Elk Mound school board candidate: Jon Voight
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ELK MOUND — Three candidates are on the ballot April 1 for two positions on the Elk Mound Board of Education.
Incumbents Jen Plemon and Holly Sweeney are on the ballot along with candidate Jon Voight.
Here are the answers to the questionnaire from Jon Voight.
• Tell us about your family: Age 43. Family: Married with four children in the Elk Mound District (oldest graduated early this year, sophomore, 7th grader and a 2 year old).
• What is your occupation?
Operations Manager for a small company in Eau Claire
• What is your educational background?
Associate Degree from Vermillion Tech.
• Why did you decide to run for a position on the Board of Education?
After recently standing before the board and addressing concerns about an issue they had voted to implement, concerns that many other parents in the room shared, I didn’t feel heard or like they took our words to heart. I’d like to promote community involvement, exploring all options when dealing with major issues and voting for what is best and safest for our children without any form of bias.
• What do you believe to be the two biggest issues facing the school district?
Teacher retention/staff shortage. Community involvement.
• How would you go about addressing those issues?
I believe an open dialog between the board and teachers is paramount to insure retention. We need to know what is important to them and what we can do to help in their success. However, it doesn’t start and end with just teachers. It takes many people in different rolls to keep the wheels turning. We have office personnel, food service workers, janitors, buss drivers, coaches, etc. all of whom are essential to the continued success of our schools.
As for community involvement, I think we need to get with the times and get the school board on social media where we can interact with parents and students and learn more about what’s important to them.
• How would you go about increasing transparency for the Elk Mound school district?
I have already stood before the board and suggested live streaming the meetings. The meetings are held at a time when many parents are busy getting their children through dinner, homework, etc. Live streaming would allow them to still tune in or watch the recording at a later date that works for them. As stated in the previous question, I also think getting the school board on social media platforms would increase transparency as well as community involvement.
• Anything else you would like voters to know?
My wife and I moved into the Elk Mound community eight years ago in part because we’re big fans of small town, down home family values and we wanted our children to attend the amazing Elk Mound Schools that we had heard so much about. If elected, I promise to uphold those small town values and work to insure that the Elk Mound School District continues to be one of the best and finest for our children.
