Home municipality
Town of Oregon
Home ZIP code
53521
Our district is addressing student achievement by offering programs and services that meet the needs of our students. At the high school level we have a strong youth apprenticeship and work experience program while also providing rigorous coursework preparing our students for college and careers. The support provided by our community for an operating referendum that allowed for additional interventionists in math and reading is critical ensure the needs of ALL students are met.
Surveys indicates that they feel safe. Physical safety has been enhanced through security upgrades this school year and more are planned. A positive school climate is an important issue and one that requires constant check-ins. The board can support an improved climate by highlighting the successes of students and staff and providing the necessary resources and tools to address our challenges. We are challenged by external factors regularly but teachers and school leaders make our buildings a welcoming and supportive environment.
Yes - as a smaller district, enrollment changes are more challenging and require diligent review to ensure the district is efficiently using the funds provided to it. I’m glad our district is proactive on these issues and hope that it can continue to be so. Growth and changes in the area will continue and as a result anticipated increases in enrollment require planning and preparedness. The district is involved in both a strategic planning process and facility audit to ensure we can best meet the needs of students and community. Partnership and collaboration are key aspects of this effort.
The Board is a local office but funding support of public education is dictated by the actions of our state legislature and the Governor. The state has not met its promises - leaving school districts to become overly reliant on property taxes. As a result, property taxes are increasing throughout the state and can significantly impact on those on a fixed income and residents homes may have increased in value dramatically. I plan continue advocacy efforts to push the state to honor its commitment to public education. Making school funding a political football hurts kids.
School District of Belleville Board of Education - Appointed Dec 2024, Elected April 2025
School District of Albany Board of Education - 2016-2022, Board President 2017-2022
Volunteer Firefighter 2013-2022
US Navy Reserve 2003-2013
Recent work experience includes serving as a public safety telecommunicator (911 and Police), and public policy analyst for state, local, and federal governments and in the non-profit sector
In addition to these roles, I’ve served as a youth coach and taught three summer classes as a volunteer in Belleville.
I’m glad that my three children are benefitting from an education in Belleville and appreciate the many wonderful teachers, support staff and peers they are able to spend their days with.
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Home municipality
Town of Exeter
Home ZIP code
53508
Preferred pronouns
she/her
Continue to monitor scoring data and hone in on our weakest areas, including aligning our curriculum across the schools. This is our current practice, and it is making a difference.
Beyond test scores, student achievement for me means our kids are growing and thriving socially, emotionally, and psychologically. That means retaining opportunities for our students to find connection to others via extracurricular activities, student organizations, and community engagement. However we can provide more students with a sense of belonging and community will promote their achievement in all areas.
In general, yes - students and staff feel safe in our schools. School safety can be driven by a lot of factors, not all of which are in the district's control (or budget). Some of the most impactful safety measures cannot be bought. We have incredible school staff and a community filled with supportive and kind role models. The school board can certainly prioritize physical safety measures, but even more important, in my mind is creating a psychologically and emotionally safe space by hiring and retaining caring and compassionate district staff and volunteers.
If Belleville's enrollment begins trending in a significantly different direction, I'd work with the district staff, board members, students, and community members to identify adjustments that might be necessary. Currently, our student enrollment trends aren't changing much, and we continue to monitor potential increasing or declining enrollment trends as the Belleville community continues to grow!
I'm particularly interested right now in working with our school admin team, staff, students, and families to discuss Artificial Intelligence (AI) and come up with a plan for how it fits into our schoolwork, teaching tools, and curriculum. This emerging technology is evolving rapidly, kids are already engaged with it, there are very few guardrails around its ethical/safe use, and AI literacy and engagement is a skill that employers are increasingly looking for.
I've served my first three-year term on the school board, and am now seeking re-election. My first year on the board, I served as Clerk, and the two following years I've been serving as school board president. During that term, we've experienced 4 administrative staff changes, including a new district administrator; we've welcomed several new board members; and we've worked through some unique situations as a board, seeking community feedback to inform decisions along the way.
