Why I'm running for School Board
Better communities are built through service and cooperation. Since joining the Farmington School Board in January of 2021, I have helped lead our district with purpose and positivity.
A few of the accomplishments during Board service I am proud of include:
Increasing focus on academic growth and development. And helping to establish objectives-based performance measurement and reporting methodologies.
Enhancing policies that reduce distractions in the classroom and elevate expectations for conduct, performance and results.
Improving equity in health benefits among employee groups, as well as compensation that reflects the quality and value of educators and staff across the district to improve recruitment and retention.
Working with legislators (and helping to unite districts across Minnesota) to reduce the impact of unfunded and underfunded mandates, and to fix laws improperly enacted in 2023 that eroded school safety and local management of our public schools.
During the pandemic, ISD 192 kept our kids in classrooms longer and returned them from closures faster. And we were the first in the metro area to bring back normal operations to our schools faster (e.g., ending the mask mandates, etc.).
Elected to serve as Board Chair in 2022, 2023 and 2025, as as Clerk in 2024, and as Treasurer in 2021.
My promise is to listen, and to provide a strong, outcomes-focused leadership for students, parents and community members; to communicate clearly about the issues; to seek balanced solutions to any problems we face, and to continue to improve transparency and inclusion in the decision-making processes.
Priorities
I believe communication, transparency and accountability are essential to good governance. Communication and accountability also are key to obtaining the community support needed for our schools. Going forward, Farmington Schools have an opportunity to build on our reputation for innovation, to deliver on the promise to help our students achieve more.
My priority areas of focus are:
Academic Excellence: Ensure that classrooms and teachers have the tools they need and that our facilities provide safe environments for learning.
Students and Families: Support partnerships and engagement among students, families, and teachers to enhance experiences that meet personal learning goals.
Fiscal Responsibility: Ensure the adequate and efficient use of funding. Continue to oppose State legislation that misdirects property tax dollars and undermines local decision-making.
Performance and Transparency: Improve how we measure and showcase quality. Ensure transparency in decision-making and outcomes.
I support public education. And I bring care and dedication to finding balance in meeting the priorities of students, parents, educators and taxpayers. I'm proud of my leadership and advocacy for ISD 192 and our families these past four years. And I humbly ask for your support for another term this November.
About Kyle
Lisa and I moved to Farmington/Lakeville in 2008. We have three kids in Farmington Schools. I'm currently a marketing director with a Minnesota-based healthcare IT and services company. I served in the Minnesota National Guard for 9 years (1990-1999). And over the past 12 years, I’ve coached Farmington youth baseball and basketball teams, led Cub Scout programs at North Trial Elementary School, served on the Patriotic Day Committee since 2020, and volunteered countless hours to other youth and community programs.
As a leader of the Parent/Teacher Partnership at North Trail Elementary, Lisa helped transform fundraising for extra academic programs. Today, she is an administrative assistant to the principal of NTES. Together, we’ve all experienced the rewards and challenges of raising kids in a fast-paced, digitally dependent environment.
Our daughter, Ella attends Dodge Middle School. Our sons Joshua and Evan attend Farmington High School. In all, we and our kids have had great experiences in Farmington Schools, and we’ve dedicated much of our time to helping other families enjoy the same.
My promise is simple: To listen and provide a strong, objective voice for parents and community members; to communicate clearly about the issues so we find balanced solutions to any problems we face, and to continue to improve transparency and inclusion in the decision-making processes.
Q&A
Following are answers to key questions I've received from voters and media outlets. I will update these as more are asked during this upcoming election:
Where can I learn more about you and the other candidates for School Board?
All candidates have had opportunities to contribute to voter guides and surveys, here are the most prominent resources:
Dakota County Tribune: Five candidates seek three seats on Farmington School Board
League of Women Voters of Dakota County:
Minnesota Public Radio: Build your ballot: 2024 General Election | MPR News
What qualifies you to hold this position? Why should we vote for you?
As parents and taxpayers, we all want quality, well run schools. I don't complain about problems, I help solve them. That includes digging into the data, seek input from other and helping build consensus. I bring over 25 years of marketing and business communications leadership to my work on the School Board. Throughout my career, I’ve demonstrated the ability to connect ideas and people to create new opportunities, while also analyzing data and diverse perspectives to solve complex problems.
During my first term, I helped guide the School Board through the challenges of the pandemic, focusing on collaboration, respect, transparency, and academic opportunity. In my next term, I will continue advancing academic achievement, transparency, and fiscal responsibility, while ensuring that our students, families, and teachers feel heard, supported, and connected.
Are you satisfied with the district's approach to creating opportunities for all students to succeed? If yes, what is working? If not, what could be improved?
In general, yes, I am satisfied with the district’s approach to creating opportunities for all students. Beyond the general curriculum, our students have a wide range of opportunities—from college, career, and technical skills preparation for life after high school to coursework on topics they wish to explore further.
