Newly-minted North Tama school board member Ashton Wilson shakes the hand of board secretary Sara Forrester after reciting the oath of office during the Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, regular monthly meeting held in the junior high commons in Traer. Wilson will serve in the District 7 seat through 2027. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

TRAER – The North Tama County Board of Education appointed and promptly swore in its newest member last week, rural Traer resident Ashton Wilson.

The District 7 seat became vacant following David Boldt’s resignation on Jan. 26. Two individuals interested in the appointment, including Wilson, attended the regular monthly meeting held on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in the junior high commons. In addition to Wilson, Dr. Jason Knittel also applied for the vacancy.

Both candidates were provided with a set of questions ahead of the meeting as part of the appointment process, including why they wanted to serve on the school board; which two issues they felt were important facing the district currently; and ‘points of pride’ they harbored as a North Tama Redhawk. Each candidate was given five minutes total during the meeting to publicly state their answers.

Wilson was the first candidate to be interviewed. She told the board she and her husband Chris are lifelong Traer residents and North Tama Class of 2005 graduates. They live on a farm with their three school-age children where they own and operate Wilson Tiling. Recently, Wilson stepped back from being a full-time dental hygienist to stay home with her children. She occasionally substitutes at North Tama.

In response to the first question regarding her impetus for applying to the vacancy, Wilson said experience gained from serving on other boards, including the Traer Chamber of Commerce, led her to the decision, as did having children enrolled across the K-12 campus.

“Our children are in third, seventh, and 11th grades,” Wilson explained. “So having an elementary student, junior high, and a high school student, I feel like we’re living in all buildings and stages of the school – and seeing different perspectives within those areas. Seeing what the school has done in the last few years is exciting and great for our community as a whole. It’s something I want to be a part of and continue to watch, facilitate, and grow. Owning a business in town, it is just very important to have a strong community, and the school is a key component in that.”

In response to the second question, Wilson cited enrollment growth/teacher retention and communication – particularly as it relates to social media – as being two issues facing the district.

“I feel as though social media has become a huge communication factor for both good and bad. I would like to see more one-on-one communication and transparency between the community and the parents, the school board, and the administration. I think adding a level of knowledge to who to communicate (with) and when about issues, and keeping less things off social media would be extremely helpful,” she said.

When responding to the final question about ‘points of pride’, Wilson said her kids are third-generation North Tama students on both their paternal and maternal sides, while their great-grandparents attended Traer country schools.

“I always knew this is where we were supposed to raise our family. I feel that there are many families in this community that are that way. I never had any desire to grow my family anywhere else,” she said.

Wilson also cited her volunteer work with the North Tama Booster Club as a point of pride.

“I have facilitated the Booster Club’s biggest fundraising event for the last 12-plus years, and continue to now sit on the board.”

During his turn in the interview seat, Dr. Knittel shared that his children are third-generation North Tama students on his wife’s side. He has been a teacher for the last 28 years and has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. That background in education is partly what led him to apply for the school board vacancy, he explained. Later during discussion, Superintendent John Cain asked Knittel to elaborate on his background. Knittel shared he is currently a teacher at Waterloo’s East High School where he is head of the social studies department.

In response to the question about important issues facing the district, Knittel, like Wilson, brought up teacher retention, characterizing North Tama as “almost like a stepping stone.”

“There needs to be a serious look at trying to retain these teachers for a longevity period of time in order to build that relationship with the student,” he said.

Knittel also mentioned challenging students academically and communication as further issues facing the district.

His points of pride included seeing North Tama students sporting district-branded clothing both inside and outside of school hours, and the community’s support for the most recent bond referendum.

“One of the biggest things that I also respect is the community’s vote on the bond to allow the (high school) addition. I’m very proud of the citizens of this community,” he said, in part.

Following the interviews, members of the school board publicly discussed the strengths of each candidate.

Of Wilson, Directors Marty Dostal and Doug Dvorak both mentioned they appreciated her willingness to serve, citing her involvement with both the local Chamber of Commerce and Booster Club boards. Director LeRoy Staker echoed those comments while adding that being a business owner in the community, Wilson has a desire to see the school district flourish. Board vice president Jenny Sniffin said she valued Wilson’s familiarity with the North Tama community. President David Calderwood, attending by conference call, said he appreciated the time Wilson dedicated to attending community meetings over the years in the lead-up to the bond referendum’s passage.

Of Knittel, Director Seth Seda said having another teacher on the board would be an asset; he also liked Knittel’s focus on teacher retention. Dostal echoed those comments: “Teacher retention, that’s a huge [issue].” Both Sniffin and Dvorak appreciated Knittel’s comments about challenging students more in the classroom. Staker felt Knittel’s viewpoint as someone not raised in the community could be an asset by bringing a different perspective to the board. Calderwood thought Knittel’s teaching background was valuable.

Following board discussion, Seda motioned to appoint Wilson to the Director 7 vacancy barring any special election; Staker seconded the motion. On roll call vote, Wilson’s appointment was approved unanimously by the full board. She was immediately administered the oath of office by Forrester before taking a seat at the conference tables with the board.

As school board director, Wilson will fill out the remainder of Boldt’s term which runs through the end of 2027.

The District 7 seat will be part of the November 2027 election ballot.