Minnetonka School Board Candidate: Lisa Sumner

Editor's note: This week we feature the eight candidates running for four seats on the Minnetonka School Board. We will publish two candidates per day for four days. You can meet and grill all the candidates at our  event at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the .

LISA SUMNER

Minnetonka Patch: What qualifications do you have that will make you an effective Minnetonka school board member?   

Sumner: I have been actively involved in the Minnetonka School District for 13+ years. Currently, I am a trustee on the Minnetonka Public Schools Foundation, raising money to build an endowment for our school district.  Our work on the Foundation is also to fundraise and provide over $50K in Teacher Grants each year to our staff to fund their innovative ideas. I have volunteered at MMW as the Chair for Friendly Presence, organizing parents to stay involved in the middle school years. I chaperoned the Community Service Day and assisted with the magazine sale fundraiser. 

In my years at Excelsior Elementary, I held several chair positions,  co-chairing a fundraiser for the parents that raised over $30K to build an outdoor classroom, serving as PTO Secretary for 2 years and other years,  chairing World Culture Day, the yearbook and Kids Vote and participating in the CASE legislative group. When my kids were in Early Childhood Classes at MCES, I was the chair of the Advisory Board, and spent time working on issues at the legislative level on the importance of Early Childhood programs. Other key roles where I have held leadership positions:  Referendum Committee Volunteer chair, Tonka Pride secretary, Dream Makers Committee auction co-chair and Skippers Booster Club secretary. 

Patch: What is the biggest issue for Minnetonka's school district? Why? 

Sumner: The major challenges we face in the Minnetonka School District surrounds securing our financial security with the continued decline of state funding. In my 13+ years of experience of volunteering in the district, I have been a part of the district through many administration changes, two referendum votes and legislative lobbying, working toward a better funding solution for our schools. 

Through all of these significant experiences, our school district has continued its work to maintain its excellence. I will continue on this track, and be a part developing our administration and staff, finding innovative ways to keep our district fiscally sound and to make sure that at all levels our kids have the curriculum they need to be successful.

Patch: What is current Minnetonka School District leadership doing well? What could be better?

Sumner: I think the current leadership has done an excellent job providing the world-class education Minnetonka School District is known for. They have provided some outstanding new programs to enhance the curriculum that have attracted enrollment numbers that have positively impacted our school's budget.

Now, I would like to see other revenue streams develop in areas outside of increasing enrollment, so we can get a handle on class sizes and make sure the needs of all kids are being met to have the best chance for success. 

Patch: How will you get input from your constituents?

Sumner: I would like to work on using our current technology to find creative ways to further the communication between our School Board and the students, parents and teachers. We could be having great dialogues with our community to facilitate innovative ideas for all areas of the School District.

Patch: Give us a brief background of yourself.

Sumner: My husband, Craig and I have lived in Shorewood for 16 years. Our daughter, Emily is 14 and a freshman at Minnetonka High School and our son, Andrew is 12 and a 6th grader at MMW. I am the Minneapolis Regional Sales Director for Cafemom/mom.com. We are members of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Excelsior, and we are alumni of Indiana University.