Michael Crist:

No Response

Sara Getchell:

1. What motivated you to run for a USD 373 BOE spot?
“My 8-year-old daughter was a big inspiration and encouraged me to run. I’d been attending board meetings and speaking during public comment times, but wanted to do more to bring about the changes the youth in our community are asking for. The best way to change things is to get involved.”
2. What has your experience been with the school system so far? Did your experience encourage you to run and make changes?
“My family moved to Newton during Covid and my daughter started kindergarten. The experience was not what I expected or what I personally had experienced in school. While some of the differences were due to Covid restrictions not all were and that’s when the first thoughts of trying to bring about change started. It should be easier for parents to navigate the system, find necessary resources and get involved. Communication is key and I feel we can make significant improvements in how we engage with students, parents and the community.”
3. Focusing on Newton High School, how do you believe that the school district can do better in improving the school’s environment?
“It starts with creating a culture of trust and transparency where all students feel safe, valued and respected. I’d like to engage with students to create a shared vision for the type of change you’d like to see in our schools, district and community. High school students have the unique opportunity to mentor younger students, be catalysts for change and ultimately decide the future of our community by getting involved. What do you want being a Railer to mean?”

Heidi Hoskinson:

1. What motivated you to run for a USD 373 BOE spot?
“I am motivated to seek a local office because there is an exceptional opportunity right now for innovation, vision, forward-thinking and fundamental change in our educational system. We are uniquely positioned in Newton to take advantage of a preschool-to-college graduate framework that could position our young people well for the challenges they face in the 21st century. We have resources within our small community that others do not have. We can think differently about the opportunities we offer our children so that they might be educated, find meaningful work, discover their purpose and thrive. But we must take risks, think creatively and work together to make that dream a reality.”
2. What has your experience been with the school system so far? Did your experience encourage you to run and make changes?
“I am a product of public [schools] in Colorado. I have a bachelor’s degree from a state college, a graduate degree from a regional state university and a doctoral degree from an R1 flagship university. I have over 10 years of professional experience working at state-affiliated higher education institutions. I am the parent of a current USD 373 public high school student. As a parent of a USD 373 student, I have had the opportunity to interface with the school district in multiple ways. Those interactions have been high quality, friendly and helpful; even when the situation necessitating the interaction was challenging. My experiences definitely motivated me to run and use my knowledge, resources and energy to support the current system and encourage future innovation and achievement.”
3. Focusing on Newton High School, how do you believe that the school district can do better in improving the school’s environment?
“Communication, transparency, and consistency are important competencies for any institution, but particularly for Newton High School which continues to serve an increasingly diverse community of learners and their families. These are three areas in which I believe Newton High School can do better. I look forward to helping the high school and truly the entire school district strengthen these skill sets as a member of the School Board.”

Ian Long:

1. What motivated you to run for a USD 373 BOE spot?
“What motivated me was the desire to help the next generation reach their true, unlimited potential. I noticed that there was a need for transparency, stability and trust to be put back into our district. Watching over the last few years by going to school board meetings, seeing how things were being handled and taken care of, I felt that the best way to help promote change was to take an active role in trying to make change.”
2. What has your experience been with the school system so far? Did your experience encourage you to run and make changes?
“The experiences I had, as you may well know, my children were students at Walton Rural Life Center during the situation earlier this year. My experiences with the school district have been mostly positive, just certain situations and decisions that were made have helped reinforce the urge of running for office.”
3. Focusing on Newton High School, how do you believe that the school district can do better in improving the school’s environment?
“I think that the first thing that should be done is having a direct collaborative effort with not only the students but the faculty at the high school. It’s easy for someone at the top to issue out orders, to tell someone what they can and cannot do, but that’s easiest for those who have that ability in those positions. I think the best way we can provide support and benefit the high school is actually interacting with high school students, actually asking ‘What are some of the things you want to see in your school, in your environment?’ High school is a very important, fundamental time in anyone’s life. I think the best way for one to truly be a part of it, is to have ownership and directly address with students the things the board and administration discussed and changes they want to see.”

Mallory Morton:

No Response

Melissa Schreiber:

1. What motivated you to run for a USD 373 BOE spot?
“As a long-time Newtonian, 33 years, parent, community leader and proud graduate of Newton Schools, I wanted to see pride in our schools and community. For me, it was about serving as a parent, stepping up and doing whatever I could to bring PRIDE back to our school district and community community. My husband, born and raised Newtonian, and I chose to stay in Newton after college to raise our family. Our experiences as parents and community members led to me running for board of education in 2019, at a time when lots of questions centered around our schools. Having served the past four years I have a greater passion for our schools, students, families and staff and more understanding of the public school system and board of education.”
2. What has your experience been with the school system so far? Did your experience encourage you to run and make changes?
“I have served four years on the Board of Education; the last three years as Vice President. Currently, the board of education representative for the Infant Toddler Program and the Distinguished Alumni Endowment Committee. My first few months involved a more in-depth learning of public schools, the hiring of a new superintendent followed by working through a pandemic. Having experienced these events firsthand has allowed me to form the needed thought processes for a board member. I have learned and continue to learn to ask good questions relating to the goals and needs of the district while also considering if a matter is within the scope of the board or the administration team.”
3. Focusing on Newton High School, how do you believe that the school district can do better in improving the school’s environment?
“Promote and celebrate the many opportunities; successes of students, and teachers! I hope for a school environment where students want to be there to learn, be involved and be with friends.”

Ericia Stevens:

1. What motivated you to run for a USD 373 BOE spot?
“I started to consider running for this position a few years back- at the last BOE elections, but decided against it at the time. This past year was really hard on the BOE and I want to bring my experience as a local business owner and school district parent to the table. Both of these roles in my life have given me talents and qualifications that I think can benefit the school district, such as information/data-driven decision-making skills, business finance operations, and strategic planning and goal implementation. As a mother of three, with my youngest starting school next fall, I will be in the district for a long time, and I want the best education for not only them but all of the children in the district. Therefore I feel like I need to at least offer my time and talents as a leader to our community and school district.”
2. What has your experience been with the school system so far? Did your experience encourage you to run and make changes?
“Yes! I was actually asked last year to join the CTE pathways as an advisory board member and that really opened my eyes to what NHS and the district have to offer. I grew up in Texas and went to a very small school, therefore I really love that Newton is able to house and offer the CTE program and students can have a bit of a head start into adult life. I do believe that after seeing the program and learning more about it over the past year, this really did help me decide to run because I truly believe there are so many great things happening.”
3. Focusing on Newton High School, how do you believe that the school district can do better in improving the school’s environment?
“I’m going to have to answer this a bit more generally. From the issues that have come up in this past year, I believe that “consequences should be carried out with equity and consistency” per the Railer Way Code of Conduct, I also believe that consequences should fit the action, regardless of who the student is, whether an athlete/drama club/etc. This would be a great start to helping the environment grow.”

Scott Zimmerman:

No Response

Election Rundown:

With 100% of votes reported, incumbents Melissa Schreiber and Mallory Morton, as well as newcomers, Ian Long and Ericia Stevens, were elected onto the USD 373 Board of Education.