South Tama County School Board Candidate: Tessa Matherly

District 1 (vote for one)

Age: 35

Residence: Toledo, IA

Profession: Office Manager

Education: Graduated from Dike-New Hartford in 2005, Graduated from Hawkeye Community College in 2008 with a 2-year Administrative Assistant Degree

Family: Married in 2013 to my husband Justin, we have two children together: Noah, 5 and Brea, 2.

What motivated you to run for this office?

I am not originally from the school district, so I thought with my children being young and going to be a part of this school district it would be a great time to be involved and speak for the younger kids & parents. I have spoken to several community members over the years that have not been happy with how the school is doing things, so I would love to be their voice. We may not always agree, but I will always listen.

What qualities and behaviors should school board members exhibit?

School board members should be impartial. Willing to do what is right for the students and school district as a whole, not just specific individuals.

What do you see as the primary roles and responsibilities for the position you are running for?

Represent the community in making decisions that pertain to the community and the district.

How would you handle requests if approached by an individual? Special interest group?

I would listen and not necessarily react immediately. I would go to the rest of the board members. I want to listen to as many people & special interest groups as possible. I want as many people’s voices to be heard, without a lot of backlash.

What do you feel are the three most important issues the school board will face during your (anticipated) term as a school board member? How do you plan to address those issues?

Middle School- We need facts and hard numbers to show the community how a new middle school would be built. I want to ask as many questions as I can for myself and for community members that haven’t had the opportunity. I would push to get the answer we are all looking for. I want to break things down and understand all aspects. Not be okay with whatever I am being told.

COVID- Handling COVID will be based on where the world is at whether it is mask mandates, vaccine mandates or school not being in full session. We would look at the laws and what other school districts are trending. Need to look at our numbers with the school district and within each school as well. Do our best with the information given.

Budget- I believe budget is always a huge discussion in any school district. The members of the district need to be able to understand more of what “power” the school board has over the budget. I know there are State budgets set and so many things that go into budgeting for the school district, however I do not know all the bits and pieces. As a school board member I would like to get down to the details of how monies are being spent for the school district as a whole.

Why should people vote for you on November 2, 2021?

I would like to be a voice for the Younger community members- as it stands, none of the school board members have younger children in the school district like myself. Also, I am here to listen and make sure your voice is heard. I have already spoken to community members who may not have the same opinions as I do, but we can come to a compromise if we WORK TOGETHER! Not being from the community originally gives me outside look on how things are done. I have been a part of other school districts and may have different insight than some of the other candidates who were born and raised here. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Please be sure to vote on November 2nd!