Decision 2024

Byron School Board
Neighboring Rochester Public Schools is lobbying for changes to the Minnesota Data Practice Act, according to the Post Bulletin. If elected would you support similar lobbying efforts, and if so what would you want changed?
Word limit 150 words
Lisa Jessen:Did not respond
Kelli Crary:Did not respond.
Nadia Poluhina
I  understand that the Rochester School District (RSD) is trying to limit the scope and cost of fulfilling large data requests, with a recent request estimated to cost up to $900,000.
While it is unreasonable to place excessive strain on public school resources, especially given unfunded mandates and rising costs, the public’s right to access important information remains essential. Financial transparency, educational quality, and socio-economic performance should be readily accessible to the community.
Although I’m not fully aware of RSD’s lobbying efforts, I would support reasonable limits on excessive data requests (excluding criminal matters). Additionally, I propose considering periodic reporting on key topics like those mentioned, with government reimbursement to schools for timely submissions, ensuring necessary funding is in place.
Alisha Eiken
To my knowledge, Byron Public Schools has not received the sort of public data requests mentioned in the Post Bulletin article this question references.
It’s my understanding that in larger districts, for-profit companies are  requesting large amounts of data with the intention to sell that data. I would support legislative reform that curbs such misuses of taxpayer funds and school resources. With that said, any reforms to the Data Practices Act must preserve access for private citizens and journalists making data requests in good faith.
Britton Avant
Yes, I believe that school districts should advocate for law changes that safeguard the well-being of students, staff, and the district’s financial health. In the case of RPS, I support lobbying to amend the Minnesota Data Practices Act. This law has cost districts thousands of dollars with little to no benefit, particularly when third parties seek information without contributing to the district's educational mission. Furthermore, I will never align with information suppression, but there needs to be a way to protect our children from potential data abuse as well.
I also believe schools need the flexibility to adapt to rapid technological and societal changes. As we embrace the digital age and integrate artificial intelligence into our daily lives, laws governing schools must evolve accordingly. I would support lobbying efforts that allow schools to be dynamic and forward-thinking, ensuring that our education system remains relevant and prepares students for the future.
K-M School Board
Aaron Stockard
Based on the Post Bulletin article on Rochester Public Schools lobbying for changes to the Minnesota Data Practice Act, I would support similar lobbying efforts as RPS. There does appear to be private organizations that take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act and profit from data they request from public schools. Additionally, there are other organizations with politically motivated agendas with no direct ties to the school district who can request large amounts of information. These requests can be an important tool for holding public resources accountable, but they can also be an enormous burden of manpower and money for school districts. I would support districts being able to charge reasonable fees to recoup costs associated with providing this data. However, I would like to see a provision that ensures local entities within the district such as small-town newspapers or parent organizations have free access.
Eric Messa:
 I do not think we need to make any changes to request for data information.  Kasson-Mantorville school district has nothing to hide, I feel the main reason Rochester public schools want to limit access to their “protected information” they are being questioned on the board’s budgeting and spending practices.   No organization or citizen should have to pay for the data or public information.   If we are talking about the cost of paper and ink to print the information and stamp to mail it, then just let the requestor know it is free by email as PDF or if you prefer a paper copy it cost $_____ to cover the cost of printing off and mailing.   We as school board should make it as easy as possible to give data and public information to whom ever ask.  
Elizabeth Armstrong:
First and foremost, I believe that transparency with the community is vital so I support data requests. However; I have read that some of the data requests are costing local schools thousands of dollars (including one request up to $300,000) and cause a significant strain on staff to complete these requests. I think that it’s important to understand how this data is being used- is it being used by companies to then be sold and turn a profit? We need to work  to adjust this act so that it is not an unreasonable strain on the school and community funding. I would support lobbying to make changes to this with the intention to make it more manageable for the school, to ensure the purpose of the request is not for companies to make profits off of the data, and still hold in place that transparency is necessary.
