School board elections are Tuesday, September 10th
O-A district voters from Sac County will vote at the Odebolt Fire Station. Ida and Crawford County O-A district voters will vote at the Arthur Community Building.
Four seek two seats on O-A School Board
Four individuals are running for two seats on the Odebolt-Arthur School Board in the Sept. 10 election. Incumbents Brad Lundell of Kiron and Naomi Lozier of Arthur are seeking reelection to their respective seats. Also seeking election are Ron Meier and Joey Hoefling, both of Odebolt.
Naomi Lozier Naomi Lozier, 44, is seeking reelection to her seat on the board. She said, “I am seeking reelection on the Odebolt-Arthur School Board to be an active participant in the education process of the students in the Odebolt, Arthur, Battle Creek and Ida Grove communities. I personally have eight children who attend school in the O-A/ BC-IG Community School District and the education of all children in our communities is a top priority to me.
“I believe I am the best candidate for the seat on the O-A School Board because during my first term (four years) on the O-A School Board I have attended the Iowa Association of School Boards annual convention and I have participated in many training sessions facilitated by Iowa Association of School Boards. The convention and training opportunities have been invaluable resources for me as a school board member. The convention and training sessions have helped me gain a proper perspective on how I can appropriately be an active school board member.
“The community has invested in me by allowing me to attend the Iowa Association of School Boards convention and other trainings and these opportunities help me to be able to give back to the community when I serve on a school board.”
Lozier said, “One of the major issues for the O-A/ BC-IG school districts is reorganization. The wholegrade sharing process seems to be working quite well for our students and teachers. I came on the O-A School Board just as we began the wholegrade sharing process.
“I have also seen some progress made among the O-A and BC-IG School Board members as we share a superintendent in our monthly board meetings. Working toward unity within our communities is something that is very important to me as a board member and as a community member.
“Another issue that our school district or any school district faces is how to effectively implement technology in the daily learning process. The O-A/ BC-IG school districts will be launching 1:1 technology this school year for fourth through 12th grades. I plan to encourage students and teachers to embrace the use of technology as a ‘teaching/ learning aid.’
“My experience the past four years as a member of the O-A School Board has also taught me that there are many issues a school district faces and the school board members are a small piece of the puzzle. Serving on a school board gives community members the opportunity to experience the many facets of how a school district operates.”
Lozier and husband, Glen, are the parents of Grace, Will, Christian, Amber, Danielle, Nicole, Jess and Brianna.
Brad Lundell Brad Lundell, 37, is seeking reelection to his seat on the O-A School Board. Lundell, and wife, Sarah, are the parents of Jonathan, nine; Ally, six; Jacob, 18 months; and a baby due in December. He is a grain and livestock farmer and member of Iowa Farm Bureau, attends Arthur Evangelical Free Church, Awana leader on Wednesday nights, junior achievement instructor at O-A School, assistant youth soccer coach and current O-A board vice president.
Lundell said, “I am seeking reelection to ensure that our children are able to receive the best educational opportunities that we can give them. I feel that small class sizes for young children are beneficial for them to achieve the best education possible. Since I’ve been on the board, I have worked hard to push for small class sizes and increased communication. With young children of our own in O-A Elementary, I have a personal interest in trying to achieve the best education for them.”
Lundell feels the two biggest issues facing the O-A School are transparency and technology.
“The first big issue I feel we need to keep working on is transparency. I have been working with our superintendent on a way to increase our transparency and communication with our voters. The school newsletter was again available on print and in the mail every month, as well as several meetings with voters. I feel listening is very important and have started meetings with our teachers to listen to their concerns.
“The second issue is technology. I feel we have a responsibility to provide the latest technology to students to compete in today’s world. It is imperative that students be given every opportunity to learn and move forward. Technology is all around us and while we still need to teach the basic fundamentals I feel we have to keep up with the technology out there. Since I came on the school board, O-A/BC-IG has taken giant steps forward (with our big project, the 1 to 1 initiative) to provide our children with the tools they need to be successful,” said Lundell.
Ron Meier Ron Meier, 65, and wife Roxanne are the parents of Mistaya Hoefling and Abby Billings.
Meier is a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Odebolt and is retired as an electrical engineering tech, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Offutt Air Force Base, Offutt, Neb.
“I am running for election because I am a fiscal conservative and I am able to think outside the box. I understand for the community to survive, the school needs to be here in town. As a board member, I would reinforce the importance of education and push for more community involvement. Odebolt needs to be a venue for sports, drama and music activities.
“If elected, I could devote as much time as necessary to see our school thrive. I am the best candidate for this position because I have a vested interest in the school. I have four grandchildren who attend O-A, a wife who volunteers and a daughter who teaches in the elementary school,” said Meier.
“The biggest issue for Odebolt-Arthur is to continue to get its finances in order. I will deal with this by meeting with administrators to discuss state and federal money to keep our taxes low. I want Odebolt to keep its school and I know that, at some point, O-A will face consolidation with another district. I want to protect O-A’s interests when that time comes.
“The second issue I see is keeping the community informed. In the past, issues have been presented that were not clear. I want to know what the people want, so I can vote for their interests not my own. The school belongs to the community. Along with keeping the community informed, I want parents to be educated and informed as students and teachers integrate new technology into learning. This will allow for a smooth transition for students as they receive the education they need to compete in the 21st century.”
Joey Hoefling Joey Hoefling, 37, has been employed as a family nurse practitioner at Ida Grove Family Health Center for two weeks. Prior to his new job he served as the administrator for Morningside Healthcare Community for five years.
He is a member of St. Martin Catholic Church, Delta Epsilon Sigma, Sigma Theta Tau and an Odebolt Ambulance crew member. Hoefling and wife, Christy, are the parents of Amber ( fifth grade), Carter (third grade), Elizabeth (kindergarten) and Zachary (pre-kindergarten).
Hoefling is seeking election to the school board and says he is the best candidate for the position because, “I have experience overseeing budget control, understand the need to follow state and federal regulations, I am an O-A graduate, I have four children in the school district and I have experience in addressing personnel issues.
“The two biggest issues facing the O-A district in the next couple of years and how I propose dealing with them are enrollment issues—ensure our school is well maintained and marketable to attract more students and financial— ensure we are utilizing our resources to the best of our ability. Getting the most out of our resources.”
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