2025 School Board Candidate Molly Fuchs
A February primary will be required to narrow the number of candidates down to six. The term of office for a school board member is three years beginning on Monday, April 28, 2025. Six candidates will appear on the April 1, 2025, spring election ballot for three school board spots.
SCHOOL BOARD QUESTIONNAIRE
MOLLY FUCHS
About You:
Can you tell us about yourself — your professional background, family, education, and history in La Crosse?
I was born and raised in La Crosse. I went to UW-Oshkosh and received my bachelors degree in Microbiology with a minor in Chemistry. From there I went on an adventure and lived in Oregon for about a decade where I met my husband. Once we had kids we decided to move to La Crosse to raise them around family and in a community that I loved growing up in. I worked at the Red Cross in the HLA Clinical Lab until I had my second baby. Now I am taking some time at home to raise them.
Reason for Candidacy:
Why are you running for school board, and what motivates you to serve in this role?
I am running for school board because I firmly believe that public schools are the foundation our future is being built on. I want to make sure that my kids and all kids in the community have a strong public education.
Top Priorities:
What do you believe are the top priorities the school board should address and why? How would you advocate for them?
Inclusivity is important. Every child should feel seen, supported, and safe. Fostering a good environment for all children will allow them to be able to concentrate on their education and futures.
Supporting our teachers and making sure they have the tools and resources they need. I would love to listen and work with our educators to understand how we can best support them.
STEM opportunities! I am passionate about giving students STEM opportunities. I think working with the community to provide an opportunity for students to learn and become excited about STEM would be beneficial to the community.
Finally, we need to focus on an aging infrastructure.
I believe the way to accomplish these goals is to work with teachers and school staff to understand what needs to be a priority.
Public Schools:
Why is public education important to you, and how do you see it shaping the future of our community?
Public education is the foundation of our future. The kids that go through La Crosse public schools will become the leaders, organizers, parents, and workers of the future. They deserve the best opportunities available.
Declining Enrollment and Facilities:
The district faces financial challenges due to declining enrollment and older buildings. What specific strategies would you propose to attract and retain students and address facility needs?
The challenges facing the schools will require some creative solutions that will require collaborative work with the schools administration, teachers, and the school board. We need to listen to the teachers to know what they need to best serve the students. We can also potentially combine some programs in the schools to offer a better variety of courses as there have been some classes that are no longer offered due to not enough enrollment. Furthermore, I think that we can look into STEM programs and other programs to boost the school system. If La Crosse can be seen as a city with some of the best education in the state, more families will likely want to live here.
Community Engagement:
How will you foster greater community involvement in decision-making to ensure transparency and shared ownership of the district’s challenges and successes?
I think that any big decisions should be left to a vote. For smaller decisions, I really would like to encourage people to come and ask questions and have a good, respectful discussions. As for successes, I think they should be celebrated. It’s important to not gloss over milestones and achievements.
Childcare:
Do you see a role for the district in addressing the childcare shortage? If so, what solutions would you propose?
I think after school care for a couple hours is a valid program, however, any other childcare should not be put on an already strained system.
Student Support:
What programs or resources would you advocate for to enhance students’ academic achievement, mental health and overall well-being?
I would advocate for all schools in the district to have something like Northside’s Community Resource Room. I also think it is important for all schools to have a space for kids to be able to go relax and have a dedicated comfortable space for therapists to come and have sessions. I think that taking care of students’ basic and mental needs will help them achieve academically as well.
Also, and I’ve mentioned this a couple times, teachers are the best resource to know what the needs are in the classrooms.
Teacher Development and Retention:
How would you support teachers in their professional development and address challenges related to workload, compensation and job satisfaction?
Teachers deserve better pay. Now that Act 10 has been overturned we need to make sure to support teachers in their right for collective bargaining.
Wisconsin State Budget:
What priorities would you advocate for in the Wisconsin state biennium budget to support the district’s needs?
Schools need more finances. I will advocate for the budget to support our public schools by reaching out to our local representatives.
