I grew up on a farm south of Tracy and graduated from Tracy Public School in 1995. After college I moved back to the family farm where I currently reside with my wife, Marla, and where we raised our three kids Lauren, Lawton and Nolan. Lauren is married to Gauge Liebl from the Dawson area and they are currently in the process of re-locating to the Tracy area. Lawton is in his first year of the Diesel Mechanics Program at Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, SD and Nolan is a Senior at TAPS. My dad and I have been farming together for the last 25+ years. We raise beef cattle and row crop farm. I am also involved with the Murray County Cattleman’s Association where I have served as President and other various roles. Our family shows cattle in 4-H and I have taken an active role in the livestock committee for the Murray County Fair the last several years. Our family is also active in the St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Although there are no outside challengers for one of the open seats, it’s important to know why you decided to run to keep your seat on the school board. What compelled you to run for another term?
The reason I am running for another term on the school board is Tracy is my home, Tracy is my children’s home and there’s a good chance Tracy will be my grandchildren’s home. I think most would agree that our children are the best investment we can make. As a member of the school board, I feel I am investing in our children and the future of this community. We are at a very exciting time with the excess funds we can utilize to make some much needed improvements to our schools, and I think it is important that the right people get involved with this potential project.
The district is essentially sitting on more than $4.5 million from the construction project? How do you think this money should be spent and why?
I think these funds should be reinvested in our schools. We have a taskforce committee in place that will look to not only address immediate needs but also strive for improvements that will benefit us long term. This re-investment signals to our school community that we are committed to providing a top-tier education and that we are responsive to the districts’ evolving needs.
Declining enrollments are nothing new to this school district. How can the district keep progressing despite that?
A very important piece to this is exactly what I addressed in the previous question. By reinvesting these funds into critical improvements, we can create an appealing environment that attracts families, gives faculty a greater sense of pride in their work and encourages student retention. We are surrounded by communities that have either built a new school or made large updates to their buildings. There is some allure to a new space, and we can’t let that be one of the reasons we lose numbers. We must continue to invest and improve the school experience for the students.
