Watershed Voice sent out questionnaires to over 30 candidates running for elected school board positions in St. Joseph County and the surrounding area. Leading up to the General Election on November 3, Watershed will publish the questionnaires as it receives them back from the candidates. DyAnn Steinberger, an incumbent candidate for the School Board of Mendon Community Schools, filled out our questionnaire. These are her answers.
Name: DyAnn Steinberger
Age: 56
Address: 213 W. Jackson Street, Mendon, MI 49072
Family (optional): Married to Otto Steinberger for 28 years
Background/Bio:
Although I was born in Maryland and graduated from a large school district in the suburbs of DC, I have called Mendon my home for the past 20 years. I cannot imagine ever living anywhere else! My husband, Otto, graduated from Mendon in 1984, and we have raised four children here. I have been blessed to work in several diverse occupations over the years, beginning when I was 16 as a secretary for a government contractor and progressing over a period of 20 years to a Senior Training Specialist position. I have also worked at the Mendon Township Library and Mendon Shell where I was able to get to know our community better and I am currently employed at the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District (ISD).
Does your background include training or work, paid or unpaid, in education? What was that experience? What are some of your successes, and what have been some learning moments?
I have been employed by the ISD as the Career & Technical Education (CTE) Executive Assistant for over 5 years and worked previously in CTE from 2001-2004. I am responsible for coordinating many activities for the countywide CTE program and preparing numerous state-required reports, including enrollments, follow up survey of CTE graduates, and dual enrollment/early middle college reporting. Over the past several years we have added several CTE programs and increased enrollment. In addition, the county passed a CTE millage in 2019 that helped significantly reduce the amount of money each district pays into the Consortium and gives students tremendous opportunities to help them prepare for their futures. It has been a privilege to watch CTE grow in the community.
Do you now or have you ever had children enrolled in the district where you are running?
My youngest son is currently a senior at Mendon and I have two sons and a daughter who graduated from Mendon in 2011, 2013, and 2018, respectively.
How else do you currently participate, or have you participated in the past, in school district activities?
I was elected to the Board in 2016 and regularly attended Board meetings for several years prior to then. I have been actively involved with the Band Boosters, volunteer in concession stands, and assist the drama club director with musicals and plays. My children have all participated in extracurricular activities and I spend a lot of time at school functions supporting our Mendon students.
How has your school district handled the pandemic in both the spring and fall of this year? If anything, what would you have done differently?
I believe Mendon has worked incredibly hard to meet the needs of our students during this pandemic. Last spring was difficult as we were forced to close school doors with no notice. Our administrative team, office support, teachers, aides and transportation staff stepped up to the challenge and did an amazing job coordinating delivery of education packets each week to students, arranging for meal distributions, and learning how to operate new technology. More importantly, everyone worked hard over the summer months to prepare for a new way of educating and they hit the ground running in late August with minor hiccups. I am incredibly proud of their dedication and resilience in these trying times.
Outside of the pandemic, what are currently the most important challenges your school district faces? How do you plan to address those challenges?
Like many districts in our county, state and country, Mendon faces an issue with declining enrollments due to overall lower birth rates. With the current funding formula in Michigan, this creates serious budget issues every year as schools are forced to reduce or eliminate programs. Mendon has worked hard to reduce costs yet maintain a reasonable fund balance that falls within state expectations. We will continue to look for ways to consolidate programs where we can to reduce costs while offering students the best possible options for a small district.
Are there other key points of your platform as a candidate for school board? If so, what are they?
(No answer provided)
How does running for the school board fit your broader views and ethics?
I am passionate about learning and taking the necessary steps to ensure our children receive the best education we can provide.
Why is education important to you?
Education has always been important to me, but it became more so when I started working at the ISD and became familiar with many different programs, including early childhood education, special education, career & technical education, as well as gaining a better understanding of funding, legislative and legal issues. Learning how all of this comes together to raise a new generation is challenging and exciting and I enjoy being a part of it.
Is there anything else the community should know about you?
I look forward to continuing to serve the students and staff at Mendon Community Schools in whatever capacity I can, whether as a board member, parent, and/or community member.
