LCC School Board candidates share their views
LAUREL — Area residents will get to choose next week from seven candidates competing for a position on the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School Board.
Incumbents seeking re-election are Jay Hall and John Wolfgram. Others seeking a seat on the board are: Angela Johnson, Jesse Jackson, Dan Kuhlman, Scott Taylor and Grant Settje, as well as write-in candidate Russell Lambert.
A few candidates grew up in the Laurel or Coleridge area, while others attended schools in other Nebraska towns. All are active members in their communities.
Each candidate is passionate about the future of the school, all have or had students in the LCC school district.
Jay Hall is a 1996 graduate of Coleridge High School. Hall received a Bachelor of Agronomy degree from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2000. Hall is married to Angie, the couple has four children; Austin, Aric, Anderson and Annastyn. Prior to the Laurel-Concord consolidation, Hall had served six years on the Coleridge School Board. Hall is a full time farmer.
Hall has enjoyed his time serving on the school board, really making this a priority to help make the school a stronger district. He has been an active member of the school board along with continuing education training for the school board.
“I’d like to see the enrollment stay steady-or grow for our school district. I’d like to see diversified classes, and the dual classes to continue to help our students prepare for their future. I’d also like to see the school continue to function, maintain, and utilize the current facilities,” said Hall in regards to his vision for the LCC school district.
“I think the enrollment of the LCC school is a strength, we aren’t facing a decline so many other schools are facing. We need to continue to work with the teachers and staff to make the best school possible. I’ve enjoyed my time serving on the board and hope to continue, helping make our school the best it can be. I’ve made my time on the board a priority, and have taken part in continuing education training when available,” said Hall in regards to what he sees as a strength of the LCC school and how he would enhance it.
“I think what can be a perceived weakness is communication, but I think it is continuing to grow and get better. I would also like to continue moving forward to keep the enrollment strong,” said Hall in regards to what he sees as a weakness of the LCC school and how he’d strengthen it.
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John Wolfgram is a graduate of Madison High School. He attended college at Concordia University as well as University of Nebraska, Kearney. He is married to Lisa. The couple has five children; Chelsey who is married to Justin, the couple have one son named Kaden; Brittany, Dillan, Ashley, and Erica.
“I am running for school board to represent our communities and to be a voice for our district patrons. I also feel it is important to be a part of creating a learning environment conducive to student achievement. I have served on the school board for the past 13 years,” said Wolfgram.
“I feel that maintaining and supporting a quality education is very important to our youth today. Working with administration, developing new programs, and strengthening successful ones, are key to allowing students to reach their highest potential. I want to be a part of the process that gives every student in our school district the opportunity for success,” said Wolfgram in regards to his personal vision for the LCC school.
The strengths of our school district are: 1. Technology- 1:1 program which allows technology devices for each student. 2. Wide variety of classes offered along with the option of taking dual credit courses for college credit. 3. Financially stable. I would enhance these strengths by seeking out additional opportunities in each area,” said Wolfgram regarding what he feels are the strengths of the LCC school district.
“I feel that there is always room for improvement in certain areas. The board will collaborate and set goals to progress towards betterment in these areas,” said Wolfgram regarding what he feels are current weakness of the LCC school district, and how to change them.
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Angela Johnson is a graduate of Hartington Public School. Johnson received her Licensed Practical Nurse degree from Western Iowa Tech in Sioux City, IA. Johnson received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Morningside College in Sioux City, IA., continuing on to receive her Masters in Nursing Leadership and Education from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
She is currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Nursing Education program through Bryan College of Health Science in Lincoln.
Johnson lives outside of Laurel with her husband, Joel. The couple have four children, Jayden, Julia, Owen, and Emmet.
“I have not previously served on the school board. I decided to run for the school board because I am invested in the future of our youth as well as the future of our community. Working with college students, I understand the importance of a solid education to assist our youth in being successful after high school. Whether our students go on to tech school, a college, a university, or into the workforce after graduation, preparing our students for a lifetime of success is crucial,” said Johnson in regards to why she chose to run for the LCC School Board.
“My vision for the school is to prepare all students with the lifelong skills needed to be productive members of the community. For the school district to work closely with the community to raise our students up with encouragement and empowerment in order for them to be successful in achieving their future goals,” said Johnson in regards to what her vision is for the LCC school district.
“The biggest strength of our school district is our potential to be the best. We have a strong base built at this time, but we can continue to grow and develop our district into one that is admired by others. There are a lot of exciting things going on in our district at this time. We need to continue to include and encourage all students as well as the community in engaging in our future,” said Johnson in regards to what she sees as a strength of the LCC school district and how to enhance it.
“I feel the biggest weakness is the sense of mistrust some members of our community feel between the school and the community. This comes down to a lot of various factors with one of them being lack of communication. I believe with recent changes we have seen this significantly improve in just a short time. It takes time to rebuild trust, but we will get there. #LCCPRIDE,” said Johnson in regards to what she sees as a weakness of the LCC school district and how to change it.
