Pleasantville School Board Candidate Questions

The Marion County Express sent questions to the candidates for Pleasantville School Board. We did not receive all of the responses in time to include them in our print edition. Here they are. 

 

Pleasantville School Board: Abigail Van Haalen

1.I’m a longtime resident of Pleasantville and part of the many generations of the McVay family—my maiden name. I moved into the district during my junior year of high school and graduated from Pleasantville. My husband, Scout Van Haalen, is also a Pleasantville alum. We have two children: one currently attends Lower Elementary here in Pleasantville, and the other will be joining the district next year.

For the past five years, I worked for Warren County, and I recently accepted a position at Carlisle Middle School to gain more experience in education. I’m also currently attending Buena Vista University, working toward my teaching degree.

2.I’m running for school board because I’ve noticed a growing gap in communication within the district, along with a concerning lack of support and recognition for our educators/staff. I believe strong communication is the foundation of a successful school system—not just between staff, but also with families and the wider community.

My goal is to help bridge that communication gap and advocate for policies that truly support our educators/staff, both professionally and personally. Many of our teachers and staff members play vital roles in the community beyond the classroom, and they deserve to feel valued and supported by the district.

Improving communication will benefit everyone from the superintendent to students by fostering trust, transparency, and stronger relationships throughout the district.

3.I believe the biggest challenge our district will face over the next four years is the potential loss of both dedicated educators, staff, and families. Many of our staff members have given so much to the community, but without proper support and recognition from the district, we risk losing them.

Additionally, the lack of clear and consistent communication has made some families feel disconnected or unheard, which could lead them to seek opportunities elsewhere. Strengthening support for our staff members and improving communication and representation across the district will be critical to retaining both staff and students in the years ahead.

4.Having spent most of my school years in another district, I can say with confidence that Pleasantville offers something truly special, a genuine sense of home. Our greatest strength lies in the dedicated staff members who remain in our schools. Their impact goes far beyond the classroom; they support students academically, emotionally, and personally, often extending that care well beyond school hours.

 

Shane Sorenson

Tell us about yourself (family, career, etc.)

-Graduated from Ogden High School, went on to Simpson College graduated with a degree in athletic administration 

-Been in Pleasantville for 23 years with my wife Jodi and our 16 year old son Cale. 

-I am a Recycling and Forestry Product Specialist for Vermeer Corp in Pella and farm with my wife’s family 

 

Why are you running for school board? 

-Simply put, I like being involved in our community and hold a strong belief in leaving things for our children better than we found them. I am running for re-election as a parent, community member, and tax payer. I have no personal agenda and hope to continue offering a level headed approach to solving issues our district faces. 

 

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the district in the next four years? 

-The biggest challenge we face is continuing to remain strong financially with limited state funding increases each year.  Facilities age, curriculums need up dating, in short necessities get more expensive quicker than funding catches up to them. As a small rural community we don’t have a large tax base from industry or corporations to help fund projects. Being fiscally responsible as a district and keeping tax payer burden in mind while trying to maintain positive momentum will remain a challenge for the foreseeable future. 

 

Pleasantville Schools have many positives, what do you think is our greatest strength and how can we capitalize on it for the best outcome for students in the future? 

-Our biggest strength is our small town and our proximity to larger communities. As a smaller school district we offer smaller class sizes which translates into more teacher interaction with students.  We are able to attract families from larger communities who seek what our district has to offer. As a smaller district we are fortunate to be able to offer a wide variety of programs and activities to engage as many students as possible in areas they can thrive in. 

 

Is there any other message or information you want voters to know about you before Election Day?

-I have appreciated the opportunity to serve on the PCSD board these past four years, and being entrusted with making decisions that effect our students, teachers, and community. I do not take the decisions we make lightly and always try to see all sides to a story before deciding my vote. I would equally appreciate the opportunity to continue serving on the board another four years with your support. Thank you

 

Dana Thomas

My name is Dana Thomas and I am running for School Board in the Pleasantville Community School District. I am a 1983 graduate of PHS. My husband, Rich, and I have made our home in Pleasantville since 1987 when we were both offered teaching/coaching positions in our school district after graduating from Central College. While teaching, I completed a Master of Education Degree at Iowa State University. We have two children, both PHS graduates, and we will have grandchildren entering Pleasantville Elementary in a few years. My parents are also graduates of PHS so the Trojan Tradition of Excellence runs deep in our family. 

