree, this is a huge question, but the things that we can control, I’m quite satisfied and feel very confident in the allocation of our funds. 00:56:52,700 We’ve just invested, as I said, in special education. We’ve invested in Avid across the middle school, which is a program that benefits scholars. We’re going to be looking at math standards and new curriculum. We’ve invested in literary instruction the past three years. Um, so I feel good about what we control, can control. 00:57:08,700 Um, oh, another thing we just did is career and technical instruction. And for the first time ever in our district and career instruction at any school, not just at the school they attend. 00:57:26,300 And so already this year, kids are going to automotive at osteo or this incredible, um, amazing kitchens and park Center or over to Maple Grove for some of their programs. So we’re expanding that opportunity. Was that investment for busing? Yes, it was the right one. So we use our scale to provide opportunities. 00:57:40,800 We can continue to refine that and do better in the state needs to do better at funding us in a manner that gets to our classrooms and stop the mandates that consumer dollars. Thank you. And now we’ll hear from candidates, Brooks, your check, and Harris. Yes, I’ll say everything Tanya just said. Um, and, uh, I want more resources for educators. 00:58:05,830 Um, the number of special education students in our district increases every year. Um, and so the question of whether, um, the current allocation of funds is appropriate is one that needs to be evaluated on an ongoing basis. 00:58:24,170 Um, we’ll need to continue investing in special education, just as we’ll need to continue providing resources for our families that are requesting more rigorous opportunities for their students. Um, I do want to expand at some point, programs like Avid and our CTE programming and make them more accessible to more students so they are prepared when they leave our schools. 00:58:46,500 Um, but as of today, I am proud of the strategic investments we’ve made in special education, especially as of this year. Thank you. And candidate Yurek, your check. Yeah, I think as being the fifth largest district in the state, it it creates challenges with a lot of different needs and having to prioritize those. 00:59:10,430 But I think we’re doing a great job of offering a lot of resources. And special education is is definitely a challenge with limited funding. We have a lot of great opportunities like we’re mentioned, and we can, you know, continue to provide opportunities for students where they’re at. Some of them aren’t in just one bucket. They fit in multiple buckets. 00:59:29,630 So having these services for them, no matter you know, where they fit. And it may change at different moments in time is really important to make sure we’re supporting all of our scholars. Thank you. And Candidate Harris. 00:59:56,370 Yes, our district is facing challenges because our state has recently done a $200 million cut towards education, and that is not something that you can always predict coming when the funds are always changing. It’s not year to year stagnant. On what’s going to happen for funding. And I think that the district, from what I can see, is doing the best with what it can. 01:00:13,630 And I know that the number of special ed students are going up every year, and the request for ESPs and Paras is getting to be more and more, and we want to pay them in a way that they actually want to stay with us. So that gets expensive. 01:00:33,700 But, um, I believe that we can still find a creative way through this because these students matter to. And if we can find an interesting way to keep them engaged, keep our staff engaged, and find ways to make our dollars go further for those classrooms, that’s what we’re behind. Thank you. And this is our last audience question. 01:00:57,770 Currently, I ISD 279 school board members serve at large, covering several communities. How will you ensure that the school board will represent all the communities fairly? And we’ll start with Candidate Harris. Then your check and Brooks. Yes. I think that the best way to represent as many, if not all, is to go listen, go talk, hear what they’re experiencing. 01:01:23,870 And that has been my favorite part of running for school board is being in conversations that I probably wouldn’t have engaged before. And now I get to hear and see things that I didn’t know. But now I really care about. And so that’s been really motivating to be present in all parts of the district. 01:01:43,170 I also love that I live in Osceola, so I’m in the middle of the district, so it makes it really easy naturally to just be going back and forth north and south. And so I love that. And um, I will continue to listen and visit and engage those conversations. 01:02:05,600 Seek out what what are we missing and how do we find it? I already told them, well, I can just imagine that, uh. Your check. Yeah. One thing I learned being part of the District Planning Advisory Council is how important it is to hear the different voices. 