Meet the School Board Candidates
2024 General Election
Meet the Candidates Event: On Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the St. Francis High School Performing Arts Center, the St. Francis Area Schools Community Education Advisory Council (CEAC) hosted a Meet the Candidates event to feature people running for SFAS School Board in the general election. Not all candidates were present due to prior commitments. Watch the recorded event.
Who’s on the ballot: Four seats on the School Board will be on the ballot in the general election held on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Early voting is now open. Elected board members will take office in January 2025 and serve until January 2029. The 10 candidates who have filed to be placed on the ballot are: Andrea Anson, Matt Beukema, Jeff Blake, Karen Costello, Thomas H. Hall, Jake Humphrey, Ashley R Metz, Kwadwo Osei, Rob Schoenrock, and Chad Working.
Voting information: Polling locations are where citizens would vote for city, state and federal elections. For more information, contact the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office at 651-215-1440 or go online to www.sos.state.mn.us. 2024 Notice of General Election; Campaign-financial-report Ed MN 10.4.24; Campaign-financial-report Ed MN 10.25.24
Learn more about the candidates. All 10 candidates were emailed the following three questions and those who responded to the request have their answers listed below.
Questions:
Please tell us about yourself and why you are interested in becoming a member of the St. Francis Area Schools School Board. Be sure to highlight your current and past involvement with St. Francis Area Schools.
How do you plan to commit the considerable time and energy required for weekly meetings, phone calls, conversations, visits to district school buildings, and professional development, seminars and workshops that are necessary to do the work as a school board member?
Where can we find more information about your candidacy?
Andrea Anson
My name is Andrea Anson, I have lived in MN for most of my life. I am married with two children who are school aged. I have chosen to run for school board, because I think there's some opportunities for improvement in how our boards are run and how the public schools operate. Currently, my main areas of focus include school safety, academic based curriculum, and appropriate budgeting.
I work full time and as noted above, I have a family. With that being said, I've spoken with a number of current school board members and it sounds like there's flexibility in certain areas. Additionally, remote participation is also feasible. At the end of the day, this is too important not to make the necessary time.
I'm happy to answer any questions.
Jeff Blake
My name is Jeff Blake. I have been married for 27 Years with 3 grown children and I have lived in Oak Grove since 2002. I had a 35-year career in the Grocery industry working from entry level to Management positions. When the company I was working for decided to reorganize and close stores, I was left unemployed. I was given the opportunity to go back to school and earned an Associate’s degree in Network Administration and now work in the IT sector and primarily work in E-commerce. I have witnessed the School Boards becoming very politically motivated and would like to work to ensure that decisions are made to benefit the students and the community and not someone’s agenda. I believe in a need for transparency between the school district and the community. I would like to help build trust within the community for the school district. St. Francis has many important decisions in the next couple of years and I will work to listen to community voices to help the district move forward.
When my children were young, I coached t-ball, Baseball and Basketball for multiple years in the St. Francis youth program.
I can be contacted by email at bj9625383@gmail.com.
Matt Beukema
I have over 10 years experience in teaching high school Industrial Tech and am a voice for the trades and nontraditional students. I am a strong advocate for all students and believe every student can achieve success. I’m married to a Saint Francis teacher and have three children who also attend ISD 15 schools. I have a BS in Technology Education and a Masters degree in Teaching and Learning. I love God, my family and serving others, and would give you the shirt off my back. I attend and volunteer regularly at Eagle Brook Church. I have integrity, common sense and am a lifelong learner. I am interested in becoming a board member to work to unify the school board, community and teachers, as well as to set all ISD 15 students up for success. I will listen to concerns and proposals with an open mind and educate myself on all sides of an issue with due diligence. I will work with the board to find solutions that will benefit all - students, staff and community. I will be transparent in decision making and will work to find solutions that that make the best use of resources and provide the greatest benefit for all.
I will prioritize my time and commitments appropriately in order to meet all expectations of being a board member.
For any further questions about my candidacy, please text me or leave a voice message at 651-338-6242 and I will respond as soon as I can.
