Before the 2025 Spring Primary Election, Seehafernews.com asked the seven candidates running for a seat on the Manitowoc Public School Board three questions. The questions were why are you running for school board, what do you want to see the district do with $161 million need for fixes, and what other issue do you find the most important issue for MPSD. These are there responses in order of which they were recieved.
Mary Lofy Blahnik
- I am running for school board because I am very interested in using my educational knowledge and experience to support Manitowoc students and our school community. In 2024, I retired after 33 years in public education (7 years as a teacher, 26 years as an administrator) and I am seeking to give back to education by volunteering my time on the school board. My husband Jeff serves as the Town of Manitowoc Town Chairman, and we are both driven to serve others.
- It will be important to use the Interim Superintendent’s staff and community sessions to listen to each other and build knowledge. Hopefully there are no hidden agendas and there is a willingness to use the input that is provided by both stakeholder groups. I am certain there is some common ground there, and it will be needed, as there are some difficult decisions that will need to be made. If trust is not built using the process, it will become increasingly difficult to tackle the facilities challenges that lie ahead. Asking the community to spend money on either new or existing school buildings is a “big ask,” but an investment that needs to be made for our children.
- Each student deserves a high quality education and the school board should help govern a system that supports its staff and students. I am concerned about how the function of the MPSD school board has shifted away from governance. I believe I can work with others to refocus the leadership approach that the school board has been using. Having worked in seven school districts, I bring experience to help the board work on its consensus building and a systems approach to school improvement and raising student achievement.
David Bowman
- My school board agenda will be to do what is best for the students and their education. The goal for the MPSD should be to offer a student-centered learning environment at all levels. Students should feel “seen” and “see” themselves in what they are learning. Research has shown that students who have been given appropriate levels of autonomy, feel competent and can relate to the learning, have far better retention of knowledge and a deeper understanding of the underlying principles of the discipline. Teachers should be empowered to practice the art of teaching. They should be able to adapt their curriculum to meet the students where the students are, not just where the manual says they should be. In my conversations with teachers, many have stated the loss of being able to present learning experiences that are varied has resulted in less ownership for both them and the students. At the middle school level there is less time available for electives. I am a firm believer that education should engage mind, body and spirit. This is a challenge, but when successful, the learning experience is a spark that will ignite a fire in our learners.
- Again, my answer is to do what is the best for the students and their education. Do the buildings we currently have allow for the flexibility that is needed not only now but over the next one hundred years? At this point I can’t say that they do. Our challenge of declining enrollment calls into question our need for all of the schools that we currently have open. Decisions will have to be made following hard discussions with staff, students and the community. Change is hard and brings up a lot of emotions. But having these challenging conversations will, I hope, encourage us to recommit to the importance of education. Providing the best facilities is imperative to creating an environment that results in the best outcomes. As we work together to move forward, perhaps we can take a lesson from one hundred years ago when a contentious discussion resulted in a close vote to include the LHS tower. The tower that almost didn’t happen has become an iconic symbol of our district. We need to match that foresight and commitment to launch the next one hundred years.
- The way the state has legislated school funding, open enrollment and vouchers is a growing concern for the MPSD and virtually every other public school in the state. The state, which promised to fund two-thirds of costs for Special Education has short-changed the district as much as 3 million dollars per year for years. The reimbursements haven’t even kept pace with inflation since about 2010. Meanwhile, our state has a 4 billion dollar surplus. The end run around the state constitution in order to fund vouchers is also hurting our district. As Benjamin Franklin said, “The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.” I would like to help our board and other boards in the county reach out and work with our state officials to encourage legislation that helps all students in the state. “Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.” -Max Roser.
Michael Retzinger
- There are two major issues that have motivated me to seek an elected position as a member of the School Board for the Manitowoc Public School District (MPSD). Both issues are considered “top priorities” to me. Issue 1 – According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the MPSD ranks in the bottom 10% of school districts in Wisconsin for student performance in reading. It is almost criminal to me that this is tolerated. This is not a teacher issue. I believe our teachers in the district are doing everything they can to help students learn to read. The poor student performance in reading is the direct result of the current school board members’ and administration’s failure to recognize, acknowledge, and address the desperate need of parents to develop skills allowing them to help their children learn to read. As a board member, I will work to change this. My experience as an educator and clinician working with children and their families, makes me uniquely qualified to assist the district in developing programs and strategies to empower the parents in our district to help their children reach their full academic potential. Issue 2 – The school tax portion of my 2024 property taxes increased by 17.2% this year! As a member of the Manitowoc community for more than 40 years, I would be willing to pay more taxes to my school district if our students were performing to their potential. If elected, I will use my position as a school board member to encourage the district to utilize new funding to develop programs and strategies that will provide opportunities for parents to develop skills that allow them to assist our teachers in the education of Manitowoc’s children.
