Chamber of Commerce forum introduces MPCSD School Board candidates

MT. PLEASANT — With all seven Mt. Pleasant Community School District Board of Director seats up for election due to redistricting, Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Relations Committee hosted a forum of the candidates Monday night.

The “get to know you” style forum consisted of a series of prepared questions for the contested candidates regarding key issues for the community and businesses.

Contested candidates include:

Two At Large — Four-year term

Angie Blint (not present at the forum)

Michael Hampton

Dana Millard

One At Large — Two-year term

Josh Maher

Kevin Schrader

One Director District 2 — Four-year term

Danny Graber (not present at the forum)

Sarah Donnolly

Kevin Sandersfeld

Henry County Health Center Foundation Director and member of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce board of director Mark Hempen welcomed the public to the forum held at the Mt. Pleasant High School media center.

Despite running for the contested four-year at large director seat, current school board member Angie Blint was unable to attend the forum due to scheduled work travel with Lomont Molding.

In her absence she submitted comments read by Hempen at the beginning of the evening.

In her comments she stated that her whole family is from Mt. Pleasant. She, her husband, and daughter graduated from MPCHS, and she currently has a son at Mt. Pleasant Middle School.

She went on to state her connections to the community include previously participating in the MPCSD PTA, currently working for Lomont Molding.

“The role of school board director is challenging and rewarding,” Blint wrote in her comments. “We get a front-row seat to listen to issues that arise and need attention but also to all the wonderful activities and achievements of our students and staff and that is why I would like to continue to serve on the board.”

“I want to continue to help MPCSD grow, make positive changes, and provide our students the best education possible,” she wrote.

Blint’s comments included a list of her strengths including listening, keeping an open mind, and asking questions.

“When asking questions and making suggestions one of the keys to providing our students the best education possible is making sure we have the right resources in the right places,” Hempen read Blint’s comments. “This is an area of opportunity for us. Finding and retaining high-quality employees is a challenge and it is not unique to education. This will continue to be a focus.”

“Another challenge is space and facilities,” Blint said. “The district needs to continue to invest and be creative on how to best use educational spaces. I believe with the right staff, community support, active administration, and a diverse board we can continue to work together to make Mt. Pleasant Community School District a better place each day and help to empower our students to achieve without limits.”

The rest of the forum included introductions from the candidates followed by six rounds of the contested candidates answering randomly drawn questions.

During the introductions current school board member and district two candidate Kevin Sandersfeld shared that he and his wife both come from Mt. Pleasant where they spent the entirety of their kindergarten-12th grade education and they have three children currently enrolled in MPCSD.

Sandersfeld is currently serving his third term with the school district.

“It’s been very rewarding,” he said. “It’s been challenging at times over the year, but I would ask for everybody’s continued support and of course I appreciate past support for my years on the school board in the past.”

According to Sandersfeld, he is running for a position on the school board again because he wants to give back to the community and “ … pay back those who paved the way for us when we were younger.”

In addition to listing patience and a willingness to listen as important qualities in a school board member, Sandersfeld shared his mission statement for running.

“We can always agree to disagree,” he said. “We’re never going to agree on every topic 100% every time. That’s just life. However, the most important thing is to come together as a collective for our kids because they are our future and that’s what we’re all here for.”

Sandersfeld started the question portion off by answering where he would see the district in 10 years, 20 years, and how he would help get it there.

In response, Sandersfeld said he sees the district expanding.

“I foresee ourselves expanding our futures, expanding our facilities, bettering them, and keep on improving,” he said.

How does he plan to help get the district there?

Sandersfeld expressed intentions to communicate well, be a voice from the community, listen well, and advocate for students.

When Sandersfeld answered a question about censorship, previously answered by another candidate, he stated that his biggest desire was to ensure that books were kept age appropriate.

Sarah Donnolly, also a candidate for the one district two seat, shared that she moved to Mt. Pleasant in 2011 with her husband to open a chiropractic business.

While Donnolly did not grow in Mt. Pleasant she says her husband did and she currently has three children enrolled at Harlan elementary.

“We’ve been very active in the community since we’ve been back here and we care about Mt. Pleasant,” Donnolly said. “That’s a big reason why we’re running.”

