April 4 election: Questions for local candidates

By Melissa R. Collum

In preparing for the upcoming April 4 election the Courier Press asked local candidates the same questions via e-mail. Candidates were asked to keep with responses between 100-150 words. There are two people running for two seats on the Common Council; Nate Gilberts and Jaaren Riebe. For the Prairie du Chien School Board there are three people running for two school board seats: Lonnie Achenbach, Nick Gilberts, and Byron Hardy. Candidates are presented in alphabetical order.

School Board Candidates

Lonnie Achenbach:

    What is your background/ experience for a position on the school board? I graduated from PDC high school and then furthered my education earning a BS degree at UW Platteville. I am a successful businessman and farmer who has been on several boards including PDC School board,Eastman Town Board,Eastman Little league,St Wenceslaus Church council, and Crawford county meat animal auction committee.
   Why do you want to serve on the school board? I want to ensure that all students receive the education they deserve to succeed in their future job opportunities.
What do you believe is the most pressing concern/issue currently facing PdC schools? School financing and declining enrollment  along with keeping our excellent staff  to provide a balanced education to all students is the most pressing issue in our school today.
   Do you have a project/issue that you would like to bring forth to the school board/schools that is currently not being addressed? Or one that you want to support/ or expand upon that is currently happening? Career Technical  Education program (CTE) would be a great addition  for our students to get  ready for the LOCAL workforce. It is in the beginning stages and would help local employers meet their needs to fill the labor shortage.
   What do you feel is ‘great’ about the PdC school district? I have seven children who all have attended  PDC school district. PDC schools have given my children and their classmates  the well-rounded education (band,choir,athletics,forensics,drama,FFA, and numerous other opportunities) that they needed to go into the world to be successful.

Nick Gilberts:

What is your background/ experience for a position on the school board? I have been serving on the Prairie du Chien School Board for the past 8 years-vice president for 6 years and clerk for 1 year.
Why do you want to serve on the school board? I want to continue to serve on the school board because I want to do what’s best for the students. The district also has outstanding staff members. From teachers, support staff, cooks, custodians, and administration, they all are dedicated to their job. As a Board we need to continue to retain these staff members.
What do you believe is the most pressing concern/issue currently facing PdC schools? The biggest issue that the Prairie du Chien School District is facing is declining enrollment. This is a common theme in almost every school district because families are not as big as they once were. Parents are not having 3-4 children anymore-instead it is 1 or 2. The way the state funding is set up, school districts receive aid based on the number of students in the district. Less students means less funding for the district. There are going to be some very difficult decisions ahead for the school board moving forward to reduce spending.
Do you have a project/issue that you would like to bring forth to the school board/schools that is currently not being addressed? Or one that you want to support/ or expand upon that is currently happening? One item that is brought up quite often while talking to parents in the district is the length of the school day. DPI requirements are based on hours of instruction per year and the school district goes above and beyond those requirements. When hours are added up to days, the district is going 14 more days per year than the state requires for 7-12th grade and almost 25 more days for grades K-6. Although there are advantages of longer school days, decisions need to be made in terms of reducing spending.
What do you feel is ‘great’ about the PdC school district? There are many great things happening in our district! One item in particular that stands out is that students have many opportunities in the high school.  Students can take college courses while in high school and earn credits towards their post secondary degree, and there is little cost to the district to offer this.

Byron Hardy:

