To the editor:
ISD 200's perception survey from 2025 shows that staff confidence in the school board has fallen dramatically. When asked whether “The school board is doing what it takes to make our district successful,” staff gave the board such a low rating that we were in the 2nd percentile of districts surveyed. Parents aren't impressed either. Their rating of the school board placed us in only the 8th percentile. Those numbers should concern every Hastings taxpayer.
But the most telling part may be what happened when the district brought people together to talk about improving relationships. According to the Hastings Journal, the number-one priority identified by participants was building trust and respect between the school board, staff, and community. The next priorities were staying focused on educational priorities and student success.
In other words, our community is telling the board exactly what it needs to do.
Listen. Build trust. Respect educators. Focus on students. That is what a school board should be doing.
Instead, we have watched board leadership become increasingly involved in matters that should be handled by the professionals hired to run our schools. We have seen board members scrutinize instructional materials, involve themselves in student activities, and become involved in issues that belong at the administrative level.
The district's own description of the board's responsibilities is straightforward: the board is supposed to govern, not manage.
We need a board that understands that distinction.
That is why I support Mark Zuzek, Kendal Larson, and Melissa Kinneman.
Kendal Larson explicitly calls for a board focused on policy and accountability while giving the superintendent and staff room to do their jobs. Melissa Kinneman emphasizes evidence-based decisions, listening to teachers and parents, fiscal responsibility, and putting students at the heart of board decisions. Mark Zuzek has demonstrated during his time on the board that he knows how to focus on students, families, staff, and policy-level leadership.
The message is clear. It's time to listen, and it's time for new leadership.
Please vote for Mark Zuzek, Kendal Larson, and Melissa Kinneman.
Lori Best
Retired ISD 200 Teacher