The Pierce County Journal composed and sent out election questionnaires to all candidates running in local races, including Pierce County Board, village boards, school boards, city councils, one municipal judge race and three town board races. We tried to craft the questions in order to allow for citizens to get to know candidates and how they feel about local issues, which affect residents in their everyday lives.

The questionnaires were sent by email to candidates almost three weeks ago. For those who did not respond, they were sent two reminder emails. If they did not respond, that is noted below.

Incumbents are marked with an asterisk *. These are the people you will see on your April 7, 2026 ballot.

To find your local polling place, which will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, visit https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Whats-On-My-Ballot or contact the municipality directly.

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While there are two open seats on the Plum City School Board, only one candidate declared his intentions to run: Andrew Boster II*, who was appointed to the board last October.

Name: Andrew Boster II*

Town of residence: Maiden Rock

Occupation/profession: Entrepreneur

Prior elected offices: None

Do you have children who attend or have attended the school district? No, they're too young.

In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved? None recently, I have some upcoming this spring for PCSD's Sleep in Heavenly Peace Event.

Why are you running for school board? What are your priorities? I'm running for school board under the guidance of God. My priorities are transparency, accountability and responsibility for the district.

What are the three biggest challenges facing the school district? What solutions do you propose? The first priority I have after the well-being of the students, is tackling the tax issue. It's the one thing I've been hearing over and over again since October. As a fill-in board member since October, I've already been a part of discussions proposing solutions to help lower overheads for the school including reducing transportation costs, being more attentive to maintenance issues, and responding to blindside costs like insurance price increases.

Apart from taxes and school budgets, the district report card could use some work. The district added a whole new report card for the middle school last year which skewed the overall results slightly in the lower trend so there's a grain of salt there; however, over the last few years the score for the district has been fairly stagnant. Personally, I think increasing standards is the way to begin bringing up smarter students; the higher the students reach the better they'll perform. Couple that with keeping distractions out of the classroom like phones and other devices helps ensure focus.

Finally, I think the school infrastructure as a whole is a challenge. Over the years many rooms have been cleared of asbestos, yet not all have been renewed. Major maintenance issues, refreshing outdated equipment and surprise repairs plague any district, but PCSD has been seeing a lot of that recently. Navigating priorities on what we can live with or what NEEDS fixed can be difficult, but we just need to filter all of that through the lens of the budget and where to make sacrifices.

What skills/experiences have prepared you for this role? I've been a part of running the family business for four years now and we've expanded to running multiple across various industries. I understand the importance of communication skills and handling large budgets of values ranging in seven figures.

School districts across the state are facing budget challenges and declining enrollment, resulting in going to taxpayers for referendums. Why is this happening? What's your solution? Money in money out. Wisconsin has lost over 60,000 students in 10 years and only closed three districts from 424 to 421. That math is unsustainable. Wisconsin needs statewide consolidation across districts. There will be some short-term pain, with areas needing to construct new space to accommodate for more bodies, however if the schools are smart with the spaces they already have this can be done efficiently. This will help spread the budget across more taxpayers locally.

What do you think a parent's role should be in their child's education and how should that be balanced with respecting teachers' expertise and training? Parents should be actively involved in their child's education by supporting them, staying informed, and advocating for them when necessary. At the same time, teachers should be respected for their expertise. It’s a balance between the two authorities built on communication and respect. Logistically from what I understand parents don't have much recourse if they would want curriculums to be adjusted other than attending board meetings and pressuring board members to make a change, however I think parents should have the right to do just that. I also think parents should absolutely be strict in their vetting of the people teaching their children; it’s an understatement how important that is.

Elected officials often faces strong public opinions on social media and at meetings. How would you approach decisions when the community is divided on an issue? I would listen to every opinion and perspective provided to me, think about how each decision would affect the students, and ultimately the district. Finally, I'd pray on it.

What makes your school district special? Plum City School District has that small town charm. In a way it's like another family throughout your day to day. Everyone knows everyone for better or worse and I think that kind of educational experience is what students need to help them care about their education and their future. I graduated from Plum City in 2018 so that experience is fresh in my mind and has a place in my heart.

How can people contact you? aboster@plumcity.k12.wi.us