Meet the School Board Candidates

Kristen Karcz

Name: Kristen Karcz

Bio: I was born and raised in this great State of Wisconsin. I grew up in the farming community of Pulaski, WI, north of Green Bay, Go Pack! Picking rocks, riding bikes down back country roads, and climbing trees was a common occurrence. I attended college in the U.P. at Michigan Technological University where I earned a degree in Biomedical Engineering with a Master’s in Business. I worked hard as a student-athlete, contributing to several successful seasons on the Women’s Basketball team both as a player and a Graduate Assistant Coach. 

I am an active member of the Mount Horeb community and have been for over 15 years. I spend time being a positive role model for youth through coaching and volunteering. I love the outdoors, health and wellness, athletics, crafting, cooking, baking, gardening, and enjoying time with family and friends. My husband, Dan, and I have three amazing, strong-willed children, Olivia (9), Jackson (7), and Eve (3). 

Why are you running for a seat on the Mount Horeb Area Board of Education? 

Karcz: I care about the children and educators of this district and want to give back to them with my passion, time, and energy. 

Which qualities, skills and/or experiences make you the right candidate for the job? 

Karcz: I have the right expertise and motivation to help the district set and follow-through on a strategic vision to gain back what was lost over the pandemic. I have refined my skills of project management, relationship building, and strategic planning and executing over a long career in managing complex projects in Healthcare. I help grow business process to be efficient, scalable, and successful.

The past two years have been difficult for everyone, including children and teens in the Mount Horeb Area School district. What has the school district done right during the pandemic, and what should it do differently moving forward?

 Karcz: No response. 

The physical toll of the COVID pandemic is clear and fairly easy to quantify. The long-term developmental, psychological and emotional damage caused by the pandemic (and the steps taken to try to fight it) are much harder to gauge. But it’s clear that people – particularly children – are increasingly isolated and fearful, and that learning outcomes have suffered, in Mount Horeb and across the country. How can the school board balance the risk of physical harm from COVID with the amorphous problems the fight against the pandemic can cause?

Karcz: No response. 

The local school district includes about 2,500 students and serves eight communities. It receives $30 million in funding annually, and receives 40 percent of the local tax bill. Talk about the current state of school funding, and your vision for its future? 

Karcz: We need to ensure the current funding is being allocated intelligently and supports the strategic plan set forth. In addition, as we set the stage for new ideas and new needs, we should carefully and efficiently disperse our funds. Our focus should be toward improving the facilities our children and teachers utilize, ensuring we gain and retain top talent, and helping support those of greatest need.

What, as you understand them, are the responsibilities of a local school board member? What is the scope of your responsibilities if elected? Local issues? County issues? State issues? National ones?

Karcz: To advocate for the children of our district first and foremost, setting vision, goals, and priorities that align with the best outcomes for all students. If what we accomplish at our local level is highly successful, I am well-equipped to help our board expand our reach.  

Who are school board members elected to represent? With the complexities and problems of the pandemic thrust upon everyone in a way that was maddening for pretty much everyone, the community debated whose interests the school board should be looking out for, particularly because those interests do not always run in tandem. Students? Teachers? Parents? Taxpayers? 

Karcz: We represent the interests of all parties, students, teachers, parents, and taxpayers. To best facilitate thriving and successful students, we need to support our teachers and parents. Ensuring our community members are engaged and support the strategic plan of the district will require balance and an open mind.  I believe there needs to be a better balance of viewpoints to move our district forward and away from division.

What can the school board do to promote and protect local government transparency?

Karcz: No response. 

How do you define Critical Race Theory and what do you feel its role, if any, should be in the classroom?

Karcz: CRT originated as a study of the inequities among races in our US law system. As a school board, we should always review our policies and procedures to ensure they are not the cause of inequity. Our policies and procedures should be void of any form of segregation.  

If elected, what are your top priorities? 

Karcz: I want to represent the children, parents, and teachers of this community and make their priorities my priorities. In doing so, I hope that some of my own vision resonates with others. Here are some of my hopes:

To adopt goals and policies that empower children to forge the tools and skills to thrive and love learning for life. 

To help formulate greater variety and avenues of learning; to allow all children to pursue their individual talents and succeed beyond any set standards.

To advocate for kids and support teachers in their efforts to embrace every child’s uniqueness.

To help ensure community input and transparency on funding allocation.

To actively listen and consider all perspectives, recognizing that everyone’s situation or experience informs their beliefs, behaviors, and decisions differently. 

To always align decisions with what is holistically best for our district’s children and express the why for those decisions.

What are the school district’s biggest challenges in 2022 and beyond? 

Karcz: Overcoming the social, emotional, and knowledge gaps of our children post pandemic without overwhelming them. Our teachers, parents, and students will need support and positive strategies to gain back what was lost. Everyone has processed and responded to the pandemic differently and as such the divide in learning and social and emotional intelligence has widened. We need to carefully consider our move forward so as not to leave anyone behind. One way to do this is to address staffing concerns.  

What are its greatest opportunities?

Karcz: We have great people in this community, great educators, great kids, and great parents. We have the opportunity to set aside differences and focus on working together toward the common goal of lifting up our children.  We can give them a place free from division, where they feel safe, supported in their uniqueness as well as their common bonds. We want to empower them to rise as new, well-rounded leaders. 

What role can/should local schools play in addressing mental health issues in the community? 

Karcz: We need to continue to be a positive place for children, one free of bullying and full of respect for one another. We can create a safe environment that breaks down the stigmas associated with mental health, allowing for sharing and directing to those best equipped to provide necessary help. Again, as a community, we can and should support each other from children to adults in our battles with mental health issues. 

Three years ago, the Mount Horeb Area School district completed work on $38.5 million in building expansions and upgrades approved and paid for through a voter referendum. It was the largest successful referendum in district history, and future referenda are currently in the works. What role should these ballot measures play in funding the district going forward? 

Karcz: No response. 

What is the district currently doing well? 

Karcz: No reponse. 

In what areas could it improve? 

Karcz: No response. 

In a very crowded field of candidates, what message would you like to make sure voters hear about you and the job you would do on the board if elected?

I am a passionate and dedicated parent who truly cares about all the youth in this community. I will have their best interests at heart and carefully consider all points of view before making decisions. 

Should this article be featured?: 
Yes

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