MANKATO — When Mankato School Board Vice Chair Kristi Schuck was first elected in 2009, her three kids were just starting out in the public school system.
Now, after her youngest daughter has graduated, Schuck’s time on the board has come full circle, and she has decided not to run for reelection this year.
“To see (my kids) through it from a School Board lens has always been just an incredible responsibility.”
She said she’s ending her board career on a high note, adding that her victory dance is the community supporting the 2023 bond referendum, which funded a number of projects including secure entrances at many school buildings.
“It’s hard not to imagine that every student will feel something from that project,” she said, adding that she’s also proud of the district’s new strategic plan.
“We do that collaboratively and that part of this work, it’s bringing people into it and being part of making something better.”
While the district has grown during Schuck’s tenure — she pointed out the construction of Rosa Parks Elementary School and Prairie Winds Middle School — she said another high point of her career is graduation.
“When we get to the end of another school year and have the opportunity to shake hands with the students … that’s always one of the most, I think, impactful moments.”
But Schuck said she’s also enjoyed meeting with constituents at coffee shops and learning what their concerns are.
While Schuck has been on the board for almost 15 years, her counterpart, Chair Shannon Sinning, has been serving for only about two years.
Sinning described his relationship with Schuck as a good friendship and touted her wisdom and intelligence.
“She’s high energy. She cares about kids completely … just really loves the teachers and her, just, depth of knowledge because she’s been doing this for so long,” he said, adding he’d hoped she would run again.
Sinning said Schuck brought with her knowledge about how the district has navigated issues over the past decade and a half, adding that the longest-serving board members other than her would be Christopher Kind, Erin Roberts and Liz Ratcliff. The three of them have served four years on the board and are running for reelection.
“It’s a very young board … and she brought a lot of knowledge. A lot of information. Things I would’ve never connected the dots on,” Sinning said.
Schuck has always provided perspective on what a board member’s role really is, he said. “She always brings it back to that.”
And that was part of what Schuck said was her advice for the board after she leaves.
“I think it’s really important for School Board members to stay in their lane, which is governance, and we’ve got a really strong board,” she said.
Schuck added she was excited to see her fellow board members run for reelection.
“We’ve got that plan and roadmap that we’re rolling out right now, so it’s a great time to be a School Board member,” she said. “We do our best work when we’ve got our eye on the 30,000-foot view of what’s best for our community.”
Schuck will remain in office until the end of the year and will still work in her day job at Birchwood Cottages, an assisted living facility in North Mankato.
She said it has meant everything to her to serve and that with being elected, she has built trust within the community.
“We learn what that means every day. It means something different to every constituent. That has been a really powerful thing for me,” Schuck said.
“Because of how rewarding the work has been, I’ve learned a lot from the people of this community.”