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Jesse Jackson graduated from Gothenburg High School in 1993. He attended Mid Plains Technical School in North Platte, graduating in 1996. He is currently the store manager of the Laurel Subway. He has five children ranging in ages from 6 to 16. He currently serves on the Coleridge Village Board, as well as the Coleridge Nursing Home Board.
“When I am looking at the school board position, I want to make sure we are doing the best and making sure we are doing right by the students. I want to make sure they are being prepared for life after school, whether it be on to college or straight into the workforce. As a manager, I’ve worked with students, I want to make sure the kids are gaining knowledge to prepare them for their future careers. How can we be better, and how can the board help make this happen?” said Jackson in regards to why he chose to run for the LCC school board.
“Everyone’s vision is to have a safe school, a place that everyone can truly feel safe from being bullied. I know the school has been pro-active. I also want members of the community to know that, if I become a board member, they can approach me with any concerns, compliments, questions, or anything. I want them to know these concerns are truly being listened to. I want to learn and grow and to help the school to grow. At the end of the day, it’s about the kids. This is a position of servanthood, it’s a big thing,” said Jackson in regards to his vision for the LCC school district.
“We are a very pro-active school, whether it be security to up to date technology to a new playground for the students. I feel we need to continue to advance the school and prepare the students, making sure the students have resources at their disposure,” said Jackson in regards to what he feels are the strength of the school and how to enhance them.
“I feel communication can be seen as a weakness. I’d like to ask ‘Are we doing the best?’ We can always do a better job at communication. We all need to know what’s going on. I want to continue to build communication and understanding,” said Jackson in regards to what he sees as a weakness and how he would change it.
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Dan Kuhlman is a 2001 graduate of Osmond High School. Following graduation, Kuhlman attended Northeast Community College obtaining an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science, having graduated in May of 2003. He went on to Wayne State College, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. He has worked for American Broadband since 2003. He and his wife, Hillary, have two daughters, Reggan and Carly.
“I chose to run because the number one resource in our rural communities is our children, and it is imperative we provide them with the best education feasible, as their education is going to be the foundation on which they continue to build the rest of their lives once they graduate from LCC. I want to ensure our students are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to be responsible, successful, and productive citizens. The core values we instill in our students at LCC should represent a sense of pride in the school and community,” said Kuhlman.
I want to see the school always striving to be the best. I would like to see our students meeting and exceeding all of the expectations of being the top performing school in Nebraska. Our children are our future, and the future of LCC and the communities of Laurel, Concord, and Coleridge depend on them. Quality education, a thriving community in which to live, work, and play ensures that they return to our community to raise their children,” said Kuhlman in regards to what his vision is for the LCC school district.
“I feel the biggest strength of the school at present is the student body attitude. It feels to me like they have taken the #LCCPRIDE initiative and completely knocked it out of the park. The kids are really taking pride in the school and representing LCC in an exciting and energetic way. If we continue to support the students in the most positive manner possible, their experiences will be that much better in the end. Another strength of the school is the ability of the faculty and staff to adapt to ever changing technology to give our students the best opportunities for learning. Our teachers have embraced different methods of technology to meet the kids on their own level and provide them with the caliber of learning that best suits their needs,” Kuhlman said in regards to what he views as a strength of the LCC school district and how to enhance it.
“The biggest weakness I can see with the school district goes along the same lines as the biggest strength. Unity. We are making big strides towards unity with the schools’ mission statement, #LCCPRIDE, but there is still plenty of work to do to make us stronger. Instilling a sense of unity in our students, faculty, administrators, and community is more difficult when they are in separate facilities, but it is a task that we need to focus a little more effort towards,” said Kuhlman in regards to what he views as a weakness of the LCC school district and how to change it.
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Grant Settje is a Leigh High School graduate. He graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Diversified Ag. He is married to Brandi (Urwiler). The couple has three children who attend LCC; Kolten, Taelynn, and Ryker.
“I decided to run for the school board to help make decisions my community and I feel are important and will help bring our children the best opportunities to succeed throughout their entire time at LCC. I believe a successful school will prepare its students for life after high school. I also want to help make LCC, a school of preference for all kids in neighboring communities,” said Settje on why he chose to run for the LCC School Board.
“My vision for LCC is to have a safe, progressive, and positive environment where both teachers and children can continue to learn and grow throughout their careers at LCC,” said Settje on what his vision is for the LCC school district.
“I believe LCC has a number of strengths. A big one that comes to mind is that I truly believe, as a community member and a LCC parent, we all have the same common goal. We all want the best opportunities and experiences for our children when it comes to education, extracurricular activities and overall school experience. The thing I think will be important to happen, is we can all come together with our differences and ideas and help create a school our children and community can be proud of,” said Settje.
“I don’t see a lot of weaknesses from the outside looking in, but if elected to the school board, I am sure things will be brought to my attention. At that point, I will work diligently along the side of faculty, administration and other board members to make sure we resolve any issue at hand,” Settje said.
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Scott Taylor was born and raised in the Laurel area. His grandparents, Eugene and Doris Sohler, lived and raised their family in Laurel. Harvey and Lucille Taylor lived North of Laurel and then moved to Concord after they retired.