01:02:31,800 And we always strive to get representatives from each school to understand what families are dealing with, and then bringing all those voices together. And so I think that’s really important to to be able to have those different perspectives. And how do we listen to that? And we have a lot of different schools, but we have a lot of similarities too. 01:02:49,430 And so it’s important to listen to those different voices and find out, you know, how we can best move our district forward. And we have a lot of great, you know, programs like the career and technical options, where students are moving through different schools. And so that’s a great way to connect the the district, too. 01:03:05,830 So I think there’s a lot of great collaboration in our district. Thank you. Candidate Brooks. So I’ll just start by saying our current model of having all at large school board members, um, six school board members, and in such a geographically large district, um, makes serving the entire district challenging in itself. 01:03:29,830 Um, but I do believe in one of the things that I’m most proud of being a part of the district, um, is that we get better with engagement every day. Um, and we’ve seen that with some of the larger projects and changes that have come before our district. 01:03:46,570 Um, how do we ensure that we’re representing our community members? As has already been said? Um, just continuing to get better with engagement. Um, so going out into the community, making sure that we are leveraging every tool and technology necessary to gather feedback from the community. 01:04:05,630 Um, making sure that we’re taking the time as school board members to actually talk about and consider the feedback that’s been received and making sure that we’re coming to some sort of consensus that represents all of the different viewpoints. Um, I’m proud of the way that we’ve learned to do that, but it’s still a work in progress. I thank you, and now we’ll have candidates. Prince Mitchell and Ma. 01:04:27,470 Um, yeah. I think being at large has actually served our district really well. Um, you cannot get elected to the school board if you are not out in the community in every part of this district. 01:04:44,100 And if you’re not earning votes in every part of this district, you can’t win Maple Grove and lose Brooklyn Park and get on this board. You have to win across this district and you have to serve across this district. Um, you’ll see that we have a very active board who’s out and about across the district quite regularly. And that’s a super fun part of our job. 01:04:59,570 Um, and I also would observe that some of the districts that have award system have had some pretty significant conflict and gridlock. That’s been a disservice to their district. So I think that we’ve functioned extremely well under this model. And as Director Brooks said, uh, the engagement continues to get better. 01:05:17,200 We have some new things that we’re planning to do this year as we evolve our practice of getting out in the community, engaging, listening and taking action on the stakeholder feedback. Thank you. Yes. Candidate Mitchell. Okay. Um, I love this question because this is the purpose why we are elected as school board members. 01:05:44,970 We are entrusted to represent the interests of all of our students and citizens in the district. And we take this oath. You know, four years ago, I took that in January to do this with fairness. And this is a huge responsibility. This is why we’re elected in in our district. 01:06:01,500 There’s a saying that our superintendent has brought all voices are heard, and that means every voice is heard. One of the core values of our district is intrinsic value of every student, staff and family being respected and valued for their perspective. So I think, um, I also love I heard this years ago, but I believe it’s true. 01:06:19,200 Did you know that listening is actually the highest form of communication? Think about the last time you were heard. So active listening is one of our main roles that people actually feel heard and seen. And I love that we are building on our community conversations. 01:06:34,100 In the past, they were more of listening sessions where the what was spoken about just stayed there. I’ve seen tangible action. Oh gosh, I see a stop sign. I know it’s a sneaky stop sign. Um, yeah. Basically, I would. 01:06:52,230 Kind of agree that what everything that people are saying here, which is, I mean, when we’re talking about at large representation, it is a challenge for a district. We are the fifth largest district in the state. There’s a lot of geography to cover. Um, it’s it’s impossible to get to every door. 01:07:08,770 Um, as much as we try to, but, um, we want to have a culture on the board where we’re represented, representing absolutely everyone. We don’t want to create conflict where, oh, I’m only hearing about those who are in one certain high school area. Um, and only beholden to those voters. If we did look at a, a system where we were using wards, I would hope it would be something more like a hybrid system. 01:07:25,470 But I’d still have questions about how are we drawing the lines. And ultimately, I think that’s a decision that the community would really have to come together on and vote on. Thank you. And now we’re going to move to the closing statements. Each candidate will have up to two minutes. 01:07:44,570 The order of the closing statements will be the reverse of the opening statements. So if you, um, would begin candidate, your check. Thank you. Throughout my own schooling, teachers have often encouraged me to speak up. So now I’m doing that. 01:08:09,570 I hope this evening has given you a clearer sense of who I am, and the experiences that shaped me, and things that I’m passionate about. I believe strong schools build strong communities, and that every student deserves access to opportunities that help them grow, explore and succeed. 