Berg running to restore in-town busing

By GUY PRIEL

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Eleven candidates are seeking four open seats on the District 88 School Board in the Nov. 7 election.

Those running are incumbents Brian Wieland, Gene Forstner and Don Potter, and challengers Renee Otis, Rick Berg, Barbara Becker, Sheldon Rieke, Deborah Hertling, Susan Nierengarten, Duane Hauser and Bruce Schreckenberg.

Berg, 31, is a native of New Ulm. He is a marketing director at Farmers Cooperative of Hanska, headquartered at Burdick Elevator in New Ulm. He has two children, a son in sixth grade and a daughter in second grade.

Berg's motivation for running for school board is to make a difference for his children and his concern with safety factors involved with the busing issue, he said..

"I joined this race because of busing," Berg said. "It is one issue I have not heard any of the other candidates address at this point."

The cut of busing was a terrible deal for the residents of New Ulm, in Berg's opinion. The school district is responsible for the safety of children, he said.

Despite the fact that the reduction of in-town busing has been in place for nearly a month without any major problems, Berg feels the situation could change.

"Yeah, it seems to be working well now for everyone, but there will be a day when this won't work," Berg said.

Other budget cuts that did not affect children's safety should have been made, Berg said.

"Discussing the budget is a group effort that involves everyone on the board," Berg said. "No one person can do anything that will resurrect the budget. It is out of our control."

He believes the busing issue was put in front of the voters as a means to pass an excess levy referendum last spring. The levy failed by a decisive margin.

"The bottom line is that parents suffer," he said. "It will take the entire community to bring busing back."

Turning to another educational issue, Berg does not support all-day, every-day kindergarten because he feels it is a waste of district's funds that could have gone to other budget areas.

"When I went to school, we went to kindergarten to learn ABCs," Berg said. "Now they are expected to know that before they start school. As well as computers. I had half-day kindergarten. Did I get less of an education because of it? I don't think so."

All-day kindergarten keeps children from being children, because it forces them to grow up too fast, he said.

"We receive funding for half, but pay staff for full," Berg said. "That money has to come out of somewhere. Other areas suffer as a result."

Berg says he will speak his mind on issues. If he doesn't understand something, he will ask questions until everything is clear, he said.

"We need young blood and new ideas on the school board," Berg said. "The board has had to make some tough decisions, but they have been old-fashioned decisions. Times are changing. Ideas and techniques have to change too."

He believes the school board should have a working relationship with the community, the staff and the students in order to be a success. He also believes it is important to return the fun back into learning.

"The biggest challenge for the board is to get ourselves out of the budget crisis we are in," he said. "We need to reinstate busing and crawl out of the hole we are in as a district."

If residents are willing to support a half-cent sales tax increase, they should be just as willing to put the money back into education. The state should also provide more support, he said.

"We need to look at where the money is being most foolishly spent," he said. "This year we cut busing. What's next? Hot lunch?"

If elected, Berg hopes to make changes.

"I want to show that the average person can do this," he said. "You don't need to be a lawyer, or a cop, or a businessman to be on the school board. I don't believe in advertising. I want to find out what the people want."

Berg feels voters should vote for the candidates whom they think will do this best job.

"I have children and I live in the district," Berg said. "I also have a concern. That's why I'm running for the school board. That makes me eligible to serve."