Alan Harnack
Residence: Rural Beaver Creek.
Spouse and children: Wife, Zoe, three sons and one daughter-in-law, Eric Harnack, Scott Harnack, Chris and Jodi Harnack, and one grandson, Easton Harnack.
Occupation: Carpenter.
Education: Graduated from Hills-Beaver Creek High School in 1967. Served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970. Attended Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis from 1970 to 1973.
Community activities and involvement: H-BC School Board; past elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, catechism teacher at American Reformed Church in Luverne; youth fast-pitch softball coach.
Qualifications for service: I have served as an H-BC School Board member from 1985 to the present.
If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as a School Board member? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected?
If elected, I would like to see our students continue to score near or at the top of the state, on all the mandatory standardized tests. I would also strive to maintain our excellent staff that would rival any staff in the three-state area. I like the strong parental involvement and support and would encourage parents to continue to do so. I appreciate the high percentage of students who participate in extracurricular activities, whether it be music, knowledge bowls, mock trials, athletics, etc., and would hope that continues. I also am excited and looking forward to working with the new superintendent and board in securing a premium curriculum and maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Lois Leuthold
Residence: Hills.
Spouse and children: Husband, Alan, married 20 years; four children, Mitchell, 14, 8th grade; Thomas, 12, 7th grade, Brady, 10, 5th grade, Natalie, 7, 2nd grade.
Occupation: Loan consultant at Dakota Capital Corporation (mortgage broker in Brandon, S.D.)
Education: 1980 graduate of Hills-Beaver Creek.
Community activities and involvement: Member of American Reformed Church in Luverne.
Hills-Beaver Creek School Board member since August 1998; parent of H-BC students; taxpayer.
If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected? I do feel we need to do something with our locker rooms in the high school. We need to look at the options of remodeling or building new, and we have to stay within our budget.
Our district is in good financial shape right now; I want it to stay that way. I give credit for that to Mr. Knoll and the past board. Many improvements have been made to the high school, and we have a new elementary.
I want to maintain our high quality of education. The teachers and staff we have are great. They truly care about our kids! Our test scores are some of the highest in the state, and that alone should tell you about the quality of our teachers. IÕm happy to say that H-BC was one of the first districts in the state to settle their contracts. I think that shows the relationship that the staff and board have. I want this relationship that we have with our teachers now to continue.
Bob Wassenaar
Residence: Rural Hills.
Children: One son, Nick, 19, who is a student at Minnesota West; and one daughter, Jessica, 15, student at H-BC.
Occupation: Farmer.
Education: H-BC graduate.
Community activities and involvement: I have been very involved in the community. I have served six years on the Board of Directors for H-BC Co-op; five years as vice president and president of Hills Community Club; two terms on the Stewardship Board of Bethlehem Lutheran Church; two terms on the Board of Trustees of Bethlehem Lutheran Church; chairman of the roofing committee for Bethlehem Lutheran; head usher for Bethlehem Lutheran (15 years); currently vice president of Bethlehem Lutheran and I am on the Community Education Board.
If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as a School Board member? In other words, what issues will be important to you as a board member, if elected? My involvement in the community makes me qualified for the School Board plus the fact I have lived here all of my life and know the people and what they need and want.
If elected my goal would be to maintain our quality of education, keep our building and equipment properly maintained and replaced when needed. Make H-BC a place where students, faculty and community feel welcome, happy and fulfilled.
Locker rooms are a big issue right now. We need to find a way to address this issue without going way over our budget.
Finally, we need to find ways to do all of these things without taxing ourselves to death.