Patch Candidate Profile: Vicki Holst For ISD 833 School Board

SOUTH WASHINGTON COUNTY, MN — This fall, Woodbury and Cottage Grove residents will vote on school board members for South Washington County Schools.

Vicki Holst is one of nine candidates running for School Board in the Nov. 2 election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Are you running for School Board? Contact Morgan Reddekopp at morgan.reddekopp@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Age (as of Election Day): 54

Position Sought: ISD 833 School Board Member At Large

Party Affiliation: Non-partisan

Family:

Husband Brad and kids Brianna (24), Hunter (22), Mykaela (20), and Adrianna (18)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education:

BS in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Occupation:

Substitute Teacher in District 833 (4 years)
Reading Recovery Teacher (3 years)
Pre-Kindergarten teacher ( 4 years)
Kindergarten teacher (1 year)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Campaign website: www.vickiholstforschoolboard.c...

Why are you seeking elective office?:

Now that my husband and I are empty-nesters, I have time to give back to our school community, in which I raised my family. With my background in education, I want to be a voice for students, teachers and taxpayers. I believe the time is right for a new voice on the school board, and I am that voice - your voice.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it:

Transparency -

In Finances: The finance information isn’t easily accessible and creates the lack of transparency for taxpayers. The website changes make it harder to navigate to find specific data related to finance. Furthermore, it is difficult to completely understand. Once elected, I will meet with the director of finance to fully understand district finances so that I can help steward your tax dollars.

In decision-making: Stakeholders of District 833 find the board lacking in transparency. Since the district chose not to stream the working school board meetings recently, taxpayers need to attend in person while many are not comfortable with it during the pandemic or it doesn’t fit with the stakeholders’ schedule. This doesn’t allow the public to hear board discussions. When stakeholders hear and see discussion and dialogue between board members, it fosters transparency. Furthermore, the meetings with the superintendent and a small groups of board members before board meetings need to stop. This exacerbates the non-transparency issues. By implementing these ideas, the school board would show the community that the district is interested and accountable.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?:

As a teacher, parent, and taxpayer, I come with a viewpoint to listen to students, parents, and community members. I offer different problem-solving skills that look at students from both a parent and a teacher’s viewpoint. I am an empty-nester who has the time to dedicate to this important position instead of it being a second job.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency):

The school board has not held administration accountable to spending within their budget, even pre-COVID. The district continues to cut programs that directly impact our children’s learning such as band and support staff. Along with the cuts, class sizes have continued to increase. The board has allowed the district to continue to ask for additional funds and still be out of compliance with the 5-9% fund balance policy. The board has also adopted policies that restrict community input, divide our community, and negatively affect our diverse student population.

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?:

During the beginning of the pandemic, I believe the board worked to the best of their ability during this unprecedented time. Unfortunately, some choices the board made about grading and cumulative GPAs directly impacted high school students with a loss of money for college.
I am not anti-vaccine or anti-mask. I believe everyone has a responsibility to do what is best for them and the community. I believe in parent choice. If you find it best for your child to wear a mask, have them wear a mask. On the other hand, if you know that mask wearing is not in your child's best interest, do not have them wear a mask. This pandemic has a complex medical component that is ever changing and health care providers and experts in the field do not agree. The district also needs to learn from our local private schools who are successfully navigating without masks during this time.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

If elected, I will:
Be an advocate for students and put their needs first
Work for parent choice - parents know what is best for their children
Use common sense solutions to problem solve
Be fiscally responsible so that student’s needs are met
Restore your trust in the school board

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?:

I have an inside view of schools as I have taught and more recently substitute taught within the school district. I have spent countless hours volunteering, including a variety of volunteer leadership positions. I am a mother of four kids so understand the perspective of parents. I am a life-long learner that investigates issues and attends seminars.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?:

While serving the stakeholders of District 833, I will continue to learn and grow. I have the time and energy to thoroughly learn the role of a School Board member. I will work diligently to serve the community of District 833 with integrity, honesty, and hard work. I will be an advocate for students and put their education first! On November 2nd, vote for Vicki Holst.