Pierce County voters will once again head to the polls April 1, 2025 to cast their ballots for important local village board, city council, town board and school board elections. One school district, Spring Valley, will ask voters to consider two referendum questions related to facilities and maintenance expenses.

Local races have a crucial role in shaping the lives of citizens. They determine the leadership and policies that govern schools and communities. Those elected make decisions on education, public safety, infrastructure, services, and what to do with taxpayers’ money. Serving in a public office role is often a thankless task that involves hours of discussions, research, presentations and meetings.

The Pierce County Journal sent questionnaires to candidates in local races. The hope is their answers will allow voters to get to know them a bit, what they stand for and how they would approach these roles if elected. Incumbents are marked with an asterisk*.

--- 

Two incumbents are running unopposed for two open seats on the River Falls School Board.

Lindsey Curtis*

Town of residence: Clifton Township

Occupation: Stay-at-home mom

Prior elected offices: Incumbent River Falls School Board member

Do you have children who attend the school district? Have they graduated? Yes. All four of my children (ages 12, 10, 8 and 6) are current students in the River Falls School District.

Community/civic activities: I am a current member of the River Falls School Board where I serve as Board Clerk and am a member of the Educational Program Committee. Over the years, I have been involved in a variety of organizations, many of which support children and families. I led the RF MOPS group for several years, where our mission was to help women realize their full potential as mothers. I have been an active member in our church, serving in various children's ministry programs. As the parent of four children, I am a regular volunteer in our schools and enjoy supporting many of the fantastic youth programs in our community (wrestling, hockey, softball, baseball, swimming, gymnastics, Cub Scouts, etc.)

Why are you running for school board? What are your priorities? We live in an amazing community and I am proud of our school district. I am running for school board because I want to continue to be part of the collaborative effort that builds strong bonds between our schools and our community and upholds our commitment to supporting kids as they learn and grow. My number one priority is to act in the best interest of students, ensuring our district provides an excellent educational environment that challenges students to meet their unique potential. In an effort to uphold this priority, I am committed to: -Supporting administrators, teachers, and staff as they work to meet the individual needs of students. -Working with district administration to anticipate, prioritize and plan for the responsible allocation of funds, in alignment with our strategic plan. -Maintaining transparent communication with parents and community members to ensure support for our schools remains strong.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the school district? 1. Funding: Unfortunately, the state funding formula continues to present challenges to our district and others across the state. It has not kept up with inflation and underfunds many state mandates. In spite of these challenges, our district remains committed to diligent financial planning, stretching the dollars we do receive to maximize their impact.

2. Teacher recruitment and retention: Because the success of our students is largely dependent on our ability to hire and retain high-quality teachers, we must be strategic and intentional in how we continue to attract and maintain staff. Ensuring we are competitive in compensation and creating a supportive professional environment for teachers are important priorities that will keep the very best teachers in our buildings.

What skills/experiences have prepared you for this role? My professional background is in education. I was a classroom teacher for six years and an administrator for three years. I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in elementary education. This background provides a deep understanding of many education-related topics. I am also the mom of four school-aged children. I see first-hand the important work our schools do and the impact district policies and programs have on students. As a current board member, I am familiar with board-related matters and understand district priorities. Learning from and collaborating with teachers, administrators, and my fellow board members has helped shape my perspective on effective board governance. I am a hard worker who is eager to listen, learn, and cooperate with others.

What do you see as the primary work of the school board? Is there anything you wish the public understood better? The primary work of the school board is rooted in ensuring our school district is well run and provides a high quality education to students. As a board, we have four key responsibilities: 1. Vision: We collaborate with administrators, with input from the community, to develop the strategic plan, priorities, and goals of the district and ensures the district’s budget reflects that vision. 2. Accountability: We regularly evaluate how well the district is upholding its commitment to the district’s vision and determine whether or not goals are being met. 3. Policy: We set policies to provide direction and accountability for how the district carries out its efforts in meeting the expectations set by the district’s vision. 4. Community Leadership & Advocacy: We act as advocates for the school district and seek feedback (both formal and informal) from a variety of stakeholders in the community.

What is the best way to address differences of opinion on the board or between the board/administration/the public? The school board should reflect the community it serves, representing a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. While we all serve together, board members do not always agree with one another or with district administration. In my opinion, this serves our district well and indicates a balanced representation of our community. It also ensures policies, programs, and decisions are thoroughly vetted before they are implemented in our schools. We must all navigate difficult conversations with respectful and collaborative discourse, seeking to find common ground, and maintaining our commitment to act in the best interest of students, while upholding the goals and expectations as determined by the district’s vision and strategic plan.

How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? The RFSD enjoys a trusting and supportive relationship with the River Falls community. This is due, in large part, to ensuring taxpayer resources are managed well and district needs are regularly communicated with stakeholders. A good example of our school district partnering with the community to ensure we continue providing a quality education is the passage of two referendum questions in 2024. We are grateful for that support and will remain committed to careful budgeting, responsible stewardship of funds and transparent communication in order to provide stability for our district and maintain trust with the River Falls community.

How can people contact you? I am available via email: lindsey.curtis@rfsd.k12.wi.us

Mike Miller*

Town of residence: River Falls

Occupation/profession: Banking - Loan Officer

Prior elected office: River Falls School Board

Do you have children who attend the school district? Have they graduated? Yes, my wife and I have three children who grew up in this district and graduated from RFHS.

Community/civic activities: River Falls School Board (2009-2019 and 2022 to present), RFHS football coach (2002-present), RFHS hockey coach (2014-2019), River Falls Lions Club 20+ years.

Why are you running for school board? What are your priorities? As a school board member, my first priority will always be doing what is best for our students. Our role is to give our administration and staff the tools and resources they need to educate our students to become productive members of society. As the chair of the finance & facilities committee, I have been very involved with implementing the referendum projects. The public has entrusted in us a great opportunity to keep our facilities first rate, and I take the role very seriously. We owe it to the community to be good stewards of our students and facilities.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the school district? We are living in "interesting" times. The challenge we have is to meet the needs of each student while juggling all the issues surrounding public education today. We have a society that is having a difficult time agreeing on much of anything these days and have different views on the role of our schools in the education of our students. The most challenging thing for us as a district moving forward is to find common ground that everyone can agree on.

What skills/experiences have prepared you for this role? I have been a member of the school board for 13+ years and feel like I have a good understanding of our district and community. I have raised three children in this district and have a wife who taught in public education for 20+ years, including the last six in this district. Also, I have spent 20+ years in this district as a volunteer coach at the high school. All this experience has prepared me well to continue my work on the River Falls School Board.

What do you see as the primary work of the school board? Is there anything you wish the public understood better? Our role is to oversee the operations of the district. We set the guidelines and framework for our administrators and staff to manage the district on a daily basis.

What is the best way to address differences of opinion on the board or between the board/administration/the public? First you need to listen to what others have to say and have an understanding of others point of view. You then try to work toward a common solution that everyone can live with.

How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? The school district needs to live within its means. Luckily, we have a community that supports education. The recently passed operating referendum will go a long way toward assuring that our students get a quality education. We have a dedicated staff that wake up each day with the goal of helping our students become the best that they can be.

How can people contact you? Email: mike.miller@rfsd.k12.wi.us