Thomas H. Hall
Lynnette and I have called East Bethel our home since the winter of 1999. We have been married for 26 years and we have three children that have all been part of ISD15 both in classroom and extra-curricular. Our oldest son graduated in 2017 and we will have a senior and a ninth grader (both girls) at SFHS in the fall of 2024. Since graduating from Coon Rapids Senior High School, I served honorably as a member of the United States Army, graduated from Augsburg University with a bachelor’s degree, and graduated from the University of St. Thomas with an MBA with a marketing concentration. I am proud to currently serve on a fantastic team as the senior executive at American Converters, Inc. (Amcon) headquartered in Fridley, MN. We are a manufacturing operation with four manufacturing plants located in Minnesota and Colorado as well as three additional DCs around the country. I have been a part of the leadership team at Amcon since 2012 and have worked primarily in manufacturing companies in Minnesota for the past 30+ years where I have held every position from shop floor employee to President and COO. Daily I strive to lead by example, communicate effectively, and empower my teams with the resources and support they need to accomplish our mission. My family and I attend Eagle Brook Church (EBC) in Ham Lake, MN. This is the place where we find strength, hope, and a sense of peace on a weekly basis and it is foundational to our family health and well-being. We have held a variety of volunteer positions during the time that we have attended EBC; these include youth/children’s ministry, greeting, bookstore and café positions. I believe that my faith, my family, my experience, my work ethic, my education, my ability to communicate and my dedication toward doing things the right way will assure that I will be an impactful asset to the ISD15 School Board, and I would be happy to serve in that capacity. Continuous transparency and a sincere connection with the community that I serve will be at the core of my efforts as a member of the ISD15 School Board.
I have participated on a variety of voluntary boards on both the local and state levels and I am also a paid member of a professional corporate board in addition to my full-time job at Amcon. I have been a member of SFHS Booster Clubs over the last 15 years and have held positions including Director, Member, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. I believe that I have fulfilled each one of those positions admirably. I am always driving myself to learn, grow, and be an impact player on the teams that I participate in, this role will be no different. I am fully prepared to meet the challenges of this role head on and to do what it takes to perform these required duties in an exemplary fashion.
Jake Humphrey
My name is Jake Humphrey. I am 50 years old and have lived in Oak Grove since 1996. My beautiful wife Nicole works in Cambridge as a Dental Hygienist. My daughter Tess had a wonderful experience in St. Francis Area Schools, graduating in 2021, and is now in her fourth year of undergraduate education at Creighton University in Omaha. She is planning on becoming a Dentist so she has a lot of school left wherever she chooses to go to Dental School. My son Jack is a junior at St. Francis High School involved in Speech, Debate, DECA and other activities. Our family is highly involved with the School District through Boosters, PTO’s, athletics and activities, and we donate much of our time and money to help those causes which directly benefit students. I ran and was elected for a four-year term and served on the School Board from 2018 to 2022, and as a Libertarian I am a big fan of term limits so I decided to step aside after serving in order that others would volunteer in this position. In my absence, and upon hearing of three of the four current board members retiring, I was asked by many in our community to run again, and with my family's blessing and encouragement, decided to do so.
I am already highly active in the district and in life as I am a small business owner (electrical contractor) who sets his own hours and is accustomed to working on many projects at once and does so quite successfully. During my initial term on the School Board, I had no problem juggling all the responsibilities and considered myself highly accessible and responsive to my constituency. I answer EVERY email, phone call or text, or request for an in person meeting, with those community members needing such time, in order to bring those voices and concerns to the table. I serve as the type of elected representative I choose to vote for and respect.
Anyone wishing to find out more information on my candidacy can email me at jnhumphrey74@yahoo.com or call or text me on my direct line at 612-685-4530. These are the same ways any students, parents, employees, or community members can get in touch with me to have a conversation on things going well or when things are not going well when they are needing concerns brought to the table. I humbly ask for your support and vote so I can work alongside you to better the educational experience in St. Francis. Thank you for your time in reading this!
Kwadwo Osei
My name is Kwadwo Osei, but people know me by “K” or Coach K due to my involvement with the Recreation and Travel Basketball programs. I live in East Bethel with my wife of 19 years, Sarah, our 3 children and our dog Lola. My children currently attend school in the district and they're all very active in sports. I am a Christian and my faith informs and guides my principals. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master's degree in Business Administration all from Hamline University in St. Paul. I currently lead a Distribution team at Hennepin Healthcare (HCMC Hospital) and I have several years of experience in the retail, bio-medical and healthcare space. I’m running for school board because I’m passionate about my children’s education and I believe I can contribute positively to the course. I am a consensus builder by nature, and I believe I have what it takes to be able to work with others to meet our district and community needs. Our district has had some challenges in terms of funding, test scores, educator support...etc, and I believe I'll be able to work with others to bridge some of those gaps. I want to be a part of the solution that elevates the schools in our district to where they need to be for the benefit of my children and yours. Representation also matters, and I believe that I’m uniquely positioned to be able to bring forth and discuss some of the issues that minority students and families face in our district.
I’m aware of the time commitment that it takes to be on the school board and I’m willing and able to rearrange my life to make time for any commitment that will be required of this role. Ultimately, I believe any time commitment is a small price to pay for the benefit that my children and others in the district would gain from an effective school board.
For any questions or inquiries about my candidacy, please email me at kwadwo.osei001@gmail.com.