Other reasons given by Donnolly for her run include caring about children’s education, retaining teachers, and wanting to see the community grow overall.

Among her qualifications, Donnolly listed time spent working in human resources, her ability to attract and retain talent, her leadership skills, and her ability to manage leaders.

When Donnolly answered a question about what particular skills or experiences would qualify her to serve a school board member she once again touched on her background in human resources.

“I’ve been able to reduce turnover,” she said. “I’ve been able to increase engagement and really manage effectively through leadership and teach others how to lead too.”

She specifically detailed that during her time working in human resources at Walmart distribution center the turnover went from 30% to 18% in a few years’ time “ … using a detailed strategic plan.”

“I know how to do this,” she said. “I do it on a day-to-day basis.”

When Donnolly answered her second question about how to ensure the safety of students and staff she succinctly commented that the district needs to upgrade their disciplinary guides to reflect details for grade specific instances.

“One thing I would like to have is a detailed disciplinary guide per grade level,” she said. “I introduced that at a board meeting last year in January. That’s something that people need to know.”

She concluded that ensuring a safe learning environment and keeping teachers safe is one of her top priorities.

Michael Hampton, candidate for one of the two four-year at large seats, introduced himself as a longtime resident of Mt. Pleasant with his wife since 1972.

They have raised three children and two foster children that all graduated from MPCHS.

“I have been active in the community,” Hampton said. “I have been a coach. I have been an educator in the classroom for 23 years. I taught in the Mt. Pleasant schools.”

Additionally, Hampton’s active role in the community includes participation in the noon rotary, festival of lights, and the jail committee task force.

“Why am I running for the school board of Mt. Pleasant Community Schools?” Hampton concluded his introduction. “I’m an advocate for public education. Public education is being attacked.”

After concluding his introduction stating that there was an attack on public education, Hampton fittingly randomly drew a question asking what he saw as the current challenges facing public education in the state and country.

While he restated that he feels some unspecified groups are targeting public education, he listed specific issues as well.

“I think some of the issues are investment money,” he said. “Some people say you can’t keep throwing money into something that doesn’t get better. Well, we forget what teachers are being faced with every day.”

“Not only are they teaching,” he said. “They’re being the social worker; they’re being the discipline. There are so many different actions they have to take during the course of the day.”

“ … Also, we have the issue of vouchers,” Hampton continued.

He explained that he felt the vouchers were “fine, “; but “ … the private schools are not accountable for their dollars. They do not have to tell the taxpayer where that money is being spent. Public schools to dot the “I’s” and cross the “T’s” to show where every dollar is being spent.”

Hampton then addressed the topic of grade-alike schools in his second round of questions.

“This is tough,” he said. “Right now the school board has decided to move the grade-alike buildings and goa way from the neighborhood schools.”

Hampton stated that there were pros and cons on both sides.

He said pool resources and collaboration would be a positive outcome, but start times could prove to be a disadvantage.

“One thing I would suggest is staggard start times for parents that have kids in multiple elementary schools,” he said before the one-minute timer chimed.

The other four-year at large candidate Dana Millard introduced herself as “ … a product of southeast Iowa.”

Millard graduated from MPCHS and has two students currently enrolled in the district.

She comes to the election with a background in marketing and communication.

With this, Millard says she wants to use these skills in a position on the school board to increase communication with the public on what is happening with the school district and community.

“I spent the last nine years working in economic and community development,” Millard shared. “My main role being connecting business and education.”

Millard says showing children the opportunities for them in Southeast Iowa is a passion for her, and she has exercised that passion over the last eight year by serving on the governor’s STEM council for Southeast Iowa.

“STEM education is something that I want to bring to Mt. Pleasant in more robust form,” Millard said. “I think we have places to grow there.”

Much like Hampton, Millard also received a question that aligned well with her introduction when she answered how the school district can better engage with local businesses with technical education programs.

“Like I said I was in economic development for the past 10 years, and this was my main role to connect our business and education so that local students know what local careers are,” she said.

“One of the things I’m very passionate about is Career and Technical education,” Millard said. “I grew up in Southeast Iowa. I graduated from Mt. Pleasant and I didn’t know what kind of career opportunities were here until I started working with Mark at the radio station for an internship while I was in college.”