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His parents are John and Cindy Taylor, who are also Laurel Alumni. Scott attended Laurel-Concord elementary and high school, graduating in 1992. After graduating from high school, he attended Northeast Community College and Wayne State College where he took business and entrepreneur classes.
His wife, Christy, and their three sons, Garrett, Wyatt, and Dylan, currently live north and east of Coleridge. Garrett graduated from LCC in 2018. Wyatt is currently a junior at LCC and Dylan is a seventh grader at LCC middle school in Coleridge.
Christy and Scott own Knuckleheadz Bar, Smokin’ T’s Catering, and T&H Meat Co. and Fine Spirits in Laurel. He is also a seed salesman for Nutrien Ag Solutions.”
“The decision to run for the LCC school board came to me after witnessing and hearing things that I found to be quite alarming. I have hesitated to run for quite some time, but after visiting with a wise rancher in Western Nebraska, my mind was changed. We were having a conversation about different things in life and the school topic was brought up. I made a comment about how I didn’t care for a few of the things I see happening in our school and our communities. The old rancher looked up at me and said, and I quote, “if there are things that you don’t like, you can talk about it and complain about it all you like, but if you don’t have the courage to do something about it than don’t complain, complaining won’t solve anything, it just gets people riled up and when that happens, arguments will ensue, problems don’t get solved, and communities become divided. I told him I agreed with him but as a business owner I was concerned about upsetting people and how it could possibly end up costing me business because of my opinions. His reply to my comment was, ‘then tell them what I just told you.’ So, at 44 years old, I’m still learning important things in life every day, and that we need way more cowboys with common sense.
“I truly feel we have a couple of great schools and some great communities we just need to unite and prevent emotions from getting in the way of our goals,” said Taylor.
“Before I can really say what my visions are, I really need to see, learn, and understand why some of the things are happening and being done the way they are. After that I might understand why things are going in the direction the way they are going. I will say a couple visions so you don’t think that I am trying to avoid the question. 1. To obtain UNITY 2. Improve our Industrial Arts Programs 3. I would love to see more Agriculture classes from every aspect of agriculture (mechanical, agronomy, livestock, nutrition, ag business, computer, etc..) we are an agriculture based community, just look at the ag businesses in our communities. The opportunities are endless, why are we not focusing more on this resource. 4. More students returning to our towns after graduation and college. 5. Making sure every student has available to them the education he/she needs to prepare them for the next stage in their life,” Taylor said.
“I feel we have some great teachers, a new superintendent, progression and updating done to the school, and some great goals. Make sure that we listen to our teachers so we can put an end to losing great educators. To not micro manage our superintendent, but allow him/her to do the job he/she was hired to do, but also ensure he/she is doing what is required of them and to listen and understand the concerns of the board and citizens of our communities. Making sure the updating of the school are important by prioritizing the improvements. Ensuring the goals that are set are reached,” said Taylor.
Taylor said we need to work to improve in several areas, which include making sure the communities are not divided and making sure education is suitable for every student. People also need to get over “fear of change,” he said.
Good, local teachers are also important, he said.
“Well qualified LCC graduate educators that live and are from our community are not getting hired for available positions....only to allow superintendents and principles to hire their spouse to fill those positions. That is unacceptable to me.”
“I feel there needs to be a give and take type of relationship within our communities. If this doesn’t happen things will become toxic and emotions will overflow.”
“I feel we are lacking terribly in the industrial arts and agriculture classes. We need to bring this back and make it a priority. We survived years with a rough parking lot, I would much rather see the students have the tools that are needed to get a quality education rather than a quality parking spot. The schools need to quit being looked at as a mascot or a school. They need to be looked as what they are, and what they are is a business, and at times you need to write down the pros and the cons and figure out what makes sense. What is profitable and what is not. What could you lose and what could you gain. When making decisions what consequence will happen because of that decision, good or bad. Not just right now, but two years or 10 years down the road. Losing teachers is a major concern to me. If these teachers are leaving we need to ask why, then listen to why, and then act on it,” said Taylor.
Pastor Russ Lambert is currently serving as pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Coleridge.
Lambert is a 1973 graduate of Coffee County Central in Manchester, Tennessee. Lambert attended Southwest Texas State, now known as Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He graduated in 1990, majoring in bio education. Lambert continued on to receive a master’s degree in Education Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, in 1997.
He taught middle school science in Oklahoma City before becoming the middle and high school administrator. Later he served as an administrator in Sayre, Okla. Lambert holds a Theological Education for Emerging Ministries for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, a certificate he received from the Lutheran Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas.
He has served in the synod for 14 years, having been ordained for 10 years. He has served in the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod, Southwest Texas Synod, and now in the Nebraska Synod. He is married with three grown children.
“I want to get involved in the school,” said Lambert on why he chose to become a write in candidate for the school board. While having experience in the school system, Lambert has not previously held a position on a school board.
“I want to make the school the best it can be,” he said.
“I think a strength is the sense of community that each town in the school district has, to help strengthen it would be for the communities to continue to come together,” he said.
“At this point I don’t see a weakness, I am very impressed with the LCC school district,” Lambert said.