Amy Olson:
The Minnesota Data Privacy Act aims to give individuals more control over their personal information, which is a significant step towards data protection. Though I appreciate the various provisions for more transparency and more regulated data handling practices, I wonder what impacts it may have on consumer rights and industry compliance long-term. At this point in time, I would need to do some more research and work with the board to ensure that we are lobbying for best practices when it comes to our district.
Pat Walsh: After reading the Post Bulletin article from September 25th I can see completely where these change requests are coming from. If a group or organization is requesting a data set that emcompasses nearly a million pages of information to go through and compile that will cost the district resources in time spent and staffing dedicated. It's not outlandish to start charging for exceptionally large or exceptionally repetitive requests. One request was quoted at costing the Owatonna district $300k. We simply don't have those funds here.
Aaron Stockard: Based on the Post Bulletin article on Rochester Public Schools lobbying for changes to the Minnesota Data Practice Act, I would support similar lobbying efforts as RPS. There does appear to be private organizations that take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act and profit from data they request from public schools. Additionally, there are other organizations with politically motivated agendas with no direct ties to the school district who can request large amounts of information. These requests can be an important tool for holding public resources accountable, but they can also be an enormous burden of manpower and money for school districts. I would support districts being able to charge reasonable fees to recoup costs associated with providing this data. However, I would like to see a provision that ensures local entities within the district such as small-town newspapers or parent organizations have free access.
Next week’s question:
If elected, what committee would you want to be on most and why?
Word limit 200 words
State Rep
In November, voters in Byron will be voting on an operating levy for the first time in school history. As someone who has (Rep. Quam) and currently serves ( Heather Holmes) on the School Board, do you plan on voting yes on the levy, why or why not? In addition, what is one piece of legislation you feel needs to be changed in order to avoid future local operating levies in the future?
Limit of 250 words.
Heather Holmes
When the board was deciding on whether or not to go out for the operating levy this summer, I was hesitant. I was worried there wasn’t enough time to rebuild the trust from our community first. However, once we were shown future financial forecasts, it became clear it would be irresponsible to not go out for a levy. I will be voting yes for the operating levy because it will be our students and staff who will suffer if it fails. Unfortunately, we cannot cut our way out of this situation without drastically impacting the education of our students and losing many of our amazing staff. So many families move to Byron because of our wonderful schools. I am voting yes on the levy to ensure we maintain the high quality education we are known for. In 2023, the legislature tied the per pupil funding rate for education to inflation. This was a great step in mitigating the chronic underfunding of our schools. However, one budget year isn’t enough to overcome decades of underfunding. If elected, I would like to see steps taken to close the gap and get the funding levels closer to where they would be had they kept pace with inflation.
Underfunding heavily impacts our more rural communities because districts end up going out for referendums/levies which impact homeowners by increasing property taxes. Our legislature must make properly funding our public schools a priority so the quality of a child’s education isn’t determined by their zip code.
Duane Quam
Byron has done and continues to do a wonderful job of educating - providing the knowledge and skills our children need to pursue their dreams and goals. For decades Byron has outperformed many other districts across the state, while receiving much lower state funding per pupil.
We see an ever increasing number of mandates, most said to help failing schools, but which reduce in-classroom teaching, and siphon dollars away from core education in the district. I’ve pushed for districts which exceed the state average to be given two years to implement any mandate, and requested that half of all increased funding be evenly distributed per pupil instead of dumped it into a failed formula.
Many districts are finding themselves short of funds, and even been pushed into statutory operating debt. Byron has made cuts, including reducing administration and now, without adequate funds, they would be forced to cut classroom teachers. As it stands now, this is a question of keeping Byron a top school which provides for its students and their future.
I’m voting yes.
Next week’s question:
Agriculture is a critical part of Minnesota's economy. What piece of legislation or program would you propose to support farmers?
Word Limit 250 words