Hello, my name is Yolanda Magee and I’m running for Mounds View school board.

During the last election, I was approached by a group of students and alumni who asked me to run for public office. At the time, I was frustrated with the growing division I was seeing in our community and country. I was looking for ways to get more involved in my local community, so I could help create more unity and bring people together. I didn’t consider myself a politician (and still don’t) but as I spoke with friends, family and other community members, I continually got asked about running for school board. And after my research, I found that the work of a school board member aligns perfectly with my passions, skills and experience.

I am married to my wonderful husband Jeff and together we have 3 amazing children, Milan (24), Zeke (23) and Talia (15). Zeke is a graduate of Mounds View High School, where he played football and basketball for the Mustangs. Talia is currently a sophomore at Mounds View High School and plays soccer and basketball for Mounds View High. She also attended Chippewa Middle and Turtle Lake Elementary Schools.  

So why am I running for Mounds View School Board?

I am running for school board for several reasons — because I’m passionate about serving my community. I have a long history of volunteerism and want to be a strong advocate for all MVPS students because I believe every student deserves the opportunity to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

I’m running because I am a mom who wants to see my daughter and ALL the students in the district regardless of gender, race, class or disability have an opportunity to be successful and reach their goals. Mounds View Schools have been an integral part of helping my children grow and flourish. And I want to work on the board to help ensure that every parent can say the same.

As a member of our District’s Equity Committee, I have the privilege of working with passionate members of our community including parents, teachers, school board members and staff. And although we have more work to do, I am proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in the last year. We’ve updated our District’s Equity Promise, selected a training program for staff and teachers and started to address some of the challenges with recruiting and retaining a diverse staff.

I believe we need to do more to keep our students healthy and safe and this would be one of my top priorities on the school board. We must provide additional solutions and resources to support the mental health of our students. We need proactive solutions and comprehensive plans that address the concerns of students, parents, teachers and staff in the district.

We also need to continue managing our district’s budget responsibly. Our last district levy was passed in 2019, and we need to ensure that funds are spent on areas supporting student achievement and success. We need school board leadership with the financial acumen necessary to stay within budget and who will keep students first when making decisions.

We have a school district consistently ranked in the top 10 in Minnesota because of our excellent teachers, staff and leadership at Mounds View. We need to build on this great foundation and continue to evolve. That takes new ideas, diverse perspectives, and a strong leader who will put students’ needs first, support our teachers and staff, and work collaboratively with district leadership. I am prepared to bring all of this and more to Mounds View’s school board.