There will be four candidates, two incumbents and two newcomers, vying for two seats on the Carroll Community School District Board of Education on the Nov. 2 ballot. Kristen Lundstrom is one of those newcomers and says this is her opportunity to both pay it back and pay it forward.
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She says this is a way to help not only the students, but the teachers and the support staff as well. Lundstrom says she has a diverse list of experiences that will bring a unique viewpoint to the board. This includes a role with the Heartland Area Education Agency.
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She also has worked closely with administration and school staff as she organizes the Summer Fun Camp and has had children attend each of the four district facilities. They have also utilized specific programs.
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Lundstrom says one of the biggest issues the district faces is retention of teachers and their support teams.
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Another big issue is funding. Right now, Lundstrom says there has been a laser focus on the COVID virus and many of the problems schools are dealing with can be traced back to money. The bigger picture, she says, needs to come back into focus. She wants every voter to know that she is dedicated to doing what is in the best interest of the district, both in the short- and long-term.
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Lundstrom and her husband, Joel, who is the Provost at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Carroll, are amazed by the way the community of has embraced their family in every aspect. The Lundstroms have two children: Tyson, who is a junior; and Charlie who is in seventh grade. Lundstrom says both have special needs, having been diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome and autism. She jokes that more people know her children than her and her husband, so maybe she should run as Tyson and Charlie’s mom. The most important thing to them, however, is the way the boys have been included in everything and enveloped by a caring community. She says she can’t say enough great things about Carroll, and the here and now is her time to give back. In upcoming newscasts, Carroll Broadcasting will bring you interviews with the other three candidates, incumbents Duane Horsley and Jen Munson, and the other newcomer, Salissou Sani Saidou.