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Voters to decide School Board Leadership

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Ellsworth School Board Candidates
Lead Summary
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1.) List experiences that will be helpful in fulfilling the position’s duties if you win the Nov. 8 general election.
2.) What do you think are the primary challenges facing your community and how will you lead your school through these challenges?
Jeff Boltjes is seeking reelection to the Ellsworth School Board. He and his wife, Deb, have lived in Ellsworth for 16 years and have three children who attended Ellsworth Public School.
1.) I graduated from South Dakota State University, Brookings, with a degree in pharmacy. I have had the opportunity to work in many different areas in the pharmacy profession. 
I have been a member of the Ellsworth Public School board for the past 16 years.
2.) All schools face funding issues. Our challenge is to continue to get the most education out of every dollar spent. I would like to expand the quality education Ellsworth provides by incorporating more technology, with the ultimate goal of instituting the One-to-One Initiative.  The One-to-One Initiative would complement our teacher-to-student ratio of 1:9 by allowing even more student contact and also allowing parents to be more involved in the education of their children.
Lindsey Jenniges is seeking election to the Ellsworth School Board. She and her husband, Tom, have lived in rural Ellsworth for 10 years. The couple has three children. Jackson, 7, is a first-grader; Jolee, 5, is a kindergartner and Samuel is 3.
1.) I grew up in Luverne. After graduation I attended college at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a minor in family studies. I then went on to obtain my master’s degree in clinical social work from a joint program at the University of St. Thomas and College of St. Catherine.
I am a licensed mental health professional. Upon graduation, I worked for two years at a residential treatment center for male juvenile offenders. I then worked at a community mental health center where I provided school-based mental health services to children and their families, as well as provided outpatient mental health therapy to both adults and children.
I am currently in my third year as a special education school social worker in the Worthington school district. I am actively involved at St. Mary’s Church in Ellsworth, where I teach faith formation and cantor.
2.) I think one of the primary challenges facing the Ellsworth community is keeping the Ellsworth School open for many years to come. I want to continue to see Ellsworth remain an independent school district that provides a quality education to all students at all levels. I also believe that we need to provide all students with the resources (technology, social supports, etc.) that they need to be successful and make the best of their educational experience.
I feel that having a background in both the mental health and education fields would make me a great asset to the Ellsworth School Board.
My children are young, and I am invested in doing what I can to continue to make the Ellsworth Public School a great place to educate our future.
Randy Buntjer is running for Ellsworth School Board. He and his wife, Connie, have been married for 27 years and moved to the Ellsworth area 10 years ago. The couple has four children, who have all attended Ellsworth Public Schools, and three grandchildren. Buntjer grew up south of Worthington.
1.) I have owned my own auction and realty business for over 20 years. I have been a member of the Ellsworth Community Club for 12 years and have been the treasurer for the past five years. I have also been on Bethel Reformed Church board as deacon, and feel that I have the knowledge and experience it takes to make the right choices for our school.
2.) One of biggest challenges we are dealing with would be enrollment, so I feel we need to reach out to these families within the local community and make them more familiar with the benefits of going to a smaller school, and what our school has to offer their children.
Rebecca Dreesen is seeking a position on the Ellsworth School Board. She grew up in Ellsworth and attended Ellsworth Public Schools. She and her husband, Chad, have lived near Ellsworth for 14 years. The couple has three daughters, Devin, a high school junior, Morgan, a ninth-grader, and Brekkyn, a first-grader.
1.) I worked as a program director for a juvenile corrections facility for 17 years. My experience includes working with the public as well as with coworkers (being a team player and leader).
Growing up and attending school in Ellsworth will help me fulfill the position with open eyes as I have seen and experienced many changes within the school district throughout the years.
2.) Since this is my first time running for school board, my goals are simple … as a small school district I want to keep the school open by providing a quality education to all students who attend Ellsworth. The district has made substantial progress the last couple of years, and I hope to continue to build on the success that has been achieved through changes that have been made.
The biggest issue or challenge that I foresee would be keeping the school open. Ellsworth is a very small school district, which can pose ongoing issues.
I would love to see all three of my children graduate from Ellsworth because the school district has a lot to offer every student. I am running for school board because I want to make a difference and help keep the community alive. If I want my voice to be heard, then I have to make an effort to do my part in the community, which includes the school district.

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