Incumbents Mary Romansky and Steve Schneider are seeking re-election; seeking election are appointee Reggie Bowerman and newcomers Anthony Bonsante, Jeff Lebens and Carla Shutrop. The six candidates are running for four seats with four-year terms on the Shakopee School Board.

Education and family: Bonsante, 38, has lived in the Shakopee School District for 17 years. The engaged father of Brittany, 16, and Derek, 12, earned an associate of applied science degree from Central Lakes College and took elementary education courses at Bemidji State University and Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Career: A logistics supervisor at Kmart Distribution Center in Shakopee. He is a retired professional boxer.

Previous civic and community involvement: Has been involved with the Minnesota Boxing Commission, as well as a chaperone for school activities.

Contact: anthonythebullet@comcast.net

Why are you running for Shakopee School Board?

I am running because I feel our children are our future and we should give them the necessary tools in order to excel as our leaders of tomorrow. I also believe Shakopee has many challenges facing it for the future and I want to be a part of the solution.

The Shakopee School District is seeking to renew its operating levy of $529.75 per pupil. Do you support the operating levy referendum? Explain your stance.

Yes, I support the levy. I believe without passing this levy we will have to cut staff and other programs necessary to fulfill our obligation to our children.

Shakopee Public Schools continue to test at state averages on MCA-II math, reading and science exams yet have a long way to go to meet No Child Left Behind’s 100 percent proficiency requirement in 2014. How do you suggest the district improve its performance on mandated state testing?

First of all, No Child Left Behind needs to be looked at for changes to make it more effective for everyone. As far as our test averages, we do have a long way to go, but we are improving. I believe our kids are not taking these tests as seriously as they need to. I think our teachers’ salaries should be performance-based on their subject expertise and how well their students score.

State education funding will be flat next year with a state budget deficit predicted for the 2012-13 biennium. What priorities will you use in setting the school budget when an increase in revenue is unlikely?

Priorities should be with the children and their needs – not overboard, but necessities that they will need to achieve goals. We need to show the taxpayers of District 720 we are deserving of the funds we are asking for.

With a new elementary set to open in fall 2011 and district enrollment creeping closer to 7,000, how are the current facilities working for the district?

As of right now I think they are working just fine. Our current School Board did a nice job of analyzing the population growth and data over the past five to 10 years. They chose not to open a new school this year and waste unnecessary budget downfalls.

After a decade of unprecedented growth for Shakopee School District, what are the most pressing issues the district faces?

I think the fact that we are a growing community is a great issue to have. This means families are choosing to move to our city. One of the reasons is very possibly our schools and the fact we are a very multicultural population that gives everyone a chance. I think we need to stay focused on raising our test scores, as well as preparing our kids for real-world experiences.