“Getting that experience of going into economic development you learned so much about what kind of careers are available in Southeast Iowa and you can make a good living with it.”

Millard said she wants to increase these kinds of connections for students and education if elected to the school board.

In her second question for the evening, Millard also stated that her economic development background would assist her in working with the whole school board to accomplish tasks.

Kevin Schrader, who is running against current school board member Josh Maher for the two-year at large seat, began his introduction with gratitude for those already supporting him and a little lighthearted humor.

“I think it’s just time for me to give back a little bit,” he said. “You know, I think it’s just part of what you do.”

Schrader, who is a small-business owner in Mt. Pleasant with his wife, sent three students through MPCSD and currently have four grandchildren in the district.

“I want to bring business sense to it,” he said.

While Schrader said he had a lot to learn from educators, he felt he could bring a lot to the table, as well.

“I think after running a business for 40 some years that I think I have a little bit of experience that I hope I can bring to the table,” Schrader said.

Scharder once again broke any possible tension during the forum as he joked his question asked for his favorite pizza before he read is actual question.

Instead of talking about his preference for pepperoni or sausage, Schrader answered what he hoped his key accomplishments for the board would be during his years of service.

“I look at it and I think we are a proud community, a good community,” he began. “We got great people.”

“So, how do you improve all that?” he said. “Well, you make it just a little bit better. You know there’s always room for improvement.”

Schrader proposed keeping teachers on board would play a role in accomplishing this.

“How do we give them that incentive not only with pay but by giving them the place where they can teach the best?” he said. “That’s one of the things I’d like to do.”

Staying true to his desire to focus on bringing business sense to the table, Schrader also stated he would like his key accomplishments to include financial sense.

Schrader said he wants the district to save as need but also use resources to retain teachers and staff.

He also began to touch on wanting to keep the community involved, however, the one minute timer cut his answer short.

When Schrader answered his second question about engaging students in technical careers more, he referenced utilizing the iJAG program and getting kids out into the community more.

“It’s going to take a lot of work and effort on everybody’s part,” he concluded.

Maher, who moved back to Mt. Pleasant approximately 10 years ago, has long family history in Mt. Pleasant.

“I graduated from Mt. Pleasant, my wife graduated from Mt. Pleasant, my parents graduated from Mt. Pleasant,” he said. “My grandparents are here. [My wife’s] parents are here.”

He has one child currently enrolled in MPCSD and will have a kindergartner entering the district next year.

Some of his community involvement includes rotary, Kiwanis, St. Alphonsus and Main Street.

Maher is also part of the McGwinder board.

“For those of you that don’t know, that is the McGwinder board is the group of Realtors in town that funds the building trade program for the school.”

Maher is a licensed real estate agent with Cottage Realty and his wife is partner at Mt. Pleasant Dental Associates.

“When I am not doing any of the community involvement stuff or my job, I do stay home with the kids,” he added.

According to Maher, he is running for this seat because he has young children and will be in the district for “quite a while” and his family is already “very community involved.”

Following his competitor Schrader, Maher matched his humorous tone during the question portion of the evening.

“Kevin [Schrader] I wish I could answer that question as well, but instead …” Maher said then read his question from the chamber asking for his thoughts and/or concerns regarding censorship of books and academic texts.

“So, my favorite pizza is …” Maher started and trailed off as many laughed.

Maher shared his thoughts on censorship, but added the caveat that the school board’s decisions on those matters would be determined by what federal and state government decides.

He then referenced reading Fahrenheit 451 in high school.

“If I remember correctly, they took all the books and then threw them in a pile and burned them,” he said. “ … I thought that was ridiculous then, I think it’s ridiculous now. We should have our books and be able to read them.”

“I do not want any pornography in the schools,” he continued. “Right, no pornography, but for our historical books, they should remain here. Students should have access to them.”

Maher wrapped the questions with his expectations for where he would see the district in the future.

He leaned on his experience already on the school board as he talked about expectations for the future previously and how he has seen the board specifically be flexible as new opportunities presented.

He also said he would like to work on teacher retention.

Thanks to MPCHS’s media team MPTV-Close up, the entirety of the forum is available to watch on their YouTube channel to get to learn more about each of these candidates before the election Nov. 7.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com