01:08:30,900 Our ability to thrive in a global economy depends on educating all of our students, no matter where they live in our district, and no matter what their plans. After school are. Every scholar should have access to a high quality education, be supported by passionate educators in every building and when they when we come together as a district, we create a more inclusive, connected community that lifts all students. So thank you to the League of Women Voters for hosting this forum tonight. 01:08:54,070 And thank you to everyone watching and investing your time in the future of our community. In closing, I’m Stacey Jurczyk and I would be honored to have your vote. November 3rd together. Let’s speak up for every student in our district. Thank you. 01:09:13,170 Well, as you’ve heard tonight, Osceola Area Schools is an incredible district with many strengths. We have amazing educators, skilled and caring staff members, capable and effective leaders. And of course, at the heart of us, beautifully diverse students with gifts and talent and a brilliant light to make an impact in this community and in this world. 01:09:31,900 It’s our job as board members to steward the district in a manner that equips them for their next step as they live out their purpose and potential. It’s about them. It’s not about us. It’s not about anybody up here. It’s always about our scholars. And we cannot fail them. And that remains my commitment and my focus and continuing to serve. 01:09:49,030 I look forward to continuing the work ahead in the mission with a focus on academic instruction, robust and career, robust career and technical opportunities, thriving school cultures for scholars and for educators. Hi community and parent engagement. Sound financial stewardship of the resources our community has entrusted to us. 01:10:08,300 If elected to serve another term, I will continue to serve as a very active board member showing up for our scholars, visiting and volunteering in our schools, listening and taking action on the feedback from our scholars, families, educators, staff and community members, and leading with the depth of knowledge and excellence to ensure we provide our scholars with the education 01:10:26,370 they deserve. I’m proud of my record in serving our scholars and our mission. I’m proud to have led a well-functioning board these past two years, focusing on our students, bringing different perspectives together, safeguarding healthy finances, and advancing the work that ensures we live up to our mission for our kids and our community. 01:10:44,500 My name is Tanya Prince. You can learn more about me at Tanya for com or by following me on Facebook at Tanya Facio, or on Instagram at Tanya Prince. I humbly ask for your vote to continue serving our scholars and our district community. Thank you, Candidate Mitchell. Thank you to the. 01:11:06,070 Thank you to the League of Women Voters and everyone attending or watching online. Thank you for this safe space to just discuss, freely and respectfully hear one another. Um, I greatly appreciate that. 01:11:23,030 I was thinking a lot about what’s why am I doing this? What’s the main reason? And having two seniors in high school, two young men living in my home, my biggest goal is I want to set them up for success. I don’t want to get higher graduation rates. I want to set them up for success. And I keep thinking about this. Students will rise to the level of our expectations for them. That’s exciting to me, and I’ve seen it happen. 01:11:36,770 When we lower standards, we get lower results. So I would love to see the solution. Getting back to the main thing with public schools are about prioritizing structured literacy and the science of reading, which our educators are excited about, and foundational math instruction. 01:11:55,500 Just starting with those core basics, I’d like to reiterate that decisions made as on the school board impact the future of our students. We don’t take this lightly, and I want every student in our district to have the opportunity to thrive, not just survive inside and outside the classroom. And like I said, set them up for success after graduation. I encourage you to be informed and engaged. 01:12:15,230 Knowing the candidates you’re voting for with a future of our children in mind, the decisions we make today will be felt by the next generation. So let’s set these students up for success together. Thank you for considering voting for me. My name is Sarah Mitchell. On November 3rd. Thank you. Thank you again to the League. 01:12:38,170 Of Women Voters and to everyone here tonight and everyone watching from home tonight. You’ve heard our priorities. Just as important as how we will govern when choices are difficult and reasonable. People disagree. Here is my commitment. I’ll come prepared. I’ll listen. I’ll ask hard questions, examine the evidence and explain my decisions. 01:13:00,570 We have important work ahead improving academic outcomes, supporting teachers and staff, keeping schools safe and welcoming and confronting our budget challenges while we still have meaningful choices. 