Local school board election April 6

There are four candidates running for the Prairie du Chien Board of Education during the Spring Election on April 6. There are three seats up for election, and the top three vote-getters will each be elected to three-year terms.

The candidates are newcomer Dustin Brewer, incumbent Lonnie Achenbach, incumbent Thomas Peterson, and incumbent Michael Higgins.

The following are profiles submitted by each candidate to The Courier Press. Messages were left with candidate Peterson via email and phone. He was also contacted later in person. Unfortunately, circumstances came up and he didn’t submit a profile.

Dustin Brewer is a manager at Pattison Sand Company in Clayton, Iowa. He has lived in Prairie du Chien Township for 18 years.

Lonnie Achenbach is a self-employed businessman and farmer. He is a lifelong resident of the Prairie du Chien School District.

Michael Higgins is a commercial loan officer for Peoples State Bank. He has lived in the Prairie du Chien area since 2003.

Prairie du Chien School Board candidates share goals

Dustin Brewer

I am a manager at Pattison Sand Company in Clayton, Iowa. 

I have lived in Prairie du Chien Township for 18 years.

My wife, Tarra Brewer and I have two sons, Brogan 16 and Brylee 11.

My goals are:

•To give students every opportunity available to succeed. 

•To develop more opportunities in trade education. 

•To work closely with the teachers and give them support. 

Teachers and coaches are the people we trust to give our children the foundation to succeed in life. We need to make sure communication between the school board and the teachers stays open and fluid.

Lonnie Achenbach

I have been a lifelong resident of the Prairie du Chien School District. My wife, Jane, and I have been married 30 years and have eight children: Drew, Sarah, Bridget, Kelsey, Chad, Marie, Rita and James. 

I am a graduate of UW–Platteville with a degree in Agriculture Business. I am a self-employed businessman and farmer. I have been on the Prairie du Chien School Board for 14 years; town of Eastman Board; Eastman Little League Chairman and coach; St. Wenceslaus Church Board; and 4-H County and Club leader.

The most important issue facing the Prairie du Chien School District is giving our students the opportunity for five days face to face instruction. I have been a proponent since September to let the parents decide what is the best way to have their children receive instruction. School boards and administration should not decide how parents want their children educated, face to face, virtual, or cohorts through this pandemic.

Maintaining academic excellence and school offerings with declining enrollment will be a challenge moving forward. Funding is directly related to school enrollment. It will be difficult to keep offering all classes with declining incoming revenue in our school district. We need to maintain our fund balance while keeping as many class offerings as possible while retaining our excellent staff and facilities.

Michael Higgins

My name is Michael Higgins and I am 47 years old. I am married to Lara Czajkowski Higgins and we have three children.  Our oldest child is a student at Prairie du Chien High School and our younger two children currently attend Bluff View Intermediate School.  

I was born and raised in northeastern New Mexico and attended college at the United States Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, Colo., where I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. I earned my Masters in Business Administration from UW–Whitewater.

Prior to moving to Prairie du Chien, I was on active duty in the Air Force, stationed on the east coast as a hospital administrator. I moved to the Prairie du Chien area in August of 2003. I lived in Eastman Township and Wauzeka School District for most of that time and moved into Prairie du Chien and the Prairie du Chien School District in 2017.  

I am a commercial loan officer for Peoples State Bank with almost 14 years of experience with the bank. Prior to that, I worked for 3M as a distribution and transportation general supervisor and for the Lori Knapp Companies as a business, risk, and safety manager.  

I have been very fortunate to be involved with many great people and causes during my 18-year residence in the Prairie du Chien area. Those experiences include:

•Current school board member for the Prairie du Chien Area School District 

•Current member of the Board of Directors for Crossing Rivers Health

•Current member and past president of the Rotary Club of Prairie du Chien

•Current treasurer for Crawford County Crimestoppers, Prairie du Chien Waterhawks Swim Team, and Prairie United Soccer Association

•Current board member of Crawford County Community Fund

•Eastman Township Supervisor (2008-2010)

•Member of Catholic Charities Advisory Board (2009-2016)

•PDRI Board Member (2013-2014) 

•Eastman Little League Coach (2010-2014)

•Member of Special Olympics Advisory Board (2005-2014)

Why do I want to remain on the school board?  First, and foremost, I have enjoyed the last three years serving the students, parents, teachers, and tax payers in the Prairie du Chien School District. The experience that I have gained over the last three years is invaluable. Secondly, I am ready to build on that foundation with the desire to continue to move our district forward to provide the best education possible for our children. 

I said this three years ago when I first ran for this position and it still holds true. “I believe that we need an informed school board that sets and monitors policy and procedure while letting the district administration and staff execute the policies and direction set forth by the school board.  It is not our job to run the school. This school district, and all of its assets, belong to the taxpayer. My philosophy is: I am your voice and your advocate for your children in your school, supported by your tax dollars.”

The biggest challenge in our district is one of resource utilization. While the state has not set our two-year budget for the 2021 and 2022 school year, it is expected that we will see sizeable cuts with regards to the amount of state aid we receive to run our school. We must continue to monitor resource utilization and come up with new ways to generate efficiencies while delivering premier education to our students. Sharing resources with other government agencies, partnering with other districts to possibly share instructors, and reducing the need for outside support are a few ideas that could help us generate efficiencies while helping to reduce expenses. We have been able to operate with a balanced budget during the past two years; this must continue going forward. We also have quite a few staff members retiring this year, so replacing these quality individuals will be a primary focus in the upcoming months.  

I will continue to make a positive impact on the school district because of the experience I have gained over the past three years to go along with my strong background in finance, budgeting and human resources. Additionally, my demonstrated commitment to our youth and the community, advocacy for those with special needs, and a passion for public service make me an ideal candidate to serve you for three more years on the Prairie du Chien Area School District School Board.

Our children are our most precious and valuable resource. They are our future and deserve the best that we can give them. I look forward to continuing to serve each and every one of you as a member of the Prairie du Chien Area School District School Board. I would appreciate your vote on April 6, 2021.