An Albert Lea woman running for school board thinks the board will only become united if new board members are elected.

“I have seen too much division,” Sonjia Hill said, and added that the board’s decorum affects district teachers.

“There has to be a level of trust and the belief that their voices will be heard,” she said. “I do not believe that is currently how it is.”

Teachers need to know that they can question issues or voice concerns without fear, Hill said.

“That is imperative to a healthy culture in a school district,” she said. “I honestly don’t believe that the current school board can be united.”

Hill said by electing a new board, the district will see a “new and more functional start to the healing we so badly needed.”

Biggest issues facing board

Hill said she has seen a continued downward spiral of treatment of community members and certain board members over the last two years.

“There is an attempt to limit the questions asked by certain board members and even community members at board meetings,” she said. “To me, this is an attempt to squelch democracy, and try to control the information that they may not want being brought up, which is not acceptable.”

Hill thinks there is mistrust between the community, administration and school board.

“Many people, including teachers, feel that their voices are not being heard,” she said. “The superintendent and administration answers to the school board, and the school board answers to the community.”

Hill said it is the responsibility of the community to keep the superintendent, administration and school board accountable.

“It is time to restore the trust, and to repair the transparency that has been lost,” she said.

Best things in the district

Hill said the district has passionate, hard-working teachers who love students.

“They are the biggest asset to our school district,” she said. “It is important to attract more teachers to our district, and to retain the great ones that we have.”

Hill thinks teachers need to feel respected and be able to use their voice.

“If they have a question, a concern, or even disagree with something, they need to be able to voice that without fear,” she said. “They need to be listened to and made to feel like their opinion matters.

“We cannot have a great district without great teachers, and we must improve our current culture to attract and retain them,” she said.

Another positive aspect of the district is its curriculum, Hill said, adding that it has been improved as the district has implemented Chromebooks and iPads in several grades.

Goals

Hill said she will work to improve the district’s culture, give teachers a much-needed voice, help retain excellent teachers and continue to gather facts and keep an open mind.

“I would like to be part of a unified culture, one that contains mutual respect of each person’s ideas and opinions,” she said.  “I have not just sat on the outside watching. I have gone to the source. I have visited with community members, teachers, met with school board members, administration — even our superintendent — trying to get as many facts as I could, trying to see things from all sides.”

Hill would like to see more vocational training in schools.

“Each individual student has their own special skills and talents,” she said. “As it is important to prepare them for college, it is also important to prepare those students who choose to take an alternate path.”

Reaching out to constituents

Hill said she has heard from the community and teachers that their voices are not being heard.

“I have witnessed that personally when questioning issues,” she said. “One of the most important jobs of a board member is to listen to and be the voice for the community. Each voice should count, and I will do my best to make that happen.”

Hill thinks the community should be kept aware of and be included in major decision making.

“The moment that a community feels that they don’t have a say is the moment that transparency is lost, and it takes a lot of work to regain that transparency and trust,” she said.

Hill also feels it is the community’s job to stay informed, get involved and hold the school board and administration accountable.

“We all need to work together to make District 241 the best district it can be,” she said.

Reasons for running

Hill said she is running for the board for her three children and other district students.

“My family is blessed to be a part of this district, but there are definite issues that are concerning and need to be addressed,” she said. “Within the last couple of years, my passion for our school district has grown tremendously.”

Hill believes the district needs to be a place where students, teachers, board members and community members can communicate and share ideas, question issues and disagree without being put down, shut down or harassed.

“I would like to work towards restoring the unity between all of these parties,” she said. “It may seem like a daunting task, but I feel it can be done.”

Hill said if elected, she will listen to the community, and work with fellow board members and administration to find the answers.

“With the help of my colleagues, I hope to rebuild the trust and transparency that many feel is lacking,” she said. “Administration, board members, teachers and the community alike all need to be an active part of our great district, together.”

Three seats are up for election on the board. Neal Skaar, Ken Petersen, Kendall Langseth, Joseph Ferguson, Sonjia Hill, Aaron Phillips, Ellen Kehr, Cynthia Gail and incumbent Julie Johnson have also filed for election to the board.