Greenway School Board 2024 Election Guide

KAXE contacted each candidate twice using the contact information submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office to invite them to participate in our election guide.

Candidates’ answers have not been edited and will be published as submitted.

When necessary, our news team added contextual information, clearly marked with an “Editor’s Note” and in italics, although responses were not uniformly fact-checked. With our small team of three, we are not able to proactively fact-check every statement the candidate makes. However, we will do our best to note any inaccuracies if they become known to us.

Please contact our news team at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments, or would like to report bugs.

KAXE’s election guide only includes candidates in contested races. Visit our full list of candidates for office in northern Minnesota to see who else is on the ballot.

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Doug Cogswell

Incumbent: NO

KAXE has not received a response from this candidate.

Ryan Johns

Incumbent: Yes
Age on election day: 36

Place of residence/municipality: Bovey

Where are you currently employed and what is your role?
State-certified nurse

Please share any previous experience that you believe would qualify you for the position.
I am a father of four and live in the Greenway District. Before becoming a nurse, I worked in the financial and administrative areas of healthcare and healthcare financing.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
The primary responsibility of a school board member is to serve and prioritize the needs of the children and their parents in the school district. This includes being active and engaging with community members. It is also my duty to provide our educators with the best possible support and resources to best serve the children in the district.

Why are you running for office?
I am running again because I want to increase transparency about how schools operate and how that, in turn, meets the needs of the community and the district’s children. As a parent of four children in the district, I also have a keen interest in the success of all students and the district as a whole.

What are your priorities if elected? Please describe specific goals.
My biggest goal is to increase transparency about what is happening in schools and to ensure that this reaches parents so that they are well informed about their children/students’ education and experiences.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing your district and how do you plan to overcome them?
One of our biggest challenges is declining enrollment. To overcome this, I would first try to understand why the numbers are falling and then work to find solutions aimed at reducing the falling numbers.

High taxes are a concern for many northern Minnesotans. Please tell us your specific opinion on taxes and how you would like to ensure that tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
Without taxpayers we would not be able to do what we do in our district. However, I firmly believe that we must work within our means and find a balance by being fiscally responsible and not seeking referendums. Finances must be kept in mind and it is important to maintain our programs to avoid losing students and secure the future of Greenway.

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
It is important that the community is involved. Sharing your input and attending meetings are helpful steps. It is important for me to be open and honest about what is happening and what changes may or may not be necessary to communicate this to my constituents. Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

LaNea Johnson

Incumbent: NO
Age on election day: 49
Place of residence/municipality: Bovey

Where are you currently employed and what is your role?
Occupational therapist

Please share any previous experience that you believe would qualify you for the position.
I served on the Greenway School Board for eight years, from 2014 to 2022, for two terms. I have served on several committees, attended many training courses, and been involved in several school-related groups. Therefore, I have a good knowledge of the processes, connections that help our schools and am familiar with various legislatures. My husband and I graduated from Greenway and are committed to keeping the school strong. Two of our children graduated from Greenway and another is currently attending the school. I am deeply committed to keeping it strong and persistent, and hope my grandchildren can one day participate.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Make key decisions related to the district’s mission, strategy, and goals. The goal is to address the public’s interests through the district’s work and to serve as the legal voice of the district. Decisions must reflect what is in the best interests of all students and all citizens. This requires constant effort and a strong commitment to serving other people.

Why are you running for office?
I feel that I can be a strong voice and an effective active participant in the school administrative processes, with a focus on our students and those who teach and support them on a daily basis. I love Greenway and because of our family history and present of attending/graduating the school, I am committed to its continued success to prepare more students for the next phase of their lives.

What are your priorities if elected? Please describe specific goals.
I would like to set up an endowment just for our Greenway schools. I would like to see consistent communication established at every board meeting with all meetings taking place on school-related topics to keep transparency high. I want to support our schools to move away from current basic educational practices as I feel this has slowly but steadily led to a decline in higher education levels for some and allowed even more to slip through the cracks and not meeting the standards. Since there has been teaching pressure to test and take practices such as learning to write, learning outcomes and learning outcomes have declined.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing your district and how do you plan to overcome them?
Student needs have increased, but funding remains nowhere near meeting state and federal needs. I have offered to speak to the Legislature in the past and plan to continue to do so in the future. It is important that we hold our legislators accountable to our rural schools. This will force our rural schools to seek taxpayer support that is already being exhausted in too many other areas.

High taxes are a concern for many northern Minnesotans. Please tell us your specific opinion on taxes and how you would like to ensure that tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
Knowledge is powerful. Communication between our administration, board members, and leadership within the schools that support our teachers, staff, and students is critical. This allows us as board members to make the best decisions for everyone involved so we can communicate needs to our communities and citizens we serve. Our schools need the tax base to operate effectively and that is why it is important to us that they are as informed and prepared as possible. In the past, the focus was on the use of funds in service.

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
By requiring monthly notices and updates from all various boards, committees, and additional meetings held outside of regular board meetings, I believe this will help inform those who attend or receive the minutes. I will continue to support discussions on our board and in the community who have concerns, comments and questions whenever possible.

Carissa L McIlwain

Incumbent: Yes

KAXE has not received a response from this candidate.

Nick Porter

Incumbent: NO

KAXE has not received a response from this candidate.

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Do you still have questions for the candidates? Contact information for those running for office can be found at Candidates.sos.state.mn.us.