Alexis Lindberg will vie for Ryan Degn’s seat in November
By Eric Valentine
It will be a Bellevue resident, a longtime Hailey accountant and a nonparent who will challenge for one of three open seats on the Blaine County School District Board of Trustees in November. Alexis Lindberg, a certified public accountant at Becker, Chambers & Co., P.A., in Hailey, announced she will be seeking election to the board seat currently held by Ryan Degn.
Degn announced last month he would not be seeking re-election to the Zone 1 (Bellevue, Picabo, Carey) seat he was appointed to in October 2018. Lindberg vied for the seat back then, but was ultimately not selected by the school board to serve. When trustee positions need to be filled in non-election years, the school board vets and selects the replacement.
Lindberg said she is focused on two key issues affecting the school district Valley-wide: the relationship between the superintendent and the trustees and the communication gap between the district and concerned parents, teachers and residents.
“The perception by the public is that the superintendent is managing the school board and not the other way around,” Lindberg said. “I think I can get in there and relate to people and assess the situation in an unbiased way.”
Regarding communication between concerned residents and the district, Lindberg said her biggest campaign promise is that she will be always listening. Lindberg said she is not formally associated with the vocal grassroots groups I-CARE (Idaho Citizens for Accountable, Responsible Education), but has been following their concerns closely over the last year.
“I will make it a priority to listen to the public’s comments, requests and suggestions, and bring those interests to the board and administration,” she wrote in her official candidacy announcement.
As the Zone 1 representative, Lindberg’s other priority would be supporting the need for continued success at Carey School, which serves K-12 students in Picabo and Carey.
“I don’t want people to forget how important that school is for this district,” Lindberg said. “Enabling Carey School to continue its long tradition of superior education and athletic success will be a top priority for me.”
The fact that Lindberg does not have children in the school district is something she sees as a positive.
“You don’t have to have children to understand how important it is to a community for children to have a good education,” Lindberg said.
Instead, for Lindberg, it’s about being a concerned citizen. She described her interest in the school board position as a way of giving back to the community.
“A trustee’s job of managing a multimillion-dollar budget, 500 employees, and 3,400 students requires strong executive skills, and I am eager to apply my skills in leadership and collaboration to improve public education in our county and restore public confidence in our school district,” Lindberg stated.
The school district election is Nov. 5, 2019. Currently, only Kevin Garrison (Zone 5) has formally announced his candidacy. Ellen Mandeville (Zone 3) announced that she will not be seeking re-election this fall.