Elk Mound Board of Education candidate: Mark Cedarblade
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Mark Cedarblade
ELK MOUND — Four candidates are running for three positions on the Elk Mound Board of Education in the April 7 election.
The candidates are Mark Cedarblade, Michael Jenson Jr., Patrick Rhude and Tim Sivertson.
The Colfax Messenger sent out questionnaires to the candidates.
Here are Mark Cedarblade’s answers to the questionnaire.
• What is your occupation?
Buyer for Mason Companies in Chippewa Falls.
• Tell us about your family.
I have been married for 27 years to my wife, Shelly. We have two daughters, Hannah and Sophie. Sophie will be graduating from Elk Mound High School in May 2020 and Hannah graduated from Elk Mound in 2018. Sophie plans to attend UW-LaCrosse and major in finance. Hannah is a sophomore at UW-Eau Claire. She is majoring in Unified Early Education and she plans on being an elementary school teacher.
• What is your educational background?
I attended grade school and high school in the Pepin School District. In 1985, I graduated from the Chippewa Valley Technical College with a degree in Marketing.
• Why did you decide to run for the Elk Mound Board of Education?
I am running for re-election to the Elk Mound School Board of Education as I believe in the importance of ensuring that every child receives a quality education. By being a part of the school board, I feel that I can contribute by helping each child become successful with their future, whether that be preparing for college, the workforce, or serving our country. To help the children of the Elk Mound School District, we need to be truly thoughtful and always remember to put our kids first. As a parent of two students who have attended the elementary, middle school, and high school, I truly appreciate the high level of education they have received. I would like to see this quality education continue as we prepare each student for the competitive landscape and their bright future. I hope that by being re-elected as an active member of the school board, I can continue to bring new ideas, potential solutions to challenges, and life experiences that can add to the discussion and broaden the potential of all students.
• What makes you suited to serve on the school board?
I think that a school board member should be involved in the school district he desires to represent. I have been actively involved with the Elk Mound School district as a parent, volunteer, and coach ever since our daughters were in preschool. I volunteered with my wife at all the PTO events when our daughters were in elementary school. When they moved up to middle school, I helped coach youth basketball and softball. Finally, when our daughters went to high school, I have been a contributing member of the Booster Club. I have supported all of the athletic teams and extracurricular clubs such as the Fine Arts Club. I have seen first-hand how these school experiences, whether on the field, in the gym, or on a stage have positively influenced the children who have been involved.
My employment history and strong work ethic demonstrate that I am willing to do the work necessary to accomplish a common goal of providing the best educational opportunities for the children of the district. In my current work position as a buyer for Mason Companies, I work with a diverse group of individuals from all over the world on multi-million projects. I have demonstrated that I listen to understand rather than listen to reply. It is important to understand what the problems or issues are before coming to a conclusion or trying to solve the issue without knowing all the facts.
Lastly, I know the value of working together as a team to accomplish goals — something that is critically important.
• Besides the budget, what do you believe to be the biggest challenges or issues facing the Elk Mound school district?
I believe the proposed Elk Mound Area School District referendum is addressing the biggest challenges and issues that the Elk Mound School District is experiencing. Since the last referendum in 2010, our district has been fortunate to grow 12.6% where other school districts have experienced a decrease in their enrollment. This increase in enrollment brings challenges to our facilities. As a result of this growth, we have limited classroom space and the band and chorus room, library, weight room, and middle school gym all need to be expanded.
The safety of our students and staff is very important. We need to make sure all school entrances are secure. This is why we need to approve the funding to secure the elementary and middle school entrances to limit and regulate who enters our buildings. In addition to the building updates, we need to alleviate the congestion in the middle school parking lot to ensure the safety of our students. School should be a safe place. A safe learning environment is essential for students. Without a safe environment, they may not be able to focus on learning the skills needed for a successful education and future. We need to do everything in our power to mitigate the risk of violence in our schools.
Another issue is ensuring we provide the proper educational opportunities to prepare our students for the growing demand for skilled professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. We need to update our technical education facilities to provide a better learning environment.
Lastly, we are seeing an increase in students with social and emotional needs, it has become challenging for educators to find effective ways to prioritize, teach and assess social and emotional skills. We need to figure out a way to provide high-quality learning experiences and environments that empower students to be more effective contributors in their classrooms today and become responsible citizens who seek to contribute to our society in positive ways.
• How would you suggest addressing those challenges or issues for the Elk Mound school district?
I believe in the importance of ensuring that every child receives a quality education. The district needs to be transparent and listen to their needs. We need to make ethical, sound decisions that are accountable and fair, so all opportunities and funds are managed in the right places. Our school board needs to be an advocate for our students, support and encourage our teachers, and ensure our reputation for excellent education is held intact.
• What other ideas do you have for improving the school district?
We need to be fiscally responsible with our budget and continue to plan for the future. We live in an ever-changing world that continues to evolve every day. With this fast pace, school board support is key for our educators/teachers, staff, and administrators to make sure they have what is needed for them to continue providing a high level of education for our children. We need to meet the needs of all our students. I don’t think we can only focus on academic achievement. We need to also focus on the
physical and emotional well-being of our students, staff, and administration. We need to make sure our students and staff have what they need to develop to their full potential and become successful, thriving individuals.