01:13:19,930 Before supporting a major proposal, I’ll ask what it will cost over time, what it requires of teachers and staff, and how we’ll know it helps scholars through every decision. I’ll return to one question will this help our scholars learn? Feel supported, and be prepared for what comes next? That question won’t make every decision easy, but it will keep our priorities clear. Adopting a policy or approving a budget isn’t the finish line. 01:13:40,100 I’ll push for goals in learning attendance and staff retention with public updates on what improved, what fell short and what needs to change. Our scholars deserve more than good intentions. They deserve results. School board members don’t have to agree on everything. We do owe this community respectful discussion, honest explanations, and responsible stewardship of public dollars. 01:14:04,130 At max, you can explore my proposals, see the evidence behind them and send me your questions. I want that conversation to continue beyond tonight. Uh, from Friday until November 3rd, you’ll have the opportunity to elect three members of the Osceola Area School Board, and I would be honored to earn one of your three votes. Public schools change my life with your vote. 01:14:22,400 I’ll work to make sure they keep changing lives throughout our district. I’m Max Maher. Thank you. Thank you, candidate Harris. Yes. Thank you. League of Women Voters for hosting and providing this forum for us to gather together and for you to see us. 01:14:48,430 I’ve enjoyed this experience of sharing my thoughts and perspectives of our school district, and what I’ve learned in our community, what we have here in Oslo area schools is truly great, a gift most of the world would love to be part of. 01:15:10,830 I would be honored to serve as a school board member with my commitment to strong academics, healthy learning environments, and responsible spending, I will focus on our kids achieving, succeeding, getting them confident and prepared for their futures. My name is Lauren Harris. I’d be honored to have your vote, and you can follow up with me at Lauren Harris. Sorry, Lauren Verrocchio, thank you so much. Thank you. Andy Brown. 01:15:38,070 Yes. So creating people center, change that challenges norms and leaves a lasting impact is a purpose statement that drives my work in public service, including as a school board member. Influencing a positive working culture in our district for both staff and students has been a top priority, and one that’s essential to our district. 01:15:56,800 Fulfilling its mission of inspiring each and every student to achieve their dreams, contribute to community, and engage in a lifetime of learning. I am committed more than ever to continuing the difficult work of ensuring our public school system works for all of our scholars and provides the first class education each and every one of our students deserves. 01:16:14,370 I remain committed to continuing to consider all input from staff, students and families to always center our students in every decision and to always do what’s best for our entire district. For those that know me, I am not a school board member that likes to be in the spotlight. 01:16:30,230 Um, nor do I ever advocate for our board to be in the spotlight. And that is because I truly believe that that spotlight deserves to stay on the day to day successes and achievements of our students and staff. Thank you to the League of Women Voters for hosting today’s forum. 01:16:49,630 Um, and thank you to the Osceola Schools community for allowing me to serve as your school board member for this long. Um, please learn more at Thomas Brooks for 279. Thank you. I’d like to remind everyone that the views expressed are those of the candidates and not the League of Women Voters. Sponsorship of this forum is not an endorsement for any candidate. 01:17:12,030 I’d also like to call your attention to the fact that there is a. Uh, state referendum, um, on the ballot for permanent school funding, a constitutional amendment. It’s asking voters to approve increasing the funding, going to all school districts from the permanent school funds without raising individual income or property taxes. 01:17:43,030 So that will be on the back side of your ballot. Um, and the amendment, if you you can vote yes or no on it, but if you don’t choose to vote, it’s a no vote. Just for your information. And now I’d like to thank all of the candidates for being here and for participating. So let’s show them our. 01:18:06,600 Appreciation. And now I have a few closing remarks. The League of Women Voters, Brooklyn Park, Osseo, Maple Grove would like to thank all of you coming tonight. And our online viewing audience. 01:18:38,570 It is the league’s policy to record and post the entire candidate forum without editing, so that the public will see the event in its entirety and not just selected scenes or soundbites. Excerpts from edited clips of candidate forums may not be used for partisan or political purposes. We would especially like to thank our candidates for being a part of this democratic process, for running for office, and for being willing to serve our community. 01:19:03,800 The League researches issues important to our members and the health of communities. If you’re interested in finding out more about what we do and how we make a difference, please visit us at. Colon backslash Brooklyn Park, Osceola, Maple Grove, Dot. And membership is open to anyone 16 or older. 01:19:33,630 You can find more information about the candidates and about voting on vote for 11.org, which is a National League of Women Voters website or votes.org. The Minnesota Secretary of State website links to our candidate forums and additional voter information can be found on our Facebook page at facebook.com. Slash or again, thank you for coming and remember to vote in the general election on or