In Sarpy County, early voter ballots will be mailed out beginning September 28th. To help you get to know the candidates before you vote, we asked the four individuals running for Bellevue Public Schools Board of Education three questions. We asked each candidate the same questions, and their answers appear below. On the ballot, voters may select up to three candidates for the school board. The three with the most votes will be elected to the board.
Aside from some minor formatting changes, each candidate’s answers are unedited and presented as received.
Jump to a candidate:
Phil Davidson
Why are you running for the Board of Education?
I am running for another term on the Bellevue Board of Education because I believe a strong public school system is essential to the strength, growth, and future of our entire community.
As the Community Relations Coordinator for the City of Bellevue, I spend a great deal of time working throughout our community and helping residents stay informed about the projects, programs, events, and opportunities taking place in Bellevue. That experience continually reinforces something I have believed throughout my more than 10 years of service on the School Board: strong schools and a strong community go hand in hand.
I am proud of the progress Bellevue Public Schools has made during my time on the Board, and I am seeking another term to continue supporting Dr. Jeff Rippe, his administrative team, and our outstanding teachers and staff as we build on that progress and prepare BPS for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
One of our greatest responsibilities will continue to be maintaining a strong school district while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. School funding continues to evolve at the state and federal levels, and Board members must stay informed, advocate for Bellevue Public Schools, and ensure we are maximizing every available dollar. We must continue looking for efficiencies while making thoughtful investments that have the greatest impact in the classroom and provide our students with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.
Our teachers remain the backbone of Bellevue Public Schools. We must continue working to retain the outstanding educators already serving our students while making BPS an attractive destination for the next generation of talented teachers and staff. Competitive compensation is important, but so are a positive working environment, strong leadership, professional development, and making sure our employees know their work is valued and appreciated.
I also want to continue expanding the opportunities available through the Frank Kumor Career Center. Mr. Kumor understood that success after high school does not look the same for every student. While we must continue preparing students who choose a traditional college path, we also need strong career and technical education opportunities that prepare students for skilled trades, certifications, apprenticeships, the military, and careers that allow them to enter the workforce successfully after graduation. Continuing to grow the Career Center and developing additional partnerships with local businesses and employers can create even more opportunities for our students.
Finally, we must continue aggressively pursuing federal, state, local, and private grant funding. BPS has been very successful in securing outside resources in recent years, allowing us to enhance programs and opportunities without placing the entire financial burden on local taxpayers. We need to build on that success and continue searching for innovative partnerships and funding opportunities.
There will always be challenges facing public education, but I believe there are even greater opportunities ahead for Bellevue Public Schools. I am proud of what we have accomplished, but there is more work to do. I am running for another term because I want to continue using my experience, community relationships, and commitment to Bellevue to help ensure BPS remains a school district our students, families, employees, and community can be proud of.
What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
My connection to Bellevue Public Schools is both personal and professional. My wife, Trisha, and I are both graduates of Bellevue high schools, and our two grown sons graduated from and benefited from the education they received through Bellevue Public Schools. I have been a Bellevue resident for close to 40 years and earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Bellevue University. Bellevue is our home, and I have a strong personal investment in the continued success of our schools and community.
For more than 10 years, I have had the privilege of serving on the Bellevue Board of Education. That experience has given me a strong understanding of the responsibilities of a Board member, from budgeting and long-range planning to personnel, facilities, curriculum, student achievement, and the constantly changing state and federal requirements affecting public education.
During my time on the Board, I believe one of my strengths has been building relationships and bringing a positive, practical, common-sense approach to decision-making. Public education can generate strong opinions and emotions, and Board members will not always agree. I believe it is important to listen to different viewpoints, ask questions, gather the facts, and avoid getting caught up in the emotion of the moment. Ultimately, our responsibility is to make thoughtful decisions based on what is best for our students, staff, taxpayers, and the long-term future of the district.
My professional experience as the Communications Director for the City of Bellevue also provides a valuable perspective. I work every day with residents, elected officials, businesses, community organizations, public safety agencies, and other governmental entities. That experience has taught me the importance of communication, transparency, collaboration, and building partnerships. It has also given me a broader understanding of how the success of Bellevue Public Schools directly impacts economic development, quality of life, and the overall strength of our community.
I have tremendous respect for Superintendent Dr. Rippe and Team BPS and believe the district has accomplished a great deal during my time on the Board. At the same time, we cannot become complacent. Significant challenges remain, including school funding, maintaining and improving our facilities, recruiting and retaining quality teachers, and ensuring we continue providing students with the programs and opportunities they need to succeed.
We are also entering a period when emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence will significantly impact education. Rather than simply fearing or ignoring these changes, I believe BPS needs to thoughtfully determine how new technology can be used responsibly to enhance learning while maintaining academic integrity and preparing our students for a workforce where AI will increasingly be part of their everyday lives.
