Randolph School Board

RANDOLPH – Voters heard from seven of eight candidates running for three Randolph School Board seats at a forum Sunday.

About 60 people attended the 45-minute event where candidates took turns answering questions. After, candidates visited informally with those in attendance.

Eight candidates – incumbent Cody Backer, Anson Dockhorn, Tiffany Gatzemeyer, Marvin Nordhues, Corby Robinson, Lucas Stueckrath, Ted Thelen and Chris Winkelbauer – will be on the May 14 primary ballot and only six will advance to the Nov. 5 general election. Three seats will be up for grabs with incumbents Lisa Linville and Jim Scott not seeking re-election.

Questions, moderated by Peggy Leiting, ranged from the candidates’ motivation to running for school board to a school board member’s role and expectations. Backer was the only candidate not in attendance, but provided information Monday.

Backer was born and raised in Randolph, graduating from Randolph High School in 2004. He’s served two terms on the school board and is looking to retain his seat for a third.

“I want to keep Randolph Public Schools going in a positive direction,” he said.

Robinson is a 1987 Randolph High School graduate who moved away from the area, but then moved back to Randolph almost four years ago with his wife and two children.

“I opted to put my name in the hat for school board. I just thought there was a need. There’s a lot of good people up here that will fit the bill. I think I’ll do a fine job. I just want what’s best for the kids. I think school board members should balance what the community wants and what the needs of the students are,” he said.

Winkelbauer has four children with his wife, Catrina, a teacher at Randolph Elementary.

“I see a lot of good things happening with the school. The school’s a big piece of the community, right? If we can get the school growing, which from the sounds of it, it is, it’s heading in the right direction, and what can we do further than that? It’s just going to push the town farther,” he said.

Gatzemeyer grew up in Osmond and moved back to the area several years ago with her husband, Brent, and her children, who attend Randolph Public Schools. Brent has been a teacher for more than 30 years and teacher retention is an issue she would like to address if elected to the school board.

“We have to find ways to make (a) teaching career path desirable again. We have to offer them that full package. I don’t know how well you guys did at home with COVID. Did you guys do a good job teaching your kids?” she said with a smile. “Let’s keep our teachers strong and in our classrooms.”

Dockhorn graduated from Burwell High School and was motivated to run for school board because of his three children.

“Hopefully I can bring a different perspective maybe to the school, maybe bring some new ideas, old ideas and make everything work,” he said.

Thelen, born and raised in Randolph, has four kids and his wife, Kelli, is a teacher at Randolph.

“I feel like I could be a well-rounded (board member). I can see multiple angles from everyone’s perspective being a landowner, being a business owner, being an alumni here, all the things someone on the board should be,” he said.

Nordhues is a Randolph alum with four children who attended Randolph Public Schools. One of his daughters works at the elementary.

Nordhues ran for school board previously but wasn’t elected. He was motivated by his family and was approached by several residents about running again.

“I just want to see what I can do to help fill that in,” he said.

Stueckrath joins good company as he also grew up in Randolph, graduating from Randolph High in 1996. He started farming in 2003 and is also involved in trucking.

He volunteers as a TeamMates mentor and also drives the school bus part-time as needed.

“I’m up here a lot anyway and I like staying involved with the kids,” he said on his decision to run for school board.

All of the candidates held similar views on the board’s responsibilities, role and expectations.

Candidates agreed that the board’s role is not to become involved in the daily operations of the school.

“If something is needed of us, if we are asked to something on the day to day, I think that’s partially our duty if we are asked or if something comes up,” Thelen said.

Dockhorn said the role of a board member is to bridge the gap between community members and the school.

“It’s not my responsibility to drive my personal beliefs or my personal goals. I need to try to represent the voters, the landowners, the students, the parents, that’s my goal,” he said. Candidates agreed being honest and approachable, as well as listening, will be important in becoming a school board member, and keeping the betterment of students in the forefront of decisions.

Stueckrath said honesty would be key even if it might not be what a patron wants to hear.

Board members also need to respect the community’s traditions, he said.

Sometimes, there will be conflict and issues that will need to be addressed.

“Unfortunately with any board, there’s more concerns than there is pats on the back, right? But at the end of the day we can take those concerns and tear them apart, try to keep things calm, bring a solution to the table, and help the superintendent make some of those decisions,” Winkelbauer said.

Gatzemeyer said any concern brought to her attention would be sent through the school’s “chain of command,” depending on the issue.

“It’s really listening to that chain of command before we get up there and try to change things,” she said. “We have a great staff, everyone hired to do some of these duties so let’s lean on them.”

Candidates acknowledged conflict may even arise between board members.

All of the candidates said the board’s collective decision is more important than any one member’s vote.

“It’s not an individual project, it’s the board and the school, and the community,” Nordhues said. “It don’t do any good to not support it and be against it, just have to move forward and do what’s best for the school.”

Robinson said it’s important to have an environment where everyone on the board feels comfortable to share differing opinions.

“If you’re not in favor of the idea, you need to bring those concerns out, and hopefully in the end the board can come to a mutual agreement on things and do what’s best,” he said.

Backer said there’s been many times his individual vote wasn’t in line with the majority of the board.

“I think that’s why you have six people on the board; you get six different opinions,” he said. “It’s nice when the board can all agree but that doesn’t always happen. You just have to accept that fact that it didn’t go your way.

You still have to support the decision of the board.”

With candidates in agreement on most of the questions posed at the forum, perhaps the most important question was this last one: What differentiates you from the other candidates?

Robinson said his background - 30 years in construction - makes him different from other candidates.

“I know how that stuff works,” he said. “I know how to budget that stuff and with some facility upgrades maybe that’s somewhere I can shine,” he said.

Winkelbauer said his managerial experience, budget work and planning for capital expenditures may be an asset to the board.

Gatzemeyer said she’s been a proven leader in the banking industry and would represent “the strong female voice.”

Dockhorn said not being from the Randolph are makes him an asset in thinking outside the box.

“I like to question things. Why do we do it this way? Maybe it’s not bad, but have you ever thought about trying something different?”

Dockhorn said.

Thelen said his experience owning a business, farming and having children in school gives him knowledge that would benefit the school board.

Nordhues said he’s been a business owner for 40 years and is one of the older candidates, with experience on his church’s finance committee and building and grounds committee.

Along with being active in the school as a mentor, Stueckrath said he possesses good listening and leadership skills, as well as a common sense nature.

Backer said he brings eight years of experience on the board being fiscally responsible when developing the budget and handling some major decisions like the development of the Cardinal Kids Learning Center.

“I was born and raised in Randolph and my family has been here for generations and generations,” he said. “You want it to succeed. You want it to keep growing. That’s a big thing for me to keep the community and school growing.”