It’s Time to Vote for the School Board

The City/School Board election is fast approaching. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, it will be time to go to the polls to chose the leaders of two very important entities: the city council and the school board. This week the school board will be highlighted.

As it stands, Lindsay Porter is not seeking re-election. She is retiring after four terms or 16 years of service. Kyle Helmerson has served one term on the board and is seeking a second. Two new candidates seeking a first term are Jessica Boyer and Josh Housman.

A questionnaire was sent to the three running, with Boyer and Housman answering the same questions. Helmerson’s are somewhat different due to his four years of experience on the board.

The current directors are Becky Hays, Jen Loyd, Mike McBeth, and Kyle Helmerson.

Kyle Helmerson-returning board member seeking 2nd term:

Q1. Tell the voters about Kyle:

A. I married in 2017 to Jessica (Lerdal) Helmerson. Parents Greg and Shelly (Schroder) Lerdal and Brad and Deb (Miller) Helmerson. All are graduates of New London High School. We have two boys, Rhett, 7, and Rush, 3. Rhett attends Clark Elementary and Rush is a future Tiger. I have been a New London Tiger all my life graduating class of 2011. I attended Simpson College in Indianola for three years where I studied Athletic Training and I also had the privilege to play football and baseball. In 2014, I applied for Palmer College of Chiropractic, Graduated with my Doctorate of Chiropractic in 2018. I Started my career in Mt Pleasant and made my way home where I opened my own practice, Helmerson Chiropractic in July of 2020. I am extremely proud of my hometown and school.

Q2. How long have you served on the school board? What do you enjoy about serving on the school board? What, if anything, is challenging about serving on the school board?

A. Serving on the school board the last four years has been an honor. I have found it rewarding to see the impact of our decisions and how they support our school. We are blessed with some of the best staff and students who continue to make me proud to be a member of the school board and this community. The most challenging part as a board member is wanting the best for our kids, staff, and town but having to make decisions based on the financial stability of the school. It’s not always fun to say no to something you truly believe in, but keeping our school’s future in mind is always a top priority.

Q3. What do you think your main responsibilities are as a school board member?

A. My main responsibilities as a school board member are to make sure our school is a safe and inspiring environment for our students, teachers and staff to thrive in. While keeping them as our top priority also keeping in mind the impact of our decisions on the community. As I touched on earlier, the financial stability of our school is also a big responsibility for me as a board member to ensure our current and future success of our school.

Q4. What is your opinion on the current state of New London district schools? Based on your answer to the first part of this question, what goals do you have for the New London district?

A. I believe the New London School district is in a great shape to keep thriving in the now and in the future. We have made decisions that have continued to grow the school but at the same time keeping us financially responsible. There is always room for growth. As a district it is vital to continue pushing forward toward the future to better our school, students and staff. Goals I would have for the district would be keep supporting our students, teachers and staff so they can continue to grow while also staying financially responsible for the future of our district.

Q5. What projects/changes/improvements have occurred during your tenure on the board of which you’re particularly proud?

A. We have been able to improve athletic facilities to inspire our student athletes to be the best they can be. Our testing results have improved due to the update of our academic curriculum/programs. We have been able to update classrooms in the elementary and high school. We have been able to provide competitive salaries to insure we have qualified and dedicated employees. This year we added the new FFA program with the support of the community. This program allowed us to hire a local community member and to inspire kids to explore a new opportunity. We were able to welcome SRO Officer Roberts who has made a positive impact in our school in keeping our students and staff safe. We have made it a priority to maintain or lower our tax levy to keep cost affordable for our town. I am proud of everything we have accomplished and am grateful for the people who have served on the board and will continue to serve.

Q6. Are you of the opinion that the district’s financial health is good? If not, how will you address this issue?

A. I do believe we are financially healthy. We had to make some adjustments to do so but as a board we are always making that a top priority. We have to make a lot of hard decisions, but everyone has done a great job staying financially responsible and figuring out how to support the teachers, students and staff to the best of our abilities.

In closing, Kyle reiterated, “I really appreciate all the support the community has shown me over the past four years, and I hope they continue to support me! If anyone has any questions, I am always willing to answer at any time. Go Tigers!”

We will now have a Q&A with Jessica Boyer and Josh Housman. Both are seeking office for the first time. They were given the same set of questions.

Q1. Why are you running for the Board of Education?

Jessica Boyer:

A. There are few things I’m more passionate about than New London and its school district. I’m seeking a seat on the Board to help ensure that New London CSD remains strong, sustainable, and open for generations to come. I want to be one of the five decision-makers who help guide our district’s future with integrity and accountability. With many years of experience in school business, I believe I can be an asset to the board — especially now, as the district faces declining enrollment and a significant decrease in general fund reserves.

Josh Housman:

A. I am running for a position on the Board of Education because I believe personal agendas are taking a front seat to the running of our schools. I want to see the Board and community get back to talking about and improving on our school system rather than spending time on personal agendas. We need to remember exactly who this is all about and it’s our children. It is not a venue to air personally perceived “wrongs.”

I have skin in this game. I have two children and several nieces and nephews attending the New London Community School District. My sole focus is to continue to improve the place where they get their education. No negative agenda — just the drive to make NLCSD the best District it can be for my children and the other children in our community. This community helps to support my family in so many ways. I want to take this opportunity to give back.

Q2. What do you believe is the role of a school board member?

Jessica Boyer:

A. The Board of Education has two primary responsibilities:

1. To create, review, and uphold board policy.

2. To hire, set goals for, evaluate, and, when necessary, terminate the Superintendent.

Beyond that, board members serve as stewards of taxpayer dollars and advocates for students, staff, and the community.