I taught at Pleasantville Elementary for 33 years before retiring in 2020. During that time, I taught Special Education, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and then landed in kindergarten when my former kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Betterton, retired. In over three decades in our school district, I gained a unique perspective, knowledge and experience that I feel would be valuable as a member of the Board of Education. 

Since retirement I have stayed involved at the school by substitute teaching and teaching summer school. I have also regularly attended School Board meetings to stay current on issues and happenings in our district. I have been retired for five years but I still feel very invested in my school. I love our school. I have dedicated my life’s work to this special place and our students, parents, and community. I chose to run for School Board because I know I have the background and knowledge to help ensure that the Pleasantville School DIstrict continues to meet the educational needs of all students in a safe and supportive environment. 

I know there are challenges ahead in public education. Declining enrollment, lack of state funding, and retaining teachers are some of the challenges facing our district. These things have been addressed at the last few school board meetings to make stakeholders aware of the situation. Conversations and problem solving have already begun. If elected, I look forward to researching and helping to find solutions to these very difficult challenges. I feel it is important that we are able to work collaboratively with teachers, parents, and community members. Communication is key. I hope to improve communication and share ideas with community members by offering a coffee time with School Board members once each month. I want to listen to your suggestions and answer questions. I also look forward to talking to teachers during teacher work days to ensure they have what they need to improve outcomes and support all students in our schools. I value teacher input and want them to feel heard. 

We have so many things to be proud of in our school. Our greatest strength is our people. Our teachers, our staff, our community support is what makes Pleasantville the best place to live and raise a family. For almost 40 years, I have had the privilege of teaching so many of you, your children, or your grandchildren. I would love the opportunity to serve the students, their parents, the teacher, the staff and our community in a new role as a member of the Board of Education at Pleasantville Schools. I am asking for your vote on November 4. Thank you!

Jesse Mason

My name is Jesse Mason, my wife, Teresa Mason, and I have lived in Pleasantville for 20 years.  We chose to move to Pleasantville because of the quality school system and the town being known for a small town with a big heart.  Teresa had worked in healthcare for the nursing home in town before starting her daycare in 2017.  I work for Edward Jones and enjoy helping people save, invest, and be prepared for the unexpected in life.  We have two children Sophia and Lilian.  Both have enjoyed their years spent in the Pleasantville system.  Lillian is in her senior year and Sophia graduated in 2023 and is currently attending Central.  Having a child recently graduate Pleasantville, and one now a senior, both attending preschool-12th grade here, I have current, firsthand knowledge of the school system and its offerings.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to serve our students, faculty, district and community!  Growing up I wanted to be a teacher and coach, I even served as president of my high school's future teachers of America club.  Although life took me in a different direction, providing quality education in a safe environment, and helping children grow and develop into young adults has always been a passion of mine.  I will use my personal and professional experiences to make balanced, thoroughly researched, and thoughtfully examined decisions that will benefit our students, staff and district to the greatest extent.”

 

“If this sounds familiar I ran two years ago on the same principles I am today.  I haven’t changed nor have my goals for wanting to serve the district. I will do my best to ensure our children are being provided the best educational and extracurricular opportunities.  To supply the best scholastic experiences, we need to continue to retain our current staff and be able to attract new talent.  For our staff to be successful we need to supply them with necessary resources.  And while we focus on delivering on our current needs, we need to make sure we don't lose sight on the districts long-term goals of maintaining and providing top-notch facilities for the generations of Trojans to come.”

“The district will face many challenges over the next four years.  The biggest will be making the most out of our budget, year after year, with varying enrollment numbers which impacts our schools total funding.  We’ll need to be proactive in our planning making sure still able to expand and improve our academic offerings and continue to retain and attract top educators.  All without overextending ourselves and placing us into a deficit that following year.  It’s going to take a lot of communication from top to bottom to be able to pull it off.  But I’m excited for the opportunity to help fit the pieces of this ever-changing puzzle together!”

“Pleasantville has so many positives with the greatest being our smaller classroom sizes.  Parents look for smaller class sizes so they know their child is getting the attention they deserve.  Our educators enjoy being able to have more manageable classroom sizes where they get to focus on truly making a difference in each child’s lives.  We will continue to strive to keep our ideal classroom sizes which will continue brining new families and top educators to our district allowing Pleasantville Schools to prosper and excel for years to come.”