SCHOOL BOARD Q&As: Jeff Holschuh

Name: Jeff Holschuh

Age: 39

Occupation: Business services/marketing VP

1. Please introduce yourself and explain why you are running for school board.

I am originally from Rock Falls, Illinois. I graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2005 with a degree in communications. I moved to Newton in 2010 for a position with the Newton Daily News where I was the Advertising Director from 2010 - 2017. In 2017, I started at Advantage Credit Union as the Marketing Director and now Business Services/Marketing VP. My wife Denell and I have been married since 2004. I have two children in the Newton School District; Brenden, a junior at the high school and Owen, a sixth grader at the middle school. I decided to run for school board because I like to be involved in the community and have a passion for seeing students grow and succeed in academics. I have assisted in Newton schools in the past with Junior Achievement at the elementary level and given presentations on financial literacy to both the middle school and high school. Having two children currently attending Newton schools, I wanted to be a part of helping the school district move forward. Electing a new school board member can bring new ideas to the table. I want to offer a balanced perspective to the school board and I’m willing to have an open mind when making decisions.

2. What is a parent’s role and how does it fit into the school district?

A parent’s role is crucial in the school district. I feel involved parents set their children up for academic success. Encouraging your children to explore academic and athletic programs allows students to become well-rounded individuals later in life. Parents should also have their voices heard and recognized when it comes to the school district. When parents, teachers and administrators all share a common respect for each other and their roles, I believe all parties benefit and students make progress.

3. How do you think the district is recovering from the 2020 school year?

2020 was a year like no other. When the decision was made to close schools and go remote only in March of 2020 and then hybrid in the fall of 2020, some children continued to do well, while others struggled academically. While many students have rebounded, the ripple effect shows that some students are still struggling to get to where they should be as far as grade level standards. The most recent ISASP data shows that our students are not meeting state proficiency levels in English, math and science at both the middle school and high school levels.

4. What’s the best quality of Newton schools? What can the district improve on?

The best quality of Newton schools is red pride. We stand behind our students, teachers and administration and all want what’s best for students. We believe in each other! As far as improving, like many other things happening in the country right now, we seem to have a lot of division on issues. As a school board member, I would want to actively listen to both sides of issues and use a balanced perspective when making decisions. A school board’s role should be to set forth policies and to ensure that the administration and teachers have the proper tools in place to create a successful learning environment. We are also experiencing a significant challenge in the transportation department. When COVID-19 hit, the transportation department lost 30% of its drivers. They continue to struggle to find drivers to fill routes. When the department doesn’t have enough staff to run routes, the routes get cut or shortened and kids that used to be able to ride the bus are no longer eligible. With increased drivers, the school can have the option to expand the routes to include those students that have been left out. The district also has nearly three million dollars in covid relief funding that needs to be allocated. We need to be sure those funds are spent on things that will benefit the students and taxpayers.

5. What other school issues are you most passionate about?

As part of the COVID-19 relief bill, Newton students currently do not have to pay for their breakfast and lunches. I would like to see this program continue. Students learn best when their basic needs are met and students can’t learn as well if they show up to school hungry. If we can ensure our students are receiving the proper nutrition, it can pave the way to helping them achieve academic benchmarks. I would also like to see the school district take a more active approach in teaching students about financial literacy. We will all interact with money in our lifetime and it’s very important that students understand how to manage their finances. It’s imperative that students know how to budget their finances and avoid financial pitfalls in adulthood.