Dear Concordia Voter,

My name is Lindsay Metcalf, and I am running a write-in campaign for the First District position of the USD 333 board of education.

As the parent of two junior high students and as a Concordia High School Class of 2000 graduate, I’m proud of the progress we have made as a district with the recent reopening of the middle school. I want to see that progress continue with similar-scale renovations at the high school and junior high. With two students in that building, it’s never been more clear to me that renovations are imperative. I believe we must keep academics the focus while being responsible stewards of taxpayer money.

Beyond facilities, I’d love to see USD 333 expand its partnership with Cloud County Community College, as well as develop better systems for accountability with bullying and harassment district-wide. Every single student and staff member should feel safe at school, but that’s not always been the case in recent years.

As the daughter of farmers (Noel and Gloria Hanson) and the wife of a software engineer (Will Metcalf), I believe the term “future-ready” encompasses both career and college readiness in equations that look different for each student. I’m a writer who began her career as an education reporter for The Kansas City Star. By attending dozens of meetings and speaking with school administrators throughout the metro area, I learned a lot about how schools must balance student needs with state statutes and curriculum standards.

Since moving back to Concordia ten years ago, I began creating traditionally published nonfiction and poetry for children. A recurring theme in my work is standing up for what you believe in and making a difference in your community. On a recent research trip to Seneca Falls, New York, home of the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848, I picked up a pin that reads: “The Young Are at the Gates.”

I try to live by that mantra of nurturing the next generation, as a mother, author, and volunteer—both as a recent mentor at CHS and speaker at the elementary school, as well as secretary for the Frank Carlson Library Board of Trustees. 

I would be honored to earn your write-in vote for the uncontested District 1 position of the USD 333 School Board on November 7, 2023.

In solidarity,

Lindsay