Josh Housman:

A. The role of a school board member is to oversee and develop policy and oversee and address budget concerns. The Board of Education supervises the Superintendent and the budget as mandated by the State. The School Board assists in creating a vision for the district and leaves supervision of the day-to-day operations to the Administration, again as mandated by the State.

Additionally, I believe the role of a school board member is to respect and enforce the Chain of Command in dealing with issues. It is important that the school board allow administration to effectively do their jobs and to back those administrators and staff with clear and consistent policy.

Q3. What is your opinion on the current state of New London district schools?

Jessica Boyer:

A. The New London CSD campus has never looked better. Our facilities are modern, welcoming, and up to date — something our community should take great pride in. New London also has a top-notch staff, from hardworking non-certified employees to caring, highly qualified teachers who make learning more of an experience rather than a “sit and get.”

Josh Housman:

A. I believe the school district is in good shape with great administration and wonderful teachers. But? I believe we need to get back to people doing their jobs so that the Superintendent doesn’t have to pick up the slack. This would mean some tough decisions and conversations, but everyone should be expected to do what they get paid for.

I also believe we are in good financial shape in spite of tough decisions due to government limitations. I think we can continue and I want to help. I believe we have good teachers/coaches/administration. I want to help keep it that way.

Q4. What do you see as the most pressing challenges facing our district and how will you address them?

Jessica Boyer:

A. Challenge #1: The Financial State of the District

The board must work together to rebuild financial stability and restore reserves to a balance of around $1 million — appropriate for our district and essential to maintaining independence. As a member of that team, I’ll prioritize responsible spending by asking questions, identifying efficiencies, and exploring creative ways to stretch our resources.

Challenge #2: Enrollment

New London currently reports 134 open-enrolled-in students but is losing 91 resident students to other Iowa districts. It’s important that we understand why families are choosing to attend elsewhere and work to address those concerns. Our focus should be on keeping resident students in our schools whenever possible. Each resident student generates $7,988 in per-pupil revenue. While open enrollment revenue transfers between districts, certain categorical funding — additional state aid — does not follow the student. Losing those funds also means losing spending authority.

Josh Housman:

A. With the government cuts, there will be financial challenges to face and overcome. I have a common sense approach to spending. Saying “no” sometimes, even under pressure, is a necessity. We all want our children to have everything available to them they could want and need. Sometimes, we have to balance “needs” vs. “wants.”

Q5. As a board member, what goals do you have for the New London district?

Jessica Boyer:

A. Financial Stability — Restore and maintain New London CSD’s financial health to ensure the district remains stable and independently operational.

Academic Excellence — Provide students with the high-quality education they deserve. Academic data should be reviewed more than one time per year so the Board can stay informed of student progress.

Community Voice — Our community deserves the opportunity to address the Board directly — whether to share an idea, recognize someone, or voice a concern after following the chain of command. (Of course, all public comments must remain respectful and professional.)

Josh Housman:

A. I would love to see the trades programs in New London continue to be emphasized and improved upon. I am in the trades, myself, and it is important that the children know they can make a very good living in the trades. There are options for our children and we need to make sure they know about them and can learn about what interests them. I think our current Board has done a wonderful job in improving our trades opportunities. I would like to help continue that progress.

Q6. As a school board member, what are your budget priorities and/or budget concerns?

Jessica Boyer:

A. The district reports that its General Fund balance fell from $1,032,820 on July 1, 2024, to just $693,424 by June 30, 2025 — a decrease of $339,396 in a single year. For a district our size, that kind of decline is significant and highlights how important it is for the board to stay closely engaged in financial oversight. The 2024—25 school year illustrates what can happen when budget monitoring isn’t as close as it should be. The Board must ask thoughtful questions about expenditures before approving them and use the Certified Budget as a guide to prevent continued overspending.

Josh Housman:

A. I understand that, even with cuts in funding, the New London Community School District is in good financial shape. I also understand we may have to continue to make cuts because of the constraints put upon us by the State. I would be happy to help to determine what we need and what we might be able to do without in order to balance our budget. This is getting harder and harder every year and I believe I am in a good spot to provide assistance.

Q7. Tell us about you … family, hobbies, anything that you want the community to know?

Jessica Boyer:

A. My husband and I moved our family from California to New London in 2002 when our daughter was four and our son was just two months old. We bought my childhood home because there was nowhere else we wanted to raise our family. Both of our children graduated from New London High School and later from the University of Iowa — our daughter is now 27 and our son is 23.

My husband works at Continental, and I currently serve as the Director of Finance for the Mount Pleasant Community School District after spending 20 years with New London CSD. In our free time, we enjoy traveling to visit our kids — one in Memphis, Tennessee, and the other in Brooklyn, New York.

Josh Housman:

A. I have lived in the New London community since 2001. My wife, Jackie, and I have two children in the New London Community School District. I will NEVER take my children out of this district and I expect to live the rest of my life here. My children participate in almost every extracurricular activity and I am vested in helping to keep our sports and extracurricular programs alive — both for my own children and other children in the community — and for making New London Community School District even more attractive to people looking to move here. I work full-time but am available to attend to school board business as needed. I will definitely make time for any issues that demand my attention.

Thank you to these three candidates. After reading their thoughtful answers, it seems the voters will have to carefully consider each candidate and make their decision.

Next week: The City Council candidates will have their say. Remember, the election is Tuesday Nov. 4th.

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