The Lone Tree school board has two seats available for election. The first seat available has been held by Joel Yedlik, who will be retiring from the board after 18 years. The second seat has been held by Alex Ogren. Ogren is the only person running for election, leaving one of the open seats to be filled by write-in votes.

Ogren was asked this list of questions via email:

•Please tell us about yourself; for example, city of residence, family, current employment, past offices held.

•Why are you running for school board?

•What are the most pressing issues facing the Lone Tree district, and how do you think the school board should address them?

•What projects or issues would you like to focus on?

•Why should residents of the Lone Tree district vote for you?

•How would you like to improve with a new term of service?

Alex Ogren

I am a 2007 graduate of Lone Tree, and after some time away, moved back into the district with my wife Madeline in 2018. We have one 2.5-year-old daughter that is excited to be a 3rd generation lion next fall! I am a current school board member serving the past 15 months or so.

I am re-running for the board because I am passionate about our school and the opportunities that it afforded our students, staff and community. As I look back to the opportunities that it afforded me academically, extra-curricularly and socially, I want that for my kids and others for generations to come.

Obviously as you look around, you see rural public school consolidation, as well as hear a lot of noise around public school funding. I think it is imperative that we continue to stay on the forefront of an ever-changing landscape for public schools here in rural Iowa. Doing so will allow us to not only be financially stable, but also stay up to date on what we can offer our students and staff, so that Lone Tree is a place where both can succeed and make Lone Tree a school of choice in our area.

I think there are a lot of awesome ideas and opportunities that are continuously brought to a school board. I think it is our job to take those ideas, explore them, and ultimately decide if a project is a responsible use of school funds and district taxpayer dollars. And in addition to that, ask ourselves will the project positively impact the curricular/extra-curricular experience for our students, staff, and community.

Short term, I think there are some projects that need to be focused on with the “guts” of the school building itself, for lack of better term. There are some updates to our HVAC as well as technology systems in the building that could use updated or “brought into 2023” if you will. I think that some of these types of projects will be a focus for myself and the board in the near term. I understand that some of these types of projects may not be as visually awe striking as others, however it is the foundation of our biggest asset, our building, and it is critical that it functions at a high level and is able to maximize the student and staff experience.

Additionally, I would like to focus on making sure that we are the school of choice for quality teachers and staff. Our teachers and staff are the cornerstone of the student experience. I want to continue to focus on and explore ways to attract and retain quality teachers and staff members at Lone Tree.

[Residents should vote for me] because I am passionate about our community and our school. I do not have a personal agenda, other than my desire for my kids to be afforded the best educational experience possible at Lone Tree. A commonsense approach is how I navigate my role on the board, and I will always do what I feel is right, no matter what.

I would like to continue to strengthen my knowledge of public school education in Iowa. I found out firsthand that there is “a lot more to it” than meets the eye, and I want to continuously expand my knowledge of the system and how it works. This will allow me to make the best decisions possible for Lone Tree to be successful. I also want to continue to grow relationships with key stakeholders in the district.