- The current MPSD school board and administration are at fault for allowing our schools to deteriorate to the point where the School Board will be asking – and expecting – taxpayers to come up with $161 MILLION to make the necessary repairs. This is wrong, wrong, wrong… The first thing I want to see in the MPSD is a new school board…this is the start. This new school board will be challenged with directing the administration in developing a long-term maintenance plan that will put an end to this continuous cycle of asking taxpayers for more money. It is not sustainable to continue along the district’s current path.
- As a MPSD School Board candidate, I view these 2 issues as being the most important issues the district must address successfully. The current MPSD School Board and Administrators don’t appear to have the answers. Our students are struggling, our buildings are deteriorating, and our parents don’t have access to the skills they require to help educate our children. We as a community deserve better. I have entered this race for a position on the school board because I believe I can help.
Ann Holsen
- I am an MPSD graduate and adult educator in the private sector hoping to positively contribute to our community as a member of the School Board. I am running for school board with a non-partisan approach. To me, this means focusing on evidence-based decision making, the effective use of resources, and prioritizing the well-being and success of students, without politically charged dynamics. To achieve this, I encourage Evidence-Based Decision Making. I intend to listen and learn from those in the community, including parents, teachers, students, and local leaders. It is important to use data, research, and input from educational experts to guide decisions. Let’s focus on evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes in lieu of ideological, political, or personal agendas. Let’s foster open communication between the school board and the community and support policies that foster positive relationships between students, staff, and parents.
- I commit to transparent and efficient use of district funds, ensuring taxpayer money is spent wisely on educational priorities. Emphasis should be on accountability in budgeting and spending decisions, with a focus on supporting teachers, staff, and essential services and maintenance. Recent board meetings demonstrated fiscal responsibility for our taxpayers ensuring that a $25 million referendum will NOT increase the tax levy. There was thoughtful discussion that differentiated needs vs. wants with respect to referendum verbiage and line-item inclusion. Keeping critical maintenance as the sole focus of the referendum assures that we are pursuing what must be maintained for a safe environment that is conducive to learning. A potential partnership with local contractors, especially those who support youth apprenticeship programs, could show pride in workmanship and community ownership of our essential infrastructure maintenance needs.
- Focus on student success and educator support is essential for a viable and competitive district that attracts families to our community. I will support initiatives that directly benefit students, such as improving academic outcomes, increasing access to extracurricular and post-secondary opportunities including apprenticeship programs and Rising Phoenix, as well as fostering inclusive environments for all learners. I will champion initiatives that ensure all students, regardless of their background or circumstances, have equal access to quality education. Support for educators and staff goes hand in hand with student success. I recognize the critical role of educators and staff in the academic and emotional development of students. Professional development opportunities and resources that teachers need to succeed in the classroom are an essential precursor to student success.
Brayden Myer
- I am running because I believe in the American Dream. With education focused on academics, students receive the knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s world. To do that, we need traditional education emphasizing reading, writing, and arithmetic. When schools focus on education over politics, student achievement soars through the roof. I have a unique and fresh perspective in this race. I graduated from Lincoln High School in 2023, and I am the only candidate who has experienced the modern education system as a student. I can provide the school board with this valuable knowledge to improve decision-making which benefits all parents, students, staff, and community members. As a former congressional staffer for Congressman Glenn Grothman, I have professional government experience assisting constituents with their needs. I have served on boards of directors and have budgeted conservatively. I am the Vice Chair of the Manitowoc County chapter of Moms for Liberty. I am a lifelong resident of the MPSD. I graduated Lincoln High School in 2023 with my Associate’s Degree and 91 college credits through the Rising Phoenix program. In December 2023, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with my Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. I minored in Public Administration & Democracy and Justice Studies. I have a certificate in Organizational Development. I am a lifetime member of the National Society of High School Scholars, Phi Theta Kappa, and Phi Sigma Pi. I am proud to be a We the People candidate and strong constitutionalist. To learn more, visit “Brayden Myer for School Board” on Facebook and my website myer4mpsd.my.canva.site
- I am in favor of maintaining facilities. The significant number of urgent facilities needs can be attributed to years of neglect by prior school boards. When you kick the can down the road, problems become worse. When problems become worse, new ones often form. This also ends up increasing the amount of cash which needs to be spent to repair our district’s facilities. It is important for students and staff to be safe always. It would be a tragedy if one day a roof caved in and people were injured from something that could have been prevented had facilities been maintained properly. There is a $25 million borrowing referendum on the April ballot to address some of these needs. The district should prepare two plans they can bring to the board after voters decide to approve this or not: (1) A plan to address the rest of the needs if the referendum is approved. (2) A plan to address all the needs if the referendum is rejected. If the referendum is rejected, the district should return to the Three Phase Facilities Plan introduced last summer. If that plan was approved at the time, the district would have already saved $1 million by the end of this school year, and we would already be on our way to fixing these needs.