I believe my experience, relationships throughout Bellevue, knowledge of the district, and ability to approach difficult issues with a level head have made me an effective Board member. I am excited about the future of Bellevue Public Schools and would be honored to continue helping Team BPS build on its successes while preparing our students and our district for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
I believe strongly in giving back to Bellevue, and I have been fortunate to serve our community in many different roles over the years. In addition to serving on the Bellevue Board of Education, I currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District and have served as President of the Bellevue Community Foundation for the past six years.
Through the Bellevue Community Foundation, I have helped organize and support numerous community events and projects, including the Bellevue Rocks! Riverfront Festival, Olde Towne Trick or Treat, and Bellevue’s Christmas celebration. I also serve as a liaison to the Light Up Bellevue Committee and support its efforts to enhance and beautify our community.
Youth activities have also been an important part of my community involvement. Over the years, I have volunteered as a coach for several youth sports and organizations and previously served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Bellevue Junior Sports Association.
Through these roles, I have had the opportunity to work with schools, local government, businesses, nonprofits, volunteers, and families throughout Bellevue. Those experiences have strengthened my belief that our schools and community are most successful when we work together toward the common goal of making Bellevue an even better place to live, work, raise a family, and receive a quality education.
Kristy Kiviniemi
Why are you running for the Board of Education?
Bellevue has been my home my entire life, and Bellevue Public Schools has been part of my family for generations. My father, brother, husband, children and I all attended BPS, and my family’s connection to the district continues today. My husband is a teacher, my daughter is working toward becoming a teacher, and my mother has spent her career in food and nutrition leadership. Public education has always been an important part of our family.
I am running again because I believe in Bellevue Public Schools and in the people who make the district what it is. Having previously served on the Board of Education, I had the opportunity to see firsthand the commitment of our teachers, staff, administrators, families, and community to helping students succeed.
One of the things that experience reinforced for me is that success looks different for every student. Our responsibility is to make sure students have opportunities to discover their strengths, feel supported along the way, and leave BPS prepared for whatever comes next—college, a career, military service, a skilled trade, or another path that is right for them.
I want to continue supporting strong student achievement, excellent teachers and staff, safe and supportive schools, responsible use of taxpayer dollars, and thoughtful long-term planning for the district. Most of all, I want Bellevue Public Schools to continue to be a district our students, employees, families, and community are proud of.
What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I bring both previous school board experience and executive leadership experience to the role. I served on the Bellevue Public Schools Board of Education from 2020–2024, including two years as Vice President. That experience gave me a strong understanding of school governance, budgeting, policy, strategic planning, superintendent oversight, and the responsibility the board has to the community.
It also taught me that effective board service is not about having all the answers or expecting everyone to agree. It requires listening, asking thoughtful questions, doing your homework, considering different perspectives, and being willing to make difficult decisions based on what is in the best long-term interest of the district.
Professionally, I serve as an Executive Director at Nebraska Medicine, where I lead Compliance and Regulatory Services. In that role, I work with governing boards, executive leaders, physicians, nurses, and operational leaders on complex issues involving strategy, finances, safety, risk, accountability, and organizational improvement.
Much of my work involves bringing people together around difficult topics, evaluating facts, asking questions, identifying risks and opportunities, and finding a path forward when people may begin with different perspectives. I believe those skills, combined with my previous board experience, would allow me to contribute immediately and thoughtfully as a member of the Board of Education.
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
During my four years on the Bellevue Public Schools Board of Education, one of the parts of the role I enjoyed most was being present throughout the district and having opportunities to support and celebrate our students. I attended BEST Graduation, Project SEARCH celebrations, the JROTC Ball, graduations, and many other student activities and events. Those were some of the most memorable parts of serving because they provided an opportunity to see firsthand what our students were accomplishing and to recognize the teachers, staff, families, and community members supporting them.
I currently serve on the Offutt Advisory Council (OAC) as a Co-Commander, supporting Offutt Air Force Base members and their families through activities and events such as Wild Blue Yonder and the Offutt Appreciation Day Picnic. That involvement is especially meaningful to me because of the close connection between Offutt, Bellevue, and our schools. BPS has a longstanding relationship with military families, and the district currently includes a military advisor on its Board of Education. The Offutt Appreciation Day Picnic is also a longstanding OAC event focused on recognizing service members and their families.
I have also volunteered with Bellevue Community Foundation events, including Bellevue Rocks, Trick or Treat in Downtown Bellevue, and Santa in Olde Towne. I have served as a founding board member of the City of Bellevue Inland Port Authority and have supported organizations including the Bellevue Schools Foundation and Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.
These opportunities have allowed me to stay connected to the people and organizations that make