Schools

Meet the Wayzata School Board Candidates: Nick Roehl

Seven people have filed for four open seats on the Wayzata School Board. Nick Roehl has lived in the Wayzata School District all his life and involved in the Northwest Trails Association for 10 years.

Plymouth Patch asked Wayzata School Board candidates five questions about their backgrounds and important issues facing the school district.

Check back with Patch regularly to see information on each candidate and feel free to ask your own questions of the candidates below each article.

Nick Roehl is one of seven who have filed for the four open seats on the Wayzata School Board.  The four spots are each a four-year term. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

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Background: (Political experience, career/job experience, family, volunteer or other civic engagement.)

Roehl: "I have not run for office before. I live in Plymouth and grew up in southern Maple Grove. I have lived within the district my entire life. I own and operate Honest Auto LLC, which is located in the district. I am active in the democratic process because I believe that a strong representative democracy requires an active, educated and involved citizenry. I have been involved with Northwest Trails Association for about 10 years."

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Budget: How do you plan to address the school district's budget issues? What are the main issues with the district's budget? What can or cannot be done at the School Board level to address those issues?

Roehl: "I will attack budget issues head on. Identifying what dollars produce the most results, along with tracking down waste, will allow our valuable funds to be spent on what really matters, and that is educating our students. If done properly, we can offer a more valuable education to our students and save our taxpayers from an increasing tax burden."

Enrollment/facilities: How should the district address enrollment and facility use issues? What are the main issues with the district's enrollment and facility use? 

Roehl: "Wayzata’s enrollment has been fairly stable the last few years. There is still much residential development potential within the district, and the long term enrollment is uncertain. The elementary school level is of particular concern and needs to be monitored closely. Building a new elementary school was discussed at the League of Women Voters candidate forum. Current data suggests an enrollment bubble in the elementary level. My feeling is that the large capital expenditure of a new facility to accommodate an enrollment bubble in the elementary level should be avoided if possible. Less costly options to meet our class size goals and resident’s expectations, like leasing space, expanding current facilities, and other options, need to be explored before building a new facility.  If future studies and data suggest that our long term enrollment at the elementary level will continue to grow, then a new facility may be the most responsible choice."

Curriculum/testing: What do you think should be changed with what is being taught in the classrooms today? How do you think issues of meeting state and federal student achievement standards can be addressed? What is missing to improve student achievement in the Wayzata School District? (Or do you think nothing is missing?

Roehl: "When it comes to curriculum, I would like to make sure Wayzata is offering our students the very best in education by making certain they are ready to face the 21st century head on. This means a renewed focus on technology and the skills that go along with it. More and more students are graduating from post-secondary institutions only to find that employers feel that they do not possess the skills needed. Many students end up taking additional classes and training after college to obtain these skills. Some of these skills are becoming so universally needed that we should be focusing on providing more in the K-12 curriculum. Another area that could use strengthening nationwide is in the area of civics. This wonderful country of ours depends on an educated and active citizenry. Our students need to have the strongest background in this area as possible. Often times the only civics education a student receives is at the K-12 level. We are educating tomorrow’s leaders and voters. To ensure our country retains its greatness, we owe it to ourselves and our ancestors to provide the best possible education in this area."

Image: How do you think the district is perceived by those who live in it and those who do not? What do you think can be improved for the district to better communicate with the community and others? How would you address issues with the district's image?

Roehl: "How our district is perceived by outsiders is not of nearly as much concern as the image perceived by our own residents. We are here to impress one group of individuals, our residents. We need to make certain the image perceived is an accurate one. We need to make sure our residents have a clear understanding of what we do and why. Residents should have access to how we are teaching our students and what we are teaching our students. Residents need access to what we are spending and in what areas. Residents that understand what is going on within our schools will be able to help improve our schools by supporting what we are doing or by offering up ideas to improve the way we do things. If they don’t know what is going on they can’t help us. We must always strive to involve our residents in the education process."


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