What is your background/ experience for a position on the school board?This will be my first experience of being a school board member, but I have served as a council member urban renewal board, 4-H fair board member, and fair board committee.
Why do you want to serve on the school board? My father was a member of the school board where I grew up and he instilled in me the dedication to make our schools better for our kids. I feel that my experience will bring a new perspective to the school board and the community as I am newer to the community, and I want to do my part to give back to PDC.
What do you believe is the most pressing concern/issue currently facing PdC schools? Our kids face many tough issues in our present day and kids need a safe environment to further their education. This includes their physical, emotional, and mental well-being that needs to be addressed at all levels. We can work together to set boundaries, set goals, and reinforce school policies.
Do you have a project/issue that you would like to bring forth to the school board/schools that is currently not being addressed? Or one that you want to support/ or expand upon that is currently happening?
A project that I want to add support to would be the integration and structure of our special education programs. I am the proud parent of three amazing kids, Tyson, Dylan, and Ella. Tyson and Dylan were born with autism, and we have advocated for their education throughout their education and I would like to share that passion with the school district.
What do you feel is ‘great’ about the PdC school district? When we moved here last year, the school district welcomed us into the community and made us feel at home. The administrators worked diligently to accommodate our needs and have been with us every step of the way. They strive for the best for our kids, and I want a be a part of the team and make a difference.

Prairie du Chien Alderperson Candidates

Nate Gilberts:

What is your background /experience related to the position as alderperson? I have been elected to the City Council for a total of 12 years. I have been the City Council President for the last several years and also the Finance Committee Chairman.
Why do you want to serve as an alderperson? I enjoy serving the community and helping make tough decisions the City is faced with. All the decisions that we make will not always please everyone, but we do our best to try and represent the citizens that elected us and those we serve. I also like to be a part of the progress we are making with many projects within the City and more of them to come.
What do you believe is the most pressing concern/issue related to PdC and the role of the common council?
Right now one of the challenges is the State Shared Revenue. Each year we seem to receive less State Aid and that is a challenge when we work on the budget every year on the Finance Committee. We try to keep tax increases to the minimum and it is hard to do that when the State Aid is not coming in. We don't want to cut any services to the citizens and we have to have competitive wages to keep the good employees that the City has here.
Do you have a project/ issue that you would like to bring forth to the Common Council that is currently not being addressed? At this time there is no project or issue that needs addressed, in my opinion, that we haven't already have been working on or about to. We all know that there are roads that need attention, but we have to also look at what's under the road as far as water/sewer lines that at the same time a road needs replaced, these also need to be addressed if the age of the systems is a concern.
What do you believe is ‘great’ about the community of PdC? There are three things I believe are great. First the Citizens, we have so many people who step up to volunteer in many aspects of our community, trying to make it a better place to live. I also believe the location of our community is great. We are surrounded by the bluffs and rivers, and I think we sometimes take for granted just how great of an area we live in. We also have great businesses here that offer pretty much everything we need and our businesses give back to our community in so many ways. Always remember to support our local businesses first.

Jaaren Riebe

What is your background /experience related to the position as alder person? I have previously served as a member of the Prairie du Chien Board of Park Commissioners in the late 1990’s ending my term as chairman. I then was elected as a City Alderman representing the second district where I served 7 years under Mayors Mader, Steiner and Hemmer. I was reelected in 2019 as a representative at large. I have served on many committees including finance, protection and health, plan commission, personnel, and public works.
Why do you want to serve as an alderperson? I feel Prairie du Chien has a lot to offer but needs to grow tax base to help reduce the burden on the homeowners. This can be done, but needs to be done in a fiscally responsible manner. I would love the opportunity for my children and our children of the community to be able to find employment in our area that fits their educational background.
What do you believe is the most pressing concern/issue related to PdC and the role of the common council? Housing is the biggest issue in the City and the County. Workforce housing is one need along with opportunities for retirees to downsize, which would free up first time homeowner opportunities.
Do you have a project/ issue that you would like to bring forth to the Common Council that is currently not being addressed? I feel that as a City we may be able to work with the County and School district on a few things that can save all entities some money. As a City resident we pay taxes to the City, the County and the School District. There may be ways to streamline some projects so that we aren’t paying for the same service 3 times. Some of this is being addressed currently and there are still opportunities.
What do you believe is ‘great’ about the community of PdC? Besides the obvious beauty of the area and the mighty Mississippi, the people in this area are the best around. I have travelled all over the country and am amazed every day how awesome the Prairie du Chien area is.