Jim Coursey
Jim Coursey is a member of the Middleton-Cross Plains School District school board in Wisconsin, representing Area IV. He assumed office on December 16, 2024. His current term ends on April 27, 2026.
Coursey is running for re-election to the Middleton-Cross Plains School District school board to represent Area IV in Wisconsin. He is on the ballot in the general election on April 7, 2026. The primary for this office on February 17, 2026, was canceled.
Coursey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jim Coursey was born in Holland, Ohio. He earned a high school diploma from Palatine High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1992. His career experience includes working as an information technology professional and a health and human services consultant.[1] Coursey has been affiliated with the Maryland Department of Health Services and with the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.[2]
Elections
2026
See also: Middleton-Cross Plains School District, Wisconsin, elections (2026)
General election
The general election will occur on April 7, 2026.
General election for Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education Area IV (2 seats)
Incumbent Jim Coursey (Nonpartisan) and incumbent Marni Ginsberg (Nonpartisan) are running in the general election for Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education Area IV on April 7, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Jim Coursey (Nonpartisan)  | |
| Marni Ginsberg (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary
The primary scheduled for February 17, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent Jim Coursey (Nonpartisan) and incumbent Marni Ginsberg (Nonpartisan) advanced from the primary for Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education Area IV without appearing on the ballot.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2025
See also: Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, Wisconsin, elections (2025)
General election
Special general election for Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education Area IV (2 seats)
Incumbent Robert Hesselbein and incumbent Jim Coursey won election in the special general election for Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education Area IV on April 1, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robert Hesselbein (Nonpartisan) | 52.3 | 11,773 |
| ✔ | | Jim Coursey (Nonpartisan) | 46.8 | 10,544 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 190 | ||
| Total votes: 22,507 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Jim Coursey and incumbent Robert Hesselbein advanced from the special primary for Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education Area IV.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Coursey in this election.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jim Coursey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Coursey's responses.
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I currently serve as the Board Treasurer and work with District Administration to help maintain the strong fiscal discipline that enables MCPASD to continue to provide exceptional educational opportunities to our students.
My passions as a Board Member include understanding the complexities of public school funding, extending educational opportunities to traditionally disadvantaged and underserved families, and helping the Administration create a educational environment that inspires each child attending MCPASD schools to pursue their own personal potential.
It is an honor to serve on your School Board. I ask you for your vote so I may continue to serve. You can learn more about how I plan to contribute in my answers to the questions below.- Job #1 for any school board member should be collaboration with the Administration to support educational excellence in their District. We owe that to the students, their families, and all members of our community. Excellence is not measured only in academic achievement, though I am proud that MCPASD's standardized test scores remain among the best in Wisconsin. Excellence also means hearing our students' individual stories, understanding their needs, and providing an environment that inspires each child to pursue their potential. We want MCPASD students to grow into good neighbors, around the corner or around the world. My focus as a Board member will remain on effective collaboration, every day, to achieve these goals.
- The State of Wisconsin is not paying its fair share for public education. That has to change. In 2009, the State Assembly stopped tying the annual revenue‑limit per‑pupil adjustment to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). As a result, public school funding in Wisconsin has not kept up with inflation for more than 15 years. In 2025, MCPASD's per-student revenue limit was $3,300 less than if the CPI link had remained in place. The result: local taxes have to increase to close the gap, or our District must cut teachers, increase class sizes, and eliminate critical programs. I will fight to return Wisconsin to the CPI standard through legislative advocacy, public education, and continued support of fiscally sound practices in our District.
- I will continue to be a fierce defender of America's greatest ongoing experiment: free public education. An increasing number of Wisconsin families are choosing private charter schools. This is their choice, but you have the right to know that this choice has a negative effect on public schools. In most cases, when a child attends a charter school, that money is deducted from the student’s home public school district’s state aid. The public school district must also offer services such as transportation and special education evaluation for that child, leading to additional dollars leaving the district. I believe public tax dollars should stay in public school districts and will support legislation that separates public/private funding.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2025
Jim Coursey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Coursey's responses.
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- My philosophy of public education is that it should support each student in pursuing their potential. That potential may look different from student-to-student, which is a good thing. Our American democracy is kept healthy through a plurality of voices, not cookie-cutter opinions.
- I will work with the MCPASD administration and education professionals to find evidence-based initiatives to help close the performance gap among traditionally underserved student populations, including multi-lingual and immigrant students, students living with poverty, and students with diagnosed disabilities.
- For every initiative and issue we address as a School Board, I will base my vote on policy (does the solution meet District, State, and Federal standards?), fiscal sustainability (can we afford the solution?), and equity (is the solution fair to the community?).
2. Addressing the performance gap among traditionally underserved student populations,
3. Advocating for increased State support for special education services, and
2. Experience. Knows our community and the people who have helped make MCPASD the excellent district it is today.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Other survey responses
Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Coursey completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