- I believe that the superintendent search is the most important issue facing our district right now. Our current board president hasn’t moved quickly enough in the search process, which may mean that we miss out on the best candidates that are being interviewed. Whoever the next superintendent is, there are important qualities he or she should possess for the school board to make the best possible choice. First, the superintendent needs to be impartial. When dealing with questions, problems, and concerns, all parties should be treated from an impartial stance. There should not be any hidden agenda or bias. Second, the superintendent should have the knowledge to know how to deal with everything that will arise, and if he/she does not know, then know who to ask in order to obtain that information. Third, transparency must be upheld. The superintendent must be clear with what his/her intentions are. Anything occurring should be brought to the board’s attention without delay. Answers to questions must be clear and concise. Fourth, the superintendent should be committed to ensuring the district is financially stable for the future. The district needs to solve its problems adequately while not spending a fortune. This includes being capable of forming a strategic plan which aligns with our district’s goals while incorporating a fiscally conservative approach. Fifth, public relations need to be maintained. A superintendent must facilitate conversations in a timely and appropriate manner with the public. There are other qualities a superintendent should possess; those are just a few.
Chrystal Myer
- I am running to return our district’s focus on what is best for all students. I have been involved with the MPSD for over 30 years and have four children who graduated from Lincoln High School. During my children’s time in the MPSD, they had wonderful teachers and received a great education. Our district needs to return to the basics (reading, writing, arithmetic) which will bring success to all students. As the only candidate with experience serving on the school board (three consecutive terms and as president) I believe my knowledge will be an asset to the school board. As a member and non-member, I have served on several committees and been involved in various activities within the MPSD. A school board should consist of community members with various backgrounds. As a mother, taxpayer, and member of the community with no direct connection to the school district, I bring an unbiased perspective to the board. I ask you to vote two Myers on February 18th and April 1st to return our district’s focus on what is best for all students.
- The district needs to begin fixing its facilities, this isn’t an option. For years, our buildings have been neglected. If elected, I will advocate to begin meeting our district’s needs immediately. If we do not get the ball rolling on this, more fiscal mismanagement will occur with more problems that would be formed costing the taxpayers more money. While the district has proposed the option of tearing down Lincoln High School and building a new high school, I believe that is not the way to go. Lincoln High School is a beautiful historic school. I support fixing what needs to be fixed at Lincoln, which would cost significantly less than tearing it down and building a new school. We also need to keep the conversation alive on rightsizing our district. Over the past decade, enrollment has declined significantly, causing our district to receive significantly less funding, not enough to keep paying for all the schools.
- One of the most important issues is the district is facing pressure from special interest groups to implement their agenda in the schools. This is aimed at dividing us. Special interest materials do not belong in public education and should be removed. The school district needs to remain non-partisan, free from personal and ideological agendas. As a school board member, I would represent the community and not be pressured by these groups. I would not be incentivized by any financial attempts to sway my vote toward an agenda. The government and its elected officials must be held accountable to the public.
Lisa Anne Krueger
- As a MPSD parent I have gained experience advocating for my children and helped many other families. My advocacy began in 2018, when my oldest child was in 5k and we had to navigate numerous challenges and work to get his Individual Education Plan (IEP) properly implemented. This motivated me to begin attending numerous school board/committee meetings. Since February 11th, 2020 I’ve attended approximately 125 meetings. My involvement and dedication in the last five years, knowledge of the Districts procedures, coupled with the countless number of meetings I have attended will be an asset if given the privilege of being elected. I have already established a network of MPSD parents who continue to reach out for my assistance with advocating for their children. It would be a privilege and honor to represent our school board as an official member. I care deeply about our district and want to continue making positive changes for the continued success of all our students, staff, and parents!
- I would like the school district to cut costs by relocating administrative offices into school buildings and selling the current administration building. Selling the administration building would be beneficial because administrative staff would have a daily presence in our schools. I would also like to review the budget and looking for any other opportunities to save money. I will prioritize any repairs that involve the security or safety of our students and staff, followed closely by any needed/fiscally responsible improvements that can help with district efficiency.
- Behavioral issues are towards the top of the list of timely concerns we are facing together as a district and as a community. It truly does take a village to raise our children and the more parental and citizen involvement we can promote, the better. Specifically, I would immediately advocate to re-institute the Ad-Hoc Behavior Advisory Committee. I feel strongly that working together in an organized fashion as a cohesive community is our most achievable line of defense for addressing these ongoing behavioral issues. Addressing these behavioral issues and proactively updating our collective SOP (standard operating procedure) will improve the quality of curriculum delivery, increase safety in the classroom and provide a better working environment. This will complement the incredibly important efforts aimed at retaining our quality educators here in our MPSD. As a special needs mother I know that ALL behavior is a form of communication. There are many child-specific approaches to support behavioral challenges. Together, parents and educators can forge an effective new path for success for our children and be there to help them navigate their frustrations.