Rob Schoenrock
I have lived in the district, with my amazing wife Andrea, for 20 years. We have 4 kids, Caleb (freshman in college), Emily (sophomore in high school) and Haley & Sophie (7th grade). I am seeking reelection to the school board, so I can continue to fight to ensure our kids are prepared for the real world. I will continue to advocate for more program offerings like tech ed and nursing classes, additional foreign language options and other after school opportunities. I will also continue to advocate for livable wage and benefits for all our staff. I have been very involved in the community from PTO's, President of the St. Francis Basketball Association, assistant coach on the high school girls' basketball team, also current member or have been on the following committees American Indian Education Parent Advisory Council (AIEPAC), Joint Standing Committee, Bond Oversight Committee, Community Education Advisory Council, Activities Advisory Committee, Early Childhood Family Advisory Council, Facilities Committee, Minnesota State High School League Rep (MSHSL), Level III Grievance Committee, Cedar Creek Elementary School Board Rep, plus I try to go to a lot of different events throughout the district to see what our amazing students and staff are doing.
I have been a member of the school board for almost 8 years. As listed above I have been on several committees and am active on each committee I volunteer for. I am successful at balancing my work, family, and board member responsibilities. Committing time to responding to community members, parents, staff, and students is important to me. When there are hot topics, I take the time to gather input via social media or in person at events. I know what it takes to be a great board member and am dedicated to serving our District for another term.
You can find more information at https://www.facebook.com/RobSchoenrock4SchoolBoard. I love hearing from everyone in the district because I will not claim to know everything about everything. The more people communicating with me the better, it helps me understand issues from all perspectives. The best way to get ahold of me is email at Robin.Schoenrock@ISD15.org or call, or text 763-232-7902.
Chad Working
I was born and raised in the northern metro area of MN. A 2001 Graduate of Spring Lake Park High School. I then continued my education at Minnesota State, Mankato. There I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Corporate Finance. Following graduation, I excelled in the banking industry in many positions for 10 years. I then decided to use my leadership skills, logical decision-making and finance background in a new opportunity. For the last 10 years I dedicated my career to owning and operating multiple small businesses. Although I have passion for business, I'm a family first man of faith. My wife Destinee, 3 children and I have lived in Oak Grove for over 10 years. We love the St. Francis community and I want to help build on our kids getting the best education with a small town feel. My oldest son started 8th grade this year, and I have been involved in our district since he began preschool. I have volunteered for multiple events in ISD 15. Which includes track and field day, classroom mentoring and field trips. I most look forward to attending lunch, where I can sit and talk with the kids. Followed by throwing the football during every student's favorite time of the day, recess. I have also been a youth football, soccer and basketball coach for 7 years. I have built relationships with parents, students and the local community. I want to advocate for what they want to see in our schools. I want to be their voice, while encouraging them to be personally involved in the process even in small ways. I have children currently in the district and am invested in improving their school community and educational performance. This can be done by keeping focused on curriculum to guide them to excel in their classes now and prepare them for the post K-12 world. The school board is responsible for helping ensure a healthy partnership between the students, their parents, and the educators in the best way possible. Also to be an advocate for what's best for our students and making difficult decisions unbiased to what other districts or the state may be doing.
I plan to keep things simple and stay focused on what impacts the big picture of our children's education. Analyze facts and statistics of results that can be presented to the district and the public to improve or support our children. I will remain flexible with my scheduling and be available to the ever changing needs of our schools. I am someone that will be there if I have committed to something.
Information can be found via Facebook @destineechadworking.
The American Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee (AIEPAC) submitted optional questions to all school board candidates on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. AIEPAC requested a response by Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. Each candidate was requested the same information and asked the same questions.
All candidate responses to our questions come directly from the candidates and are unedited by St. Francis Area Schools. The District does not support or oppose any candidates.
Questions:
What is your knowledge about American Indian Education?
What do you know about American Indian cultures?
Have you ever attended a Pow Wow or a Native event?
Have you ever attended American Indian- specific training or professional development?
Do you think the district should invest more resources in American Indian Education, since American Indian kids typically perform worse in public schools?
What do you know about academic achievement gaps affecting American Indian students?
Are you familiar with historical trauma involving the American Indian population?
Rob Schoenrock:
I've been on the school board for almost 8 years now and for a majority of that time I have been going to AIEPAC meetings. While I don't know everything, I'm learning more and more with each meeting and event that I attend.
I had an uncle that was a member of the Chippewa tribe in northern MN. He passed away when I was in high school so I didn't get a lot of time to spend with him, but we did attend different events and I've got close cousins that are still members, so I have a connection to the culture and I try to continue to learn more whenever I can.
Yes, I've always been interested in the Native culture. I've attended numerous Pow Wows over the years and I've been to a Native dance as well and both are things that are so much fun to watch and it gives you a better understand of the culture then just reading something in a book. It is highly recommended that anyone goes to these events as they are normally open to anyone that wants to go and they encourage people from all backgrounds attend.
