Heather Buege
We have lived in Lewiston since 1999, so this has become our home! The first of our two children started attending the high school as a 9th grader in 2021, coming over from St. John's Lutheran School just down the street. (Her younger sister started at LAHS this fall.) Even though my kids didn't attend pre-K - 8 within the district, we have always been strong Cardinal supporters. Why? Because we believe in the sense of community that the public school brings to our lives. That's what it all comes down to - connecting to the community and being a supportive family. I don't understand the selfish excuse "I don't have kids that go to school there, so why should I vote for it?"
Our L-A school’s story gets even better: Since enrolling at LAHS, my daughters have made strong connections with their classmates and teachers at the school. They are a part of the Cardinal family! They have received great opportunities and are getting a good education. They have countless academic and extracurricular opportunities and have even pushed themselves harder by enrolling in AP/Concurrent classes. We are so glad we sent our daughters to school at LAHS!
Holly Burt
Public school is the great equalizer—a place where every child is welcomed and given a free education, offering them the chance to build a better life. It serves as a sanctuary where they find safety, nourishment, and support every day. In our small town especially, teachers go beyond imparting knowledge; they nurture and inspire our children, taking pride in their growth and ensuring they feel valued and cared for. The administration and staff actively look out for our kids, both inside and outside the classroom. This is lost in bigger schools.
When we invest in our children, we are investing in our collective future. The choices we make today will shape the world they inherit. The time for questioning how we arrived at this point and why others didn't act sooner ends now. The issues we choose not to confront today will become the burdens our children must bear in the future. We are the ones who will make a meaningful difference for those who will follow us. We will be the change.
Deb Franzen
I had 4 children graduate successfully and move on to have amazing jobs, a costume design professor at Tennessee State University, a Hometown business manager and soon to be co-owner and manager of Z and A Country Market, a Dental asst and co-owner of Z and A also; and youngest, a Labor and Delivery Nurse! 3 of the 4 went on to play college football and volleyball! One went on to graduate school at Michigan State University!! If those weren’t success stories, I don’t know what is!! They were proud to be LA Cardinals (their mom came from rival Saints country)!!
Their quality of educational from Lewiston-Altura was awesome!! I don’t want the story to end because we as a community couldn’t see past taxes rising! (it’s happening everywhere) check out Byron!!! Personally, I will always do what’s best for the kids! I don’t want a consolidation, just to have my taxes raised and go to another school district!!
We need it as a community, to keep our community alive and thriving!! I will also say again, if we have no school, we have so much less of a chance of attracting new families to our town! I want my house marketable when the time comes to sell also! I want to sell it to a family that has kids that can attend our school in this community!!! I have tried to inform as many as I can how important this referendum and bond is for our kids, past, present and future!!!
From Terri Kaczorowski
I had two boys graduate from Lewiston-Altura High School and they graduated well prepared for their next stages in life. I want this for all kids in our community. My hope is we will be able to retain and attract quality educators so this can continue. I was raised in a big city and have experienced many benefits from living in our little community and I want it to continue to grow and thrive. And we need our school to stay open for this to happen.
Nicole LaChapelle-Strumski
I would like my three children to receive their education in a space conducive to learning. Coming from a big city, I see the many benefits of small-town life, but I don't want their education and school experiences to suffer from not having a properly funded school district.
Ashley Perez
I currently have 4 soon to be 5 in the school system. My oldest graduates next year. He's been going to Lewiston-Altura since first grade. We've stayed in our house, despite out growing it because we can't imagine finding a better school that cares more about our kids than this one. It's been a huge support system for myself and my kids throughout the years. The people within the school system are amazing and do amazing things. I grew up in a bigger city and see the difference small towns and learning brings and this is what matters to us.
