Cadott School Board candidates speak out before primary election

By Ginna Young

With two open seats on the Cadott School Board and five interested candidates, a primary election needs to be held Feb. 16, for voters to settle who will fill the available positions. Prior to that, the candidates let their voices be heard on issues they feel are important within the district.

Cory LaNou

As a parent to two children in the district, local taxpayer, Town of Arthur chair and business owner, Cory LaNou feels he has a solid understanding of what the Cadott School District needs.

“I believe in setting aggressive goals and then making them happen,” said LaNou. “I have a proven track record of that personally, professionally and politically.”

LaNou also believes that transparency with the community is of the utmost importance, along with ensuring that everyone understands what the problems are, what decisions are being entertained and encouraging as much input from the public as possible, which results in a better school district.

“I truly believe that we all want the same things,” he said.

While LaNou says there is a strong sports program in Cadott, many students don’t participate in athletics and there is a significant lack of after-school extracurricular activities.

“This leaves them left out, feeling not included and leads to poor performance academically,” said LaNou. “I have participated at other schools that have these programs and have seen the results. My goal is to bring a new level of activities to our district, for all of our students to benefit from.”

LaNou says his No. 1 priority, if elected, will be to raise the level of academic excellence in the Cadott School system.

We have seen a steady decline on our District Report Card, while our neighboring schools have remained relatively the same,” said LaNou. “While there are a number of contributing factors for this, the bottom line is that we need to do better.”

Kevin Roshell

Kevin Roshell says there are a few reasons why he’s decided to run for school board – including his four sons attending within the district, ages 14, five and two year old twins.

“I want to contribute as much as I can to help ensure all of our children are getting a proper education and that they are being set up for success in their futures,” said Roshell.

He also has concerns over the current trend of state testing grades, which in recent years, have been on a decline.

“We need to challenge ourselves to understand why they are trending this way and work together to give our children the opportunity to excel,” he said.

If elected, Roshell says he will be courteous and respectful to all board members, along with members of the community. He also says he will do his best to help ensure everyone’s voices are heard and concerns are addressed.

“There will always be different opinions on certain subjects,” said Roshell. “However, the most important thing to keep in mind, is that we are here for our children and to help ensure their future success.”

In the coming years, Roshell would like to see the school excel in providing flexible learning options for its students, along with offering a wider variety of after-school activities.

“The world is changing as we speak and there are many options that can become available that our children can actively participate in,” he said. “With properly defined goals and the community working together, we can help ensure the success of our children.”

Roshell grew up in the Cadott community, and says he is excited for his children to have the same opportunity to experience the small-town atmosphere in the Cadott School District.

“This community has given so much to me growing up and I would be honored to have the chance to serve on the school board,” said Roshell. “Everyone’s voice does matter.”

Christine Rowe

In thinking of why she wants to serve on the Cadott School Board, Christine Rowe says she thought of how other candidates would reply.

“I imagine there will be similar answers among us all,” she said. “Perhaps, things like, improve state testing scores, keep the district fiscally sound and sustainable, or having a shared passion for education. These few items are definitely a piece of the puzzle and are certainly in my focus, but my approach for running for Cadott School Board veers away from the basics a bit.”

One of Rowe’s goals, is to bring unity to the board room, to create a supportive and open environment so conversation can be had. She believes organized discussion should be a priority in the board room, when it is time for a decision to be made.

“Creating a habit of ‘tabling it’ or needing an additional meeting, due to lack of preparation, is not efficient,” said Rowe. “Many times, our community, our educators and our students, are waiting for these decisions.”

For those who know Rowe, talking out all possibilities and the aftermath for decisions, is desirable, and something that she feels can be obtained when each individual is prepared.

“There are times when a community may feel like they are in the dark, that decisions were made under the table,” said Rowe. “In my experience, I haven’t seen this happen, but things can be perceived in different ways. Decisions that are made won’t always be supported by the public, but that could be due to lack of information that has been given, or in some cases, decisions are out of the board’s hands and are state mandated.”

For Rowe, open communication and transparency are important, as well as being available to discuss things with community members if needed. In the coming years, she’d like to build more support and trust for educators, and administrators.

“We are one unit and should be running as such,” said Rowe. “These people were put in their positions, based off of their qualifications, passion and their love for children. I want them to feel empowered and trusted, these are things that drives a person to give more, set bigger goals and in the end, reach success.”

Rowe says she has complete faith in the district’s teachers’ and administrators’ talents, and that they should be allowed to capitalize on that.

“I know our board consists of members that are well educated and that know the tasks of a board member, there is experience on our board that is irreplaceable,” said Rowe. “They have proven their dedication and in the midst of COVID-19, I know that everyone put forth their best efforts.”

Char Seibel

Having served on the Cadott School Board before, Char Seibel has some ideas on how to make a positive learning environment for the students. Some ideas include changes in the ways the district’s current technology is used and community involvement.

“It’s important to work as part of the team, when making decisions involving the school district,” she said. “Some of my qualities I possess that will help me remain professional, are being open-minded, transparent and always reachable.”

Seibel says she would like to see the school district continue to grow and one of the ways to make that happen, is by using the current and improving technology. Technology, she feels, should be in the hands of the students and taught in classes.

“Being more computer literate is important, because of all the changes in what is needed today in the workforce,” said Seibel. “Students also need to have computer skills to be successful in college, if they choose to attend.”

Rod Tegels (Incumbent)

No questionnaire was returned.