I've also attended a few of the Indigenous Winter Games that the AIEPAC puts on every year, my kids and I, have so much fun playing and making different things and learning about the culture.
I did attend my Uncles funeral, which was not like any other that I had attended in a Christian setting. It was so interesting to be a part of it and see how a different culture deals with death.
I can't say that I have taken any training or professional development, but I try to learn as much as I can when I'm attending different events and each year at the MSBA conference there's usually different classes/seminars/round tables that I try to attend.
This is a hard one as budgets get tight. One thing I would like to try to do is figure out a way to get more students that identify as native to enroll. That would bring an increase in funding, plus it would help those students get more help if needed. I don't think some native parents know that the program exists or if they do, they might think that they need to be a member of a tribe which is not the case, they only need to identify as being native.
I know they have lower test scores than other groups on the standardized tests that I hope can be fixed with a continued collaboration between AIEPAC, Administration and the School Board.
There are trust issues from a past history of miss treatment and it's going to take a long time to gain that trust back.
Kwadwo Osei:
Not a lot, but I do however remember hearing about it in college in the context of student support a long while ago.
I know there are different American Indian tribes, I also know that American Indians are the true native people to what is now known as America and I also know that the American Indian culture is tied deeply to their and spirit life.
Unfortunately No
No
Absolutely yes! And not only that, I also believe that the district should make that a priority as they would for any kids from any other background.
Not much, but I do know that Student test scores and graduations are much lower with the American Indian community as compared to students from other races.
I am and as a Black man, I can draw some parallels with the trauma that my community has experienced and continue to. The generational trauma for American Indians is something this nation needs to address on a full scale.
Jake Humphrey:
My knowledge of American Indian Education grew greatly during my first term on the School Board from 2018 to 2022 when I served as the School Board Liaison to AIEPAC. Here I learned about state laws governing school districts in regard to Native American students and the funding that goes along with said laws. I learned that Saint Francis has around 100 to 150 students who are American Indian, and that despite efforts from AIEPAC and District American Indian employees, this group of students needs all the support they can get to be better understood culturally and helped academically in ISD 15.
I have relatives and friends that are Native, and growing up in Minnesota and spending as much time as I did out State and camping and what not, and through my own research and interest, learned a lot about the vibrant culture that is our American Indian brothers and sisters. I love the Native culture spirit world, and the overall belief in working with nature to “leave no trace”, and find all my interactions with Native peoples’ to be that of pride and peacefulness.
I have been to many Native events through our School District, and I have been to many Pow Wows with friends over the years growing up in Minnesota. I am grateful to share these experiences with everyone Native and non-Native alike as I feel the American Indian way of life is beautiful and just.
I don’t know if I have attended any formally defined AIE training or professional development, but every time I go to a Pow Wow or Circle Dance, or participate in Smudging, I am awestruck and appreciative. I would love one day to sit in on a Peace Pipe ceremony.
I absolutely am in favor of targeting Native students who need help academically and culturally as long as it is in collaboration with our District American Indian Education experts, and AIEPAC as they are the ones who know best how to help these students.
I know it is similar or worse than other segments of our population under duress, and according to the stats from the latest meeting at AIEPAC I see they’re about 10 to 20 points behind in reading and math.
I am familiar from what I have read and watched in documentary form and news reports, as well as with conversations with friends who are Native. Such a sad story of continual trauma through broken promises and broken homes.
Jeff Blake:
I believe we do a poor job in this country detailing and documenting the role of the Native Americans in this country, we tend to not give the proper credit for many of the advances and accomplishments of American Indians . We also don't illustrate the differences and diversity of the cultures.
I know there are many different tribes in North America that live a very diverse way of life. There are so many different tribes and cultures.
I have not been to a real Pow Wow, I have been to the museum on Lake Mille Lacs.
I have had diversity training but not American Indian specific training.
It is very difficult to see specific department funding, i believe we need to provide opportunities in our district for every student, if a student needs additional assistance we need to provide that until we can get that student back on track and going forward.
It seems we have many gaps when it comes to diversity in our education system, we need to provide the assistance needed to overcome this gap.
I am familiar with many of the historical traumas both in state and nationally. I enjoy history but I understand what I was taught in school wasn't a clear picture and in many instances only gave us a very narrow perspective that didn't show the atrocities that happened. I believe we should give true history and not the picture of history through rose colored glasses.
Matt Beukema:
I have limited knowledge about current American Indian Education and look forward to doing my due diligence to get brought up to speed.
My knowledge of American Indian Cultures is limited and I look forward to learning more.
Yes
No
I would like to understand the challenges and current resources available.
I know there are academic achievement gaps.
Yes
Andrea Anson:
No Response Given.
Karen Costello:
No Response Given.
Thomas H. Hall:
No Response Given.
Ashley R. Metz:
No Response Given.
Chad Working:
No Response Given.