03/29/2026
Board seat being sought: New Glarus School Board
Bio: We have lived in New Glarus almost 12 years and I have been on New Glarus school board for 3 years. We have 4 kids in the district, in the elementary and middle schools. I am a nurse and I work in Madison for a hospital providing education to our staff.
What are your top three priorities if elected to the board? I will continue to ask questions to ensure equitable policies and curriculum decisions, address budget challenges, and prioritize transparent communication in the board's decision making. I see the school board as part of the leadership team that helps support our teachers and provide a framework of stability for the students they serve.
Are you well versed in open government laws and Robert’s Rules of Order?
Open government laws provide a legal framework that promotes transparency, accountability and participation in government processes. From what I have witnessed the school board takes this very seriously and makes sure we follow the correct processes. I have acquired a keen understanding about Robert's Rules of Order since joining the board.
What steps would you take to ensure – or hopefully even enhance - transparency in local government?
I feel that our current board works together well to be as transparent as possible. I ask important questions prior to the board making decisions to make sure that we, as a board, are transparent in what the options are before us and how each option will affect the staff, students, administration and tax payers.
What is the district currently doing right?
New Glarus schools have amazing staff and administration. We are very lucky to have longevity among our staff and it allows for continuity in the education provided to our learners.
What could it do better?
Our school district is currently working on future plans in regards to what needs to be done to keep up to date on buildings and property maintenance, and what future growth may look like. We are working on what projects make sense to tackle over the next 5-15 years if we maintain our current size. When would it make sense to replace major components or renovate and what those projects might cost. This helps our district be a good steward of funds and not be caught with huge bills that could have been prevented. I would like to see continued work in this space.
Many teachers are sounding the alarm about troubling trends regarding academic integrity caused by A.I., which makes cheating incredibly easy. Many reliable reports show A.I. is now doing much of the schoolwork for many students. How can local schools ensure that students are actually engaging with the material and learning vital life skills, particularly in an environment where cheating is easy to do and very difficult to detect?
I believe we need to teach students how to utilize AI in a way that is responsible. There are many reports that AI will take over certain industries and if we do not prepare our students to be ready to interact with it they may not be able to succeed. There are many ways AI can help students, such as the program Grammarly for those experiencing dyslexia. This program can aid in fixing spelling mistakes and confusing grammar rules. When the goal of an assignment is to prove how effectively a student can think critically and not if they can spell, this program is a lifesaver. It also makes it much easier for the person grading the assignment as they are able to understand what the student is trying to convey.
With generations of data, it’s now a known fact that social media and screen time addiction are causing immense harm to young people, causing anxiety, depression and even worse. Misinformation (and disinformation) are ubiquitous, and profit-driven algorithms prey on the most vulnerable teens. What role can schools play in helping young people navigate this treacherous media landscape and stay mentally healthy?
New Glarus school district does a great job of making sure that students have connections. One of the goals within the high school is that each students participates in 2 or more activities or sports. This provides students with connections to other students, teachers & coaches and also lowers the time spent with social media/screen time. We also are lucky to have mental health professionals available to students at each school.
Wisconsin’s school funding formula has been lamented by many people for many years. It’s complicated, but in essence it places the lion’s share of the burden on local property taxpayers, punishes districts with flat or declining enrollment, and binds the hands of local districts unless they repeatedly go to referendum. Local property taxes across southern Wisconsin have also skyrocketed in recent year. Some homeowners are currently paying double what they paid in local taxes just a decade ago. The increases are driven by numerous government entities, but in general, how can local government balance the need to pay its bills and provide vital services with the need to keep our area an affordable place to live? Can local school boards somehow convince the state to fix the way schools are funded?
New Glarus is part of the 'Dane County School District Governance Consortium.' One of the main goals of this group is to advocate at each level of government for appropriate school funding. This group meets quarterly and consists of school board members and administration from each district within Dane County as well as other school advocacy groups. I have attended most of the meetings and found them to be a great way to learn more. Discussions surround key issues with the goal to move forward with a bigger voice; rather than each group pushing forward different goals. One of the pieces that this consortium advocated for in the past year was full funding of special education. While the state legislature said they would fund special education at 42-60% for the 2025-2026 school year, in actuality this will be at about 35% when actually paid out to public schools. Imagine how this might look in your own personal finances. If your car suddenly needs an expensive repair and you have not budgeted for it, you will need to pull money from somewhere else in your budget to cover this, such as your food money. This inconsistency in funding makes it difficult to plan for the year and future when this keeps happening.
Members of the board don’t always see eye-to-eye, but their debates are (usually) respectful and fairly good-natured, at least compared with many other government bodies. Explain how you would bring different ideas to the table, and even disagree, in a way that is productive, helpful, and does not detract from civil discourse:
There have been a few times in the past 3 years when I did not agree with the rest of the board on specific topics. One time we worked through a compromise by discussing which points were sticking points for each group. Another time, I asked enough questions that I felt comfortable moving to the other side. Thankfully, while we do not all agree on all topics, we currently have thorough, respectful discussions.
What are the school district’s biggest challenges in the coming years?
All school districts throughout the state will find funding challenging. Most districts have gone to referendum within the past 3 years. It has been such a swing since I was a kid when the state funded schools at a much higher rate, not relying so heavily on property taxes. For almost the past 2 decades funding for school districts has not kept up with inflation and this is really hitting hard.
What are the greatest opportunities moving forward?
New Glarus has opportunities for steady growth. We are close enough to Dane County to draw people in, but also far enough away that we likely will not grow too fast. This should allow for our district to maintain and potentially slowly grow which is an ideal situation for our community.
What’s an important local issue you feel is not talked about enough?
New Glarus is blessed with longevity of its staff. This is amazing! I do worry that we will have a year where there are a lot of retirements and therefore a lot of holes to fill in teaching positions. We have great teachers but I fear finding them may be harder in upcoming years where many schools will be vying for them.
