Burgardt and White race for seat on the West Hancock school board

Election season has come to Hancock County for local mayors, city councils, and school boards in the area. The results for these elections will be tallied on November 4. In the meantime, a race has developed for an open seat for one of the West Hancock Board of Education's district directors, in this case, the district 3 director. 

The race is between Jay Burgardt and Robert Eugene White Jr. Jeremy Brogaard, meanwhile is running for the position of district 1 director, and is currently the only running candidate.

The Leader asked the district director candidates some questions regarding their background and goals if they were to be elected. Here is how each of them answered:

1. What is your current background and have you served on the West Hancock Board of Education before?

Burgardt: "I'm Jay Burgardt, family farmer. I have served 29 years on the West Hancock Board of Education."

White: "I'm Robert Eugene White Jr, but I go by RJ. I work for Ardent Mills as a Environmental Health and Safety Manger. I am not an incumbent candidate and haven't served on West Hancock's Board of Education."

Brogaard: "I'm Jeremy Brogaard, Corporate Manufacturing Engineer for Weld and Tooling & Internal Weld Training Manager at Stellar Industries. I am not an incumbent and have not served on the Board of Education at West Hancock"

2. Why are you running for election (or reelection) to the West Hancock Board of Education?

Burgardt: "I have always a life-long interest in our community, in particular the school system where we can have a positive influence on our youth. We can strive to give them a positive outlook on life through our academic and extracirricular activities."

White: "I am running for the school board because I care deeply about the future of our school district. As a community member and a parent of three children currently enrolled in our schools—in 1st, 4th, and 7th grade. I believe that I can bring a unique and relevant perspective to this school board. With three children enrolled in our district I have firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities our students, families, and teachers face every day. I want to be a voice for families like mine and help ensure that all students in our district have access to a strong, supportive, and high-quality education."

Brogaard: "The reason I am running for election is that I feel I can help out. West Hancock has a good school system but would like to see it grow some to match what some neighboring schools have to offer. In the end you want to be able to see all kids have a chance to succeed at what they are interested in." 

3. What do you see as challenges and priorities for the school district?

Burgardt: "Declining enrollment and difficulty in hiring and retaining quality staff."

White: "Our current school board has done an excellent job leading the district, and I want to continue building on that strong foundation. With so many schools in surrounding areas no longer in operation, it's important that we remain focused on the future of our own district. One of the challenges we’re going to face in the near future is the retirement of many experienced educators. This could present staffing challenges on top of the other staffing issues that we have experienced with para educators, bus drivers and substitute teachers. We also need to make sure we’re providing the right resources to the right areas within our district and ensuring that all students have the best academic and extracurricular opportunities possible."

Brogaard: "What I see as challenges are resources, both financial and people. What I see as priorities is basically that all kids are set up to succeed in their futures when they leave West Hancock."

4. What do you see as your strengths and/or accomplishments that qualify you for this position?

Burgardt: "Listening is important to try and cover all sides of different issues. Discussion is how to hammer out the best way to find the best solution for a topic."

White: "Working in the environmental health and safety field for the past 18 years has strengthened my listening skills, problem-solving abilities, and my commitment to accountability. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that everything starts with people. In our schools, that means prioritizing our students, supporting our educators, and staying connected to the broader community that makes this district strong. I’ve also been actively involved in our community through roles with Little Eagles Basketball, Park and Rec and several safety boards across the country. When this community calls, we don’t just talk about it we show up. That’s exactly why I’m running for the school board. I believe my professional experience, community involvement, and dedication to our schools qualify me to serve and It would be an honor to represent this district on the school board."

Brogaard: "In my professional career, I've had to work with many cross functional departments, all with individual goals and shared goals to achieve success. During those times, you have to help grow internally but at the same time work with outside groups to achieve large goals. While working through those exercises you have to have good views & vision, communication, and willing to give and take to work what's best for all."