Incumbents returned

to District 88 board

NEW ULM -- According to a late Tuesday vote count, four incumbents were headed for re-election to four-year terms on the District 88 Board of Education, in the board's only contested race.

Total vote counts were: Carol Ackerson, 7,368; Dr. Mark Burkhart, 8,090; Susan Nierengraten, 6,337; and Sheldon Rieke, 7,311.

A fifth candidate, challenger JoAnn Vertetis, won 4,361 votes and did not gain a seat.

Long-time board member Brian Wieland, running unopposed for a two-year seat, was also re-elected. Wieland garnered 9,005 votes.

Contacted Tuesday night, re-elected board members shared their satisfaction with the outcome of the election.

"I appreciate the opportunity to continue to work on educational issues for District 88," Ackerson said. "As a community, we will be making some difficult choices in the coming years, and I hope we can work together to make good choices."

"It's nice that the community approves of what we are doing," said Burkhart, who also expressed his hope that this vote of confidence will persist in years to come.

Rieke stressed his commitment to working hard as a board member.

"I appreciate the support, and will do my best to do as good a job as I can in the future," he said.

In turn, Nierengraten emphasized the board's positive "group dynamics."

"I am looking forward to continued opportunities to work with a board that works together very well," she said.

Although most of its students live in New Ulm, District 88 serves communities in three counties. The following is a breakdown of votes by county; the lists are alphabetical by a candidate's last name:

Brown County: Ackerson, 6,303; Burkhart, 6,849; Nierengarten, 5,352; Rieke, 6,195; Vertetis, 3,767; Wieland, 7,465.

Blue Earth: Ackerson, 94; Burkhart, 88; Nierengarten, 92; Rieke, 74; Vertetis, 50; Wieland, 126.

Nicollet: Ackerson, 971; Burkhart, 1,153; Nierengarten, 893; Rieke, 1,042; Vertetis, 544; Wieland, 1,414.

Here are brief notes on the successful candidates for contested seats:

* A retired teacher, Ackerson first joined the board in 2002, when she successfully ran for a two-year term.

A graduate of Minnesota State University, St. Cloud, she spent her entire professional life in New Ulm, teaching English in the public school system for 41 years.

Ackerson said she chose to run for re-election because she believed in being involved -- and felt she has something to contribute to the district.

Ackerson says that her two years of school board service have given her a much "broader view of what it is that the school district does."

It has increased her knowledge of the financial side of education -- and also given her an insight into "the importance of involving all stakeholders in the decision-making process."

* Burkhart first joined the board a year ago, after being appointed to a seat vacated in mid-term.

Raised in Humboldt, Iowa, Burkhart obtained his medical degree at the University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City. He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine.

Burkhart started his involvement with the school district as a volunteer presenter. Three years ago, he joined the District 88 referendum committee, a group that successfully worked to persuade the public to approve an extra school tax levy.

* Nierengarten is completing her first four-year term on the board.

Born near the Twin Cities, Nierengarten attended Carlton College and William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul. After marrying New Ulm native Hugh Nierengarten, she moved to New Ulm in 1977. She has spent her entire professional life in New Ulm.

Nierengarten has long been active in New Ulm's public schools -- starting by serving on an elementary parent council.

Prior to getting elected to the Board of Education, she participated in volunteer committees addressing matters such as school facilities and strategic planning. Notably, she served 13 years on the school district's curriculum advisory board.

School board membership has made Nierengarten aware of "the details of education" -- matters of finance, personnel, curriculum and instruction.

Her interests include curriculum, negotiations and policy development.

* Rieke is completing his first four-year term on the board.

A 1973 graduate of New Ulm Public Schools, he received a BA degree in art and theater at Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

He worked "off Broadway" in New York City and later in the Twin Cities. About 15 years ago, he returned to New Ulm to open Rieke' Books, an independent bookstore. The store closed about two years ago. Rieke has since substitute-taught for District 88.

Rieke has volunteered for the school district for many years. He has participated in the Art Adventure program and the district's Long-Range Planning Task Force.

Explaining his wish to serve a second term, Rieke says his first term has expanded his knowledge about, and made him "a lot more comfortable" with, the workings of the school system.

Rieke sees himself as a proponent of non-athletic activity opportunities and programs that reflect student diversity.