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Here’s how Linn-Mar school board candidates stand on priorities, curriculum
Increasing test scores, improving the district’s financial stability and building trust among top priorities of the candidates
Oct. 27, 2023 5:30 am, Updated: Oct. 27, 2023 9:09 am
Editor’s note: This article is part of The Gazette’s coverage leading up to the Nov. 7 city and school elections.
MARION — Increasing test scores, improving the district’s financial stability and building trust between parents and school leaders are among the top priorities for candidates seeking a seat on the Linn-Mar school board.
Eight candidates are vying for four seats in the Nov. 7 election. Two incumbents whose seats are up — Clark Weaver and Sondra Nelson — are not running for re-election. The seven-member board serves about 7,700 students in the Linn-Mar Community School District, and board members are not paid.
Incumbents are marked with an (i). The candidates are:
- Barry Buchholz (i), 67, financial adviser at Buchholz Financial Services
- Justin Foss, 43, senior strategic project manager at Alliant Energy
- Tom Law, 65, retired from Collins Aerospace
- Katie Lowe Lancaster, 60, pastor of First Lutheran Church
- Brittania Morey (i), 42, vice president of marketing and communications at the Iowa College Access Network
- Kevin Slaman, 71, wholesale representative at Aluminum Distributors
- Laura Steffeck, 64, business owner
- Jodi Treharne, 48, NextGen Healthcare
The Gazette asked candidates in a questionnaire about why they want to serve on the school board and their priorities if elected.
Barry Buchholz
Barry Buchholz, who has served three terms on the board over the last 12 years, wants to run for re-election because he said he is “committed to public education.”
Buchholz wants to see the district improve student academic achievement, keep Linn-Mar’s standing as a “destination” for students and staff and improve facilities, which are “critical for our learning environment.”
These priorities align with the district’s five-year strategic plan — approved by the school board in August.
To address these priorities, the school board will continue to advocate for an increase in funding from lawmakers, Buchholz said.
Buchholz said the district’s curriculum is “very solid” — determined by the superintendent along with curriculum directors who work together to review and select the curriculum before bringing it to the school board for approval.
Educators are “constantly working to improve the learning capability of all students,” he said.
Justin Foss
Justin Foss wants to serve on the board because of his strong connection to the district where his children attend.
“I have volunteered in schools since my seventh-grader was in kindergarten,” Foss said. “I have poured ketchup at lunches, read books during class, cleaned up after school carnivals and chaperoned field trips.”
If elected, Foss said his priorities include closing the education gap that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic and increase communication with the public about the district’s budget process and the need to fund improvements to school buildings.
Foss said district administrators need to ensure curriculum meets Iowa standards and provide opportunities for engaging lessons and individual teacher creativity, he said.
“It’s very clear there are groups of parents that want elements of the curriculum either included or excluded,” Foss said. “When presented with requests to restrict curriculum that promotes a better understanding of the world around us, we should seek to understand the concern and the forces behind the request.”
Tom Law
Tom Law wants to serve on the board to ensure parents have “more say in everything that goes on in schools because they are the major funds via their property taxes.”
Law would like the district to “return to the basic education requirements,” cut back on expenses not directly related to students’ education and establish more ways for parents to get involved and “get their ideas and thoughts in with the board.”
Law said when it comes to choosing curriculum, the school district should follow Iowa academic standards and work with parents “for other classes beyond the basics.”
“We need to stick to the basics,” Law said. “Not be teaching (critical race theory) and any gender-related topics. If parents want their kids to learn these topics then they can work with outside organizations to get this (information) to their kids.”
Critical race theory is not taught in any K-12 schools in Iowa, Iowa educators say.
Katie Lowe Lancaster
Katie Lowe Lancaster said she wants to serve on the board to ensure all students have equal access to a quality public school education
Her priorities if elected would be to support the implementation of the district’s strategic plan and provide residents access to “clear and concise explanations of program descriptions and limitations on specific funding sources,” she said.
Lancaster also would like to help the board tackle financial challenges, advocate for an increase in State Supplemental Aid — Iowa’s per-pupil funding formula — and advocate for students, families and staff.
Lancaster said teaching and learning instructional teams in the district provide essential training and resources to choose curriculum that meets Iowa learning standards.
“Input from students, parents and classroom teachers … would reveal additional information about existing curriculum that could add essential information for the future selection of curriculum,” Lancaster said.
Brittania Morey
Brittania Morey is running for re-election because she believes it’s the “best way to serve my community.” While serving on the board the last four years, Morey said she has gained an understanding of the role and responsibilities and takes the opportunity to have a seat on the board “very seriously.”
Morey’s priorities if reelected align with the district’s strategic plan, including addressing budget challenges, staff retention and recruitment, student engagement and achievement and facilities.
Morey said the district has highly-trained educators tasked to select curriculum who are experts in how to best educate students. The district recently updated its math and literacy curriculum to better align with Iowa learning standards, Morey said.
“The district’s teaching and learning department did a lot of testing and trials with curriculum options, allowing staff to try things out in the classroom and weigh in on the final selection,” she said.
Kevin Slaman
Kevin Slaman said he wants to run for school board because of his concern “about the direction of the Linn-Mar school system.” Slaman and his wife have fostered their 4-year-old grandson for the last three years and are considering where to send him to school, he said.
Slaman’s priorities if elected are to establish a more transparent exchange of ideas with community stakeholders and review the district’s policies and budget, he said.
“To move these priorities forward, one has to work with other board members. One person can make a difference by having open and thoughtful discussions as long as the board is committed to valuing the input of each other,” Slaman said.
Slaman said that while curriculum is largely determined by Iowa academic standards, “it would be wonderful if there were stakeholder committees that were involved in the process of review and recommendations for curricular adoption.”
Laura Steffeck
Laura Steffeck said she wants to serve on the board because the district’s academic and extracurricular activities are a source of pride for the community. However, “the good things that Linn-Mar has been known for has taken a back seat to a small group of people pushing an agenda that is beyond academic,” she said.
Steffeck said she would like to “restore common sense to the school board,” ensure district funds are being spent appropriately and rebuild trust between parents, district officials and teachers.
Parents should be “welcome to review all content and ask questions,” Steffeck said. “When a subject crosses the boundary from ‘normal’ academic subjects to ‘controversial’ subjects, parents must be included. Sex education has always been one of those subjects, she said.
“There must be an extreme effort made to include parents,” Steffeck said. “They need to be listened to and included as equals in this area. It is ultimately their children, and they are responsible for them.”
Jodi Treharne
Jodi Treharne is running for a seat on the board because she is “passionate about our kids, our district, and helping us grow, thrive and gain positive momentum … to be the very best district in the state. I know we are just scratching the surface of our full potential.”
If elected, her priorities are to “improve our image and get back to common sense policies,” Treharne said. “I don’t want to see us smeared in the media nationally or called out in a presidential debate for our policies.”
Treharne also would like to improve trust and relationships between the school board and parents through surveys and more communication from district officials, she said.
Treharne said curriculum should be chosen after an “extensive process of evidence-based research and feedback.”
“Getting feedback from teachers is critical … allowing them to speak up and say ‘Yes, I think that is a great idea and my student will respond well to this,’ or ‘I don’t think … this is a great idea and here’s why,’” Treharne said.
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
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