Ryan L. Butkowski (Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, At-large, Minnesota, candidate 2024)

Ryan L. Butkowski

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, At-large

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Sauk Rapids-Rice High School

Personal

Profession

Consultant

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Ryan L. Butkowski ran for election for an at-large seat of the Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools school board in Minnesota. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Butkowski completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ryan L. Butkowski provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 24, 2024:

• Birth date: August 31, 1978
• Birth place: St Cloud, Minnesota
• High school: Sauk Rapids-Rice High School
• Gender: Male
• Religion: Not Religious
• Profession: Consultant
• Incumbent officeholder: Yes
• Campaign Facebook

Elections

General election

General election for Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, At-large (4 seats)

NiCole J.H. Broman, Ryan L. Butkowski, Samantha C. Dwyer, Mark Hauck, and Tracy Morse ran in the general election for Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, At-large on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	NiCole J.H. Broman (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Ryan L. Butkowski (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Samantha C. Dwyer (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Mark Hauck (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Tracy Morse (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Butkowski in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ryan L. Butkowski completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Butkowski's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Sauk Rapids with one older brother and two parents who still call Sauk Rapids our home. I have one son in his first year at MSU Mankato for aviation and a Great Dane. I love flying, cars, and spending time with the people I love. Fall is my favorite season, with the warm sun and the cool breeze. I am fortunate to own a consulting company in digital forensics and work from home. Serving two terms on the Board of Education at Sauk Rapids-Rice public schools has been an absolute honor. It has allowed me to give back to my community and the school system that educated me. The drive to lead excites me most about being a member of the Board of Education.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• The focus for my next term is academics. It is time to move the needle on test scores, soft skills, and practical knowledge for our students to the forefront of what we do. The new strategic plan is the roadmap for how we will get there.
• I am asked almost daily what is happening with the middle school's outdoor athletic complex. This has been discussed in the community; a community workgroup was put together to discuss activities, and a broad community survey shows great support for moving and building a new outdoor complex at the current high school. Some reasons are ADA access, safety, allowing extended seasons in the spring and fall, and enough seating to accommodate the community.
• Strong leadership. As a small business owner, budgeting and people are the core of my daily activities. Leading teams is what I have been able to execute in private business and I have a record, after serving the community for 7.5 years, of leadership at the board table and opening our schools earlier than anyone in the region, making the hard decisions even when the local industry was fighting us to close, adjusting the budget, and contract negotiations when inflation was at an almost 60-year high—introducing formalization to multiple processes that didn’t have a defined process—enabling efficiency when it is called upon. Over the last two terms, I have had a clear record of strong leadership at the board table.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Proper funding and fairness. With a small tax base, the budget is constantly in play, and yet other districts in the state have a much different playing field due to a large tax base. Because of these inequities, I spend time with state leaders, making our case for a more equitable distribution of the tax base.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Leadership

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Raising my 5-year-old son after my wife unexpectedly passed. To wear both mom and dad hats is exceptionally challenging, but it has been my greatest accomplishment.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

Policy and the employment of the superintendent.

Who are your constituents?

All community members.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

As a leader, you must listen first.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

We work with local businesses to ensure that our graduates meet the needs of local businesses, higher education, and the military.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Fully fiscal transparency will build community trust.

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.

See also

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Candidate

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