UPDATE 11/1 | Stillwater School Board Candidate Q&A
Use this page as your starting point for a wide range of candidate views and information before you choose three (3) names on your school board ballot. Update 11/1: Candidate Q&A below now includes the St. Croix Valley Gifted forum (10/16), Woodbury Bulletin, and Stillwater Gazette.
You support St. Croix Valley students and strong schools by being an informed voter. Information about Minnesota voter registration, polling locations, and early or absentee voting appears at the end of this page.
St. Croix Valley Gifted is your local chapter of Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented. Learn more about our local efforts and contact us with any questions.
Candidate Questionnaire Responses
Click on each name below to view candidate responses to the St. Croix Valley Gifted questionnaire. There you also will find candidate campaign websites, social media pages, and links to candidate Q&A from the Woodbury Bulletin.
Amy Burback | Robert Craggs | Chad Gamradt | Mike Ptacek |
Jerry Clark | Tom DeGree | Donald Hovland | Sarah Stivland |
Michelle Deziel | Jennifer Pelletier |
Other Resources: Candidate Views & District Fact Check
Local Coverage of Candidate Views
- Stillwater Gazette 2016 Voter Guide, including candidate Q&A (10/28/16)
- Woodbury Bulletin coverage of the St. Croix Valley Gifted forum (10/19/16); links to Woodbury Bulletin Q&A at each of the candidate pages in our Q&A section above
- School board candidate interviews at the Pioneer Press (10/5/16) and Country Messenger (10/20/16)
- Replay schedule on Valley Access Channel (Channel 15) of the Stillwater Gazette‘s school board candidate forum (originally held Monday 10/10) or watch online below:
Stillwater Schools Fact Check
At the October 13, 2016 School Board meeting, Stillwater Area Public Schools leadership provided a data fact check on financial and other matters connected to implementing the BOLD proposal that have arisen during candidate campaign and community forum conversations ahead of Election Day.
The school district published an FAQ that addresses the same six myths or perceptions presented at the school board meeting in the video below (presentation and discussion from 1:27:00- 1:50:00), or click here to open in your media player:
- The district spends too much on administration.
- The district could cut its consulting budget and save enough $ to keep all schools open.
- The timing of the contingency boundary process was politically motivated.
- The district really won’t have extra classrooms if schools stay open.
- After paying for Brookview, the district will only have $268K of anticipated savings from school closures to reinvest in other schools.
- District expenses should be decreasing if enrollment is decreasing.
Minnesota Voter Information
Election Day 2016 is Tuesday, November 8. Early voting continues in Minnesota through Monday, November 7.
- Where is your Election Day polling location? – pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us
- Are you registered to vote in Minnesota? – mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterStatus.aspx
- How can you vote early or vote absentee in Minnesota? – www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote or watch the video below
- Where can Washington County residents cast an early vote in person?
- Cottage Grove Service Center, 13000 Ravine Parkway S, Cottage Grove
- Headwaters Service Center, 19955 Forest Rd N, Forest Lake
- Woodbury Service Center, 2150 Radio Drive, Woodbury
- Washington County Government Center, 14949 – 62nd St N, Stillwater