Frequently Asked Questions
Occupation and education:
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Associate Wealth Management Advisor — (Amplify Wealth Partners - Northwestern Mutual)
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Bachelor of Business Administration – UW Madison
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Graduate of West De Pere 1997
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Why are you running for school board?
I'm running for re-election because both of my children are still in the district (+ two nephews) and I believe I bring a different mindset and skillset to the existing board. During my first 3yr term, I learned a lot and was part of several significant decisions in the district such as hiring a new Superintendent, passing a successful referendum for our much-needed Tech Ed expansion and the purchase of a district office (instead of renting in perpetuity).
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Both my wife and I are WDP graduates and have lived in the district most of our lives. My father was a WDP graduate and a long-time police officer for the City of De Pere. My mother also worked various roles in the district for ~30yrs.
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WDP is a great place to raise a family primary because of our schools, which was a big reason why we returned here in 2013.
What do you see as the biggest issues facing the district right now, and how would you address them if elected?
The biggest issues facing the district now are:
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Insufficient state funding,
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Rising operational costs,
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Increased student enrollment and needs
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State funding has not had significant cost-of-living adjustments in over 15yrs. The biggest shortfall occurs with special education needs - we're seeing more students with greater needs and an insufficient amount of aid to handle it.
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With the dollar losing ~25% of its' purchasing power since 2020, everything needed to run and maintain the schools is more expensive. Benefits, particularly health insurance, have jumped substantially and demand for teachers is still competitive, requiring higher pay to keep the best and brightest.
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We don't want to sacrifice our current levels of programming and student support so we're discussing our options right now about how to best address these issues. Over the last 3yrs, we've implemented cost-saving measures totaling over $1M, but more is needed to close the gap.
The district has a slight budget deficit. If elected, how would you approach that deficit?
Per our 6/30/25 audit, WDP had an ending (general) fund balance that represents 35.51% of expenditures (and has been consistently around 30% for several years). For perspective, a good benchmark for a working cash reserve is between 20-25%. Our 2025 general fund revenues were 3.48% higher than budgeted and our expenditures were 2.82% less than budgeted. I share this to say that WDP has been well-run for some time, but the impact of the challenges mentioned in the previous question have us concerned.
To reduce the deficit, we'll need to consider more cost-saving measures, but if current trends continue that will not be enough. Although we haven't had an operational referendum in about 20yrs, we may need to consider one in the near future. I know property owners have seen significant increases in their taxes, too, so any request will only come after all cost saving measures have been considered.