School Board Candidates

2025 CANDIDATES

Election day is Tuesday, April 1, 2025

There are two seats open for this year's spring school board election.
The candidates are listed in alphabetical order. 

Click on a name to learn more about our 2025 School Board Candidates

Lindsey Curtis | Mike Miller

Lindsey Curtis

Describe your background:

My husband and I have lived in River Falls for the past nine years. We are grateful to be raising our family in this amazing, family-friendly community. We have four children: a seventh grader at MMS and a fourth grader, second grader, and kindergartner at Westside.

My professional background is in education. I was a classroom teacher for six years and then stepped into an administrative position for three years as the coordinator of a district-wide behavior interventions program. I have a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in elementary education.

Currently, I am a stay-at-home mom. I am fortunate this role affords me the opportunity to manage the day-to-day needs of my family and dedicate time to volunteering in our community.

Describe your involvement in the River Falls School District and River Falls community:

I am a current member of the River Falls School Board where I serve as Board Clerk and am a member of the Educational Program Committee.

I am a regular volunteer in our schools. I love spending time with students and am always amazed by the expertise and passion of our teachers and staff.

Over the years, I have been involved in a variety of organizations, many of which support children and families. I led the RF MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group for several years, where our mission was to help women realize their full potential as mothers. I have been an active member in our church, serving as a Sunday school teacher and volunteering on the VBS Leadership Committee. I have also recently started coaching youth softball.

As the parent of four kids, I enjoy supporting many local youth programs (wrestling, hockey, softball, baseball, swimming, gymnastics, Cub Scouts, etc.)

Why are you running for School Board?

I am passionate about ensuring high-quality education is available to all students in the River Falls School District. Our current board works closely with district administrators to ensure policies and funding align with our mission, vision and strategic plan and uphold our commitment to providing an excellent educational experience for kids. I hope to continue to be a part of the collaborative effort that builds strong bonds and maintains trust between our schools and our community.

It is important that the school board reflects the community it serves. A balanced board is comprised of people who have different backgrounds and experiences.  As a mom of school-aged children in the district, I bring a unique perspective to our conversations and decisions. I see, first hand, the impact of the board’s work through my own children, their peers, and fellow parents.

Identify current District strengths and challenges:

Strengths
We have exceptional teachers, administrators and staff who are uniquely qualified and dedicated to challenging, inspiring, and connecting with students.

Our district offers a wide variety of options and experiences to meet the individual needs of students through our educational programs and co-curricular opportunities. We strive to help each child meet their unique potential.

We are committed to diligent financial planning. This challenging work allows our district to anticipate and prioritize the allocation of funds and stretch those dollars to maximize their impact.

Challenges
State funding continues to present challenges to our district and most other districts across the state. It has not kept up with inflation and under-funds many state mandates.

We must continue to work strategically to remain competitive in our compensation. Ensuring we attract, retain, and support the very best teachers and staff is critical to the academic success of our students.

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Mike Miller

Describe your background:

I was born and raised in River Falls and am a 1986 RFHS graduate. I have spent a total of 13 ½ years on the school board including six years as treasurer. I worked for the district for two school years as the Work Based Learning Coordinator. I have owned and operated businesses in River Falls and currently am a lending officer at the River Falls State Bank. I have had three children go through the school system and my wife is a retired teacher.

Describe your involvement in the River Falls School District and River Falls community:

a. School District:

• RFHS Graduate
• Parent of three kids who went to RF Schools and graduated from RFHS
• RF School Board – 13 ½ years
• RFHS Football Coach – past 23 years (18 as volunteer)
• RFHS Volunteer Hockey Coach- 5 years
• Employed by district as the Work Based Learning Coordinator (2019 –
  2021)

b. Community:

• River Falls Business Owner (2001 – 2019)
• River Falls Lions Club – 23 Years
• Board Member – Rhino’s Foundation – 20+ Years
• Youth Hockey Coach (2003 – 2012)
• Youth Baseball Coach (2006 – 2015)
•  Assistant Vice President – Rive Falls State Bank (June 2021 – Present)

Why are you running for School Board? 

During these “interesting” times in our country’s history, I believe I can continue to bring value and experience to the school board. With 13+ years on the board, I have institutional knowledge of our district’s operations. As a member of the Construction Project Team, I have been actively involved in putting our referendum dollars
into action to transform our school buildings. I bring a common-sense approach to solving challenging issues. With a wife who spent her career in the classroom, including the last 6 at Meyer Middle School, I heard on a daily basis the wonderful things happening in our district but also the challenges faced by teachers and administrators. As a home, business and commercial real estate owner in River Falls, I also know the challenges facing the taxpayers of our community.

Identify current District strengths and challenges:

Strengths would be the passion our staff has for the children in our district. From the bus driver that transports them, to the teachers in the classroom, our staff cares about the kids in our district. Another strength would be an engaged community that has a history of supporting education. An example would be the $28 million referendum we passed last year that will continue to bring our facilities up to current standards. The operating referendum passed by the voters will help ensure our district is able to continue to deliver a high-quality education to our student. Weaknesses specific to our district are a little more difficult to identify. Like all districts, our students are still catching up from the impacts that the pandemic had on their education. I think all the districts in this area have a challenge in attracting and retaining great staff. With our location next to Minnesota, keeping our staff here can be a challenge.

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