While I may be generally satisfied, that doesn’t mean there aren’t areas for improvement. Over the past year, we have focused on literacy rates and participation in advanced placement and college/career preparation opportunities, particularly among minority and economically disadvantaged students. Specifically, when we learned that ISD 192 qualified, I advocated for the acceptance of Achievement & Integration grants. This additional funding is now being used to help close achievement and participation gaps and to hire staff with more racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Do you support the 2024 operating levy question? Why or why not? What learning areas could be added besides preserving programs that may be cut if the levy does not pass?
Absolutely. The operating levy authorization approved by voters in 2015 is set to expire, and the district is facing a $4 million to $5 million deficit next year. If this referendum fails, the budget cuts required to balance the shortfall will negatively affect everyone served by our schools. The district anticipates increased class sizes, and cuts to administrative and non-classroom support, placing additional burdens on teachers. We’ll also see reductions to athletics and activities and fewer academic programs. Further, the district will have to raise fees and restrict access to grounds and facilities, which will impact youth sports and community groups that depend on district properties for their programs.
A successful referendum will prevent these negative impacts while enabling new investments in literacy, math, and science support in our elementary schools—exactly the investments needed to address concerns about district performance on state-administered standardized tests.
If forced to cut the budget in the face of declining revenues, what would be your strategy? (500 characters)
This isn’t hypothetical. Our district has reduced spending, cutting nearly $5 million over the past 4 years. If our operating levy is not approved in November, the district will need to cut $5 million more next year. I will continue to work to mitigate the impact on classroom and instructional resources. And I will continue to help lead our legislative advocacy for relief from costly, un- and under-funded mandates.
What are your views on ISD 192's Minnesota Report Card performance? How do you plan to address this issue?
Academic performance was one reason why I ran for the School Board in 2020. For the first two years, it was a battle against the State’s Covid-19 policies just to keep kids in classrooms. Nonetheless, our concern over academic (and other) results predates the pandemic, even though the situation has worsened as a result.
A few thoughts on this: First, the Minnesota Report Card reflects results from the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) exam, a test that over 50% of FHS students don’t take. Parents opt their kids out because they’re given at about the same time as the ACTs, ASVAB, College Board, and other more consequential tests. MCA scores have no impact on grades, advancement, or graduation. State law doesn’t require students to take it, so they focus on the other exams instead.
There are other issues with the MCAs, including a disconnect between the MCA test design and the actual curriculum, and flaws with the way it is administered and how data from the results is analyzed. For example, the Science MCA is given in the year a high school student takes a science course. I know of students who have taken AP-level Biology in 10th grade, received good grades and some college credit from the College Board Exam. However, were reported “not proficient” by the MCA. It's one example, but illustrates the point that it is difficult to MCA proficiency ratings for FHS at face value.
If you look to scores at ISD 192 elementary and middle schools, where far fewer (if any) students opt out of the MCAs, you’ll see the reading proficiency more favorable to state averages, although we have some work to do in math and particularly science. But the fact is, there are other performance assessments that are more meaningful measures of school system performance. We look at results from the NWEA standardized tests in grades 2-8, which are given throughout the year and assess learning growth. And the ACTs, which are more about college and career readiness. In these, you see Farmington’s results more in line with state and national norms. Here’s a link: https://www.farmington.k12.mn.us/learning/world_s_best_workforce/student_progress/data_results
I know we’ve made progress, but there’s more to be made. In my first term, we worked to more closely align School Board governance practices with the Administration’s operations plan. The Board is now reviewing academic and financial performance on a regular cadence, and we implemented an outcomes- or goals-based process and “district report card.” You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you don’t make progress without defining an objective. Our new processes include Board and Operational goals set and agreed upon by the Board and the Superintendent. See this link: https://www.farmington.k12.mn.us/about_us/strategic_plan/measuring_progress.
In a second term, I will continue this work, as well as drive toward more transparency and accountability for results.
"Book banning" has become a contentious issue in some school districts recently. What is the role of the school board in selecting books in school libraries?
First, this isn't really a recent issue. When I was a kid, I remember an effort by some in my community to ban a book called The Chocolate War. A coming-of-age story that takes place at a private, religious high school, the book has some adult themes, particularly as the protagonist pushes back against authorities as he discovers his own sense of right and wrong.
"Book bans" aren't a partisan issue either, as much as some recent news reports seem to portrait it as such. A few years ago, there was a push to ban books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill A Mockingbird over modern sensitivities about race. Similarly, have even misguidedly supported removing Dr. Seuss from schools.
For decades, school boards, administrators and communities have successfully navigated these issues. I support local conversations that are transparent in their outcomes and include all stakeholders.
In Minnesota last year, Governor Walz enacted what is often referred to as "a ban on book bans." That's a misnomer. In reality, the law puts more structure around selection and reconsideration of titles in school libraries. Most districts already had policies around this. In ISD 192, Policy 606 offers guidance.
To date, that policy has been adequate. If at some point it is determined there are opportunities to improve upon it, then the school board will work with the administration, educators and other key stakeholders to solicit input for consideration, just as it has done on many other occasions.