Two incumbents and two newcomers are running to fill four Ames School Board seats in the Nov. 4 election.
Incumbent and current Board President Kelly Winfrey is running for an at-large seat, joined by newcomers Arthur Baumgartner and Jennifer Tipton. Voters can select up to three names on the ballot.
Board member Aaron Rodriguez, who was appointed late last year to a vacant seat, is also running for an at-large seat. His candidacy will be on the ballot as a separate item.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting begins Oct. 15 and lasts through Nov. 3. The last day to submit a request for a mailed ballot is Oct. 20.
Ames voters can find their voting precincts and candidate information on Story County’s website.
The Ames Tribune sent out questionnaires to each of the candidates. Here are their responses:
Kelly Winfrey (incumbent)
Name: Kelly Winfrey
Age: 45
Office I am seeking: Ames School Board
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Current town of residence: Ames (since 2014)
Education: PhD Communication Studies, University of Kansas
Occupation: Professor, I teach and research in the areas of communication, politics, and gender studies.
Political experience and civic activities: I was elected to the Ames School Board in 2021. I served briefly on the Story County Board of Adjustment (a change in the law made me ineligible to continue). I also serve on the board for the Iowa Democratic Women’s Caucus and have worked with the Story County Democrats. I’ve also provided campaign training to partisan and non-partisan groups and volunteered for many candidates.
Why are you running for this seat? Why is education important to you, and why would you like to serve it in this capacity?
I am running for reelection because I have more to do and more to offer. I’d like to use the knowledge I gained over the last four years to support the wonderful superintendent we hired a year and a half ago. We are also two years into a five-year strategic plan, and I’d like to see that work through. I’m also running for reelection because the work matters. The board sets the vision and mission of the district. In Ames, we put kids first. It’s not about politics or individual interests. It’s about kids, all kids, being given the opportunity and resources to help them reach their educational and personal potential. That work feels very important.
What top priorities do you have for your district?
My focus is on continuing progress on our strategic plan. Of particular importance to me is our students’ mental health and sense of belonging, ensuring our teachers have curricular support and professional development to give every student what they need to be successful, and monitoring the effectiveness of the strategic plan actions on student growth.
What are the main concerns you have for your district? How do you plan to address them?
The strategic plan is or will address a lot of my concerns. Student mental health and safety, supporting staff, hiring and retaining staff are among my priorities, and we are already implementing measures to address each of them.
The biggest concern is funding. The state has not funded public education to keep up with inflation for many years, and ESAs are siphoning tax dollars from public schools to fund private schools. We have faced significant budget cuts every year I’ve been on the board. Fortunately, our district leaders and staff have been creative in finding ways to cut costs with minimal direct impact on students. There are only so many ways to save and trim, so there will be difficult decisions. I encourage everyone to pressure the legislature and governor to fund public education. The board can’t solve the funding problem, but I think we will continue to address this challenge by focusing first on kids and what they need most to be successful.
Art Baumgartner
Name: Art Baumgartner
Age: 40
Office I am seeking: Ames School Board
Hometown: Grinnell, Iowa
Current town of residence: Ames (since 2005)
Education: Master’s Degree (Architecture) from Iowa State University. Bachelor of Arts, Grinnell College
Occupation: Preconstruction Manager, Woodruff Construction
Political experience and civic activities: This is my first elected position sought. Former board member – Ames Main Street, former Ames Public Art commissioner, former Discover Ames Community Grant Committee member.
Why are you running for this seat? Why is education important to you, and why would you like to serve it in this capacity?
I’ve long admired the important work of Iowa’s 300+ volunteer public school boards and I’m excited for the opportunity to make a positive impact in our community. As a parent of two kids in the district, I have been so happy with their educational experience. I want to make sure other families have a similar experience for years to come.
What top priorities do you have for your district?
I will support our educators and administrators in creating a safe, supportive, and student-centered environment where all students can thrive.
I bring 15 years of professional school design and construction experience to the table. I want to help the district make smart, informed decisions about facility upgrades, maintenance, and capital improvements to maximize value for Ames taxpayers.
What are the main concerns you have for your district? How do you plan to address them?
One area I’d like to see improve is stability in district leadership. For a while, especially during COVID, we had some turnover at both the district and building levels, as many schools did. From my interactions with Superintendent Grimes, though, he seems like a steady and capable leader who can provide lasting impact for our district.
Jennifer Tipton
Name: Jennifer Tipton
Office I am seeking: Ames School Board
Hometown: Pleasantville, Iowa
Current town of residence: Ames (since 2019)
Education: PhD, Education, from Iowa State University; M.A., Communication Studies, from California State University, Fresno; B.A., English Education, from University of Northern Iowa
Occupation: Student Affairs at Iowa State University
Political experience and civic activities: This is my first elected position sought.
Why are you running for this seat? Why is education important to you, and why would you like to serve it in this capacity?
Public education is at the heart of our communities. I grew up with parents in public education, and I am passionate about supporting the vital work our educators do for our children and families.
What top priorities do you have for your district?
My priority is to listen to educators and community members. I aim to ensure our limited resources are used in the best ways possible that have direct and lasting impacts on students.
What are the main concerns you have for your district? How do you plan to address them?
I hope to support staff continuity, program stability, and maximize the use of our resources as educators are continually asked to do more with less. There are opportunities to strengthen ties among our school district, the university campus, and the larger community, and I hope to support projects and collaborations that bring citizens and students together throughout Ames.
Aaron Rodriguez (incumbent)
Name: Aaron Rodriguez
Age: 38
Office I am seeking: Ames School Board
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Current town of residence: Ames (since 2017)
Education: Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University
Occupation: Senior Product Application Engineering at Danfoss Power Solutions
Political experience and civic activities: Current appointed school board member
Why are you running for this seat? Why is education important to you, and why would you like to serve it in this capacity?
I truly believe I owe most of what I have in my life to education. With a mix of luck, passionate teachers and hard work, I became the first person in my family to attend college. Because of that transformative experience, I want to support education in my community in a meaningful way. To me, this is an important and impactful way to give back to something that has given me so much.
What top priorities do you have for your district?
I will continue to advocate for policies and supportive measures that ensure every student feels they belong in our schools. Strong schools lead to strong communities, and I want every student to feel they belong to the community that is the Ames Community School District.
I am committed to continuing the positive trend in reducing absenteeism and dropout prevention within our district. Regular school attendance is critical to the success of our students, and our ability to identify and prevent the underlying reasons for missed school days is essential to their academic achievement.
What are the main concerns you have for your district? How do you plan to address them?
I am committed to addressing the mental health needs of our student body. Today’s world presents a complex information environment, and research shows this is significantly impacting our children. I will continue to ensure we dedicate resources to understanding these needs and work collaboratively with our building teams to provide students with the support they require.
Ongoing funding pressures from the state level continue to present significant challenges. Year after year, schools are being asked to do more with fewer resources. I will advocate for the responsible and strategic use of the funds we do have, ensuring every dollar maximizes educational outcomes for our students.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: We asked Ames School Board candidates questions and they answered. Here’s what they said
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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