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VOTE411 Voter Guide

ISD #200 School Board Member {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

School board members oversee the care, management, and control of schools. This includes hiring, firing, and overseeing superintendents, who manage the day-to-day affairs of the district. They also set levies to fund the district and create school policies.Learn more here: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-local-matters-why-vote-school-boardIf your candidate didn’t fill in the guide below, visit the Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing site to find contact info (https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/). If you reach out, ask candidates to complete their Vote411 Voters Guide from LWVMN!Watch a candidate forum for this race recorded on September 17, 2026.

Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.

  • Candidate picture

    Jessica Dressely
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Melissa Kinneman
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Kendal Larson
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Carrie Banaszewski Tate
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Mark A. Zuzek
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

If forced to cut the budget in the face of declining revenues, what would be your strategy? (500 characters)

How would you address any racial and economic disparities in our education system? (500 characters)

Please describe how you will engage teachers and families in your decision making process. (500 characters)

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For the past five years, I have had the privilege of serving our community as a member of the ISD 200 School Board. I bring experienced, principled leadership and a clear understanding that effective governance requires both collaboration and responsible oversight. My record reflects a commitment to expanding academic opportunities, student and staff safety, and the responsible use of taxpayer dollars. I am prepared to continue making informed decisions that expand opportunities for every student to succeed.
If re-elected, I will continue to prioritize academic opportunity, student and staff safety, and access to high-quality curriculum and instruction while making fiscally responsible decisions that keep students at the heart of all we do.
The school board’s role in addressing budget reductions is governance and oversight, not determining the operational details of individual cuts. I would support establishing clear priorities and parameters and directing the superintendent to develop recommendations that align spending with available resources while protecting academic rigor and student opportunities. I would evaluate proposed reductions by considering both their impact on students and long-term financial stability.
Every student deserves access to high-quality curriculum, effective instruction, and the support necessary to succeed. To ensure that resources and interventions are responsive to demonstrated student needs, I will continue to utilize accountability systems, such as the district’s Data Dashboard, to monitor student progress and determine whether district strategies are producing measurable results. The goal is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to achieve their personal best.
The board’s role is to ensure that students, families, and staff have appropriate opportunities to provide input while maintaining the distinction between governance and district operations. I will continue to support opportunities for stakeholder input, listen to perspectives, and review available data to make well-informed governance decisions that improve student outcomes.
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