School Board Candidates

• Name as it appears on ballot: Vickie Brown

• Community you live in, are running to represent: Creek Valley Schools, Chappell, Neb.

• How long have you lived in Deuel County? I have lived in Deuel County for two years and six months.

• What motivates you to seek public office? The kids of the community motivate me to ensure we are doing our due diligence in preparing them for the future by providing a well-balanced education and support system for them to grow and thrive.

• What experience related to the office do you bring? I bring educational and professional experience to the school board position. I have 30-plus years of continuing education along with a technical career with a company that supports STEM activities for School Districts across the nation.

• What are some of the issues you want to address? I want to focus the school district on our primary mission of “Preparing today’s students for Tomorrow’s World.” There are several areas that we can improve and several areas where we can excel if we just come together as a School and Community and work together to make it happen.

• Describe the duties and responsibilities of the office you are seeking. In order to be an effective school board member you need to have a clear vision for the district and set goals for the district and the superintendent and ensure you measure the progress frequently. School board members also have to be able to communicate their actions to the community. Transparency in your communications and collaboration with your community will build strong lasting bonds that will only enhance your ability to be a change agent for your district and ensure success for all students. Great school board members also need to adopt a fiscally sound budget. Understanding fiscally how your district is doing and aligning that with the strategic goals of the district is very important to maintaining a solid program.

• Why should voters support you? I believe that Creek Valley Schools have a great program. I believe that with the right school board, administration, and team we can be one of the best in the state. With a few course corrections we can achieve our mission and our goals but we just need to make the change and start moving forward. I am here for the kids. My decisions and actions are based on what is right choices for the kids and for our school program.

• How can people reach you if they have questions? People can reach me at [email protected]

• Name as it appears on ballot: Anne Rexroth.

• Community you live in, are running to represent: Gurley, Leyton School Board.

• How long have you lived in Cheyenne County? Cheyenne County has been my home for 12 years. I currently reside in Gurley with my family – my husband Ryan, and two daughters, Josette and Libby.

• What motivates you to seek public office? As a member of the Gurley community and the parent of an elementary school student, I am aware of the importance of the schools in our communities This is “my community” and I want to be involved and give back to the community.

• What experience related to the office do you bring? I’ve had experience running my own business as well as working as a staff member at the local FSA office.  Both have given me financial experience which will be beneficial as a member of the School Board, as operating costs are always a concern.  We need to get the most value for the money we invest.

• What are some of the issues you want to see addressed? The education of our children is one of the most important things I can promote as a parent and School Board Member. Providing opportunities for growth and excellence will help our graduates prepare for life after high school. When I was in school, I had the opportunity to participate in FBLA and FFA. As a member of these organizations, I attended local, state and national conventions, participating in judging and public speaking contests. These activities were an excellent preparation for college life, and for life in the business world as an adult. I can see the benefit of such activities, and support these in our school system.

• Describe the duties and responsibilities of the office you are seeking. Many of the duties of a School Board Member include the development of policy and directing the Superintendent in implementation of policy.  It is important to work together as a team for the best interests of our school district, while still voicing one’s opinion on matters and taking financial matters into serious consideration. The school budget is set, and we need thoughtfully and logically consider our decisions.

• Why should voters support you? I feel we have a great school district. We are lucky to have a strong school system, and good support for our teachers and school system in Nebraska. I’d like to work to make that even better.

• How can people reach you if they have questions?

• Name as it appears on ballot: Betsy Galloway-Carew

• Community you live in, are running to represent. Potter-Dix School District

• How long have you lived in your community? Five years.

• What motivates you to seek public office? It’s not about public office. “I’m very interested in public education.” She is a former teacher.

• What experience related to the office do you bring? “Most of the people know my background.”

• What are some of the issues you want to seek addressed? Seeking excellence in education for all kids, very interested in communication. “We need to talk to each other and what we want.” She is also concerned about the relevancy of the curricula, and open communication between the staff and students, and connection between the school and community, and community, staff and kids.

• Describe the duties and responsibilities of the office you are seeking. General oversight of the school district and the superintendent.

• Why should voters support you? “I am seeking support for communication, excellence, relevant curricula.”

• How can people reach you if they have questions? She says she is impressed with the number of people, including young people, who are calling with questions and concerns. Call 308-879-0117.

• Name as it appears on ballot. Linda S. Shoemaker or Linda Shoemaker

• Community you live in, are running to represent. The community of Potter, Neb.

• How long have you lived in your community? I have live in Potter for 47 years.

• What motivates you to seek public office?

1. To ensure that the Potter Dix communities have a viable and quality school K-12,

2. To ensure a quality education K-12, for the students with special attention to the required curriculum, and ensuring the appropriately qualified staff for education.

• What experience related to the office do you bring?

1. Employed as a Registered Nurse,

2. Chief Nursing Officer,

3. Interim CEO,

4. Corporate Compliance Officer,

5. HIPAA Privacy and Security Officer,

6. Risk Manager for Sidney Regional Medical Center over my career of 46 years with SRMC,

7. Experience with leadership and management,

8. Experience with rules and regulations, and the importance of needed policies with consistent adherence,

9. Experience as a professional mediator,

10. Budgeting experience,

11. Experience working with people and a board of directors ,

12. Have worked with Nebraska Legislature.

• What are some of the issues you want to seek addressed?

1. Ensure the implementation of checks and balances of all expenditures related to the budget,

2. Ensure a more open and professional appearance to the taxpayers of the district,

3. Accountability.

• Describe the duties and responsibilities of the office you are seeking.

1. If elected will learn more about this, however the board has fiduciary responsibility for the school as well as the superintendent.

2. The board is responsible for hiring and supervising the Superintendent and ensuring adequate performance and accountability of the position.

• Why should voters support you?

1. I have a passion for the school, students, quality education K-12, quality educators in preparation for the future,

2. My husband and I are in agriculture so I have a clear understanding of taxes.

• How can people reach you if they have questions? [email protected]

This is the responses as written by Katherine Rieken, candidate for the Leyton School Board:

• Name as it appears on ballot

Katherine Rieken

• Community you live in, are running to represent

I reside in Dalton and I am running to represent the Leyton School Board

• How long have you lived in Cheyenne County?

I have lived in Cheyenne County for 13 years.

• What motivates you to seek public office?

The students of Leyton as well as the community motivates me to seek public office. I spent seven years as a business owner and in that time I felt the community did a wonderful job of supporting me. It is now my turn to return the favor and support the community.

• What experience related to the office do you bring?

I am the vice president of Leyton’s parent teacher association known to us as PAC. In the past two years I have helped coordinate the PAC Christmas Store as well as the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast. Since the fall of 2011 I have served as Leyton Volleyball’s line judge. I have also spent several hours observing Leyton elementary classrooms and volunteering when possible.

I currently serve as Co-Chairman of the Community Christmas Drawings as well as the Chairman of the Community Easter Egg Hunt. I also worked with the Community Shepards in the spring of 2017 to help implement a Christian based pre-school in the Dalton community. Prior to owning and operating the Dalton Market, I worked in social services for the State of Nebraska.

• What are some of the issues you want to seek addressed?

I am highly opposed to one centralized county wide school district. My vision for Leyton is to increase enrollment by seeking opportunities that other area schools may not see as a priority; such as advanced placement and dual credit courses as well as providing a curriculum that balances individualization with best practice. I would like to see Leyton continue to improve the school-parent communication by making themselves more transparent and accessible. Some other improvements I advocate for are school safety and security, teacher/staff accountability, and finally I would like to see the School Board maintain a positive relationship with the community.

• Describe the duties and responsibilities of the office you are seeking.

Members of the school board shall set the vision and goals for the school district by hiring a superintendent that will implement policy according to the direction of the board. The members of the school board shall also collaborate to adopt and oversee the District’s annual fiscal budget. School Board members must also possess strong ties to the local community. Finally, all school board members should have the best interest of the student as their most important mindset over any other “line item” on the agenda.

• Why should voters support you?

If I was elected to the Leyton School Board I would bring sound judgement and a transparent demeanor. I am not afraid to ask questions and when I am approached with problems or concerns I will work to find a solution with an even temper and an acceptable disposition. I am a proponent of leadership through team work. If I am elected to the School Board I will work with other board members and the Leyton administration in order to keep the best interest of the children as the upmost important mindset. I possess strong fiscal management as I owned my own business for seven years and operated within a budget with many variations.

Finally, if I was elected to the Leyton School board I would strive to continue the positive relationships with various members of the community by working with them to ensure our children have the best education possible within Leyton Public Schools. I spent a lot of years building my own education and working as a member of a team. I graduated from Liberty High School in Liberty, Missouri in 2001. Liberty is a northern metropolitan suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. I was a member of National Honor Society and four year letter winner in volleyball as well as a member of the 5-A Kansas City All-District volleyball team.

I attended Benedictine College, a private Catholic college located in Atchison, KS where I played Volleyball and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology in 2005. I was a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. I completed six months of child protective and safety training in the summer of 2005 through the State of Nebraska. On numerous occasions I served as an expert witness in a courtroom setting involving child welfare cases.

• How can people reach you if they have questions?

Feel free to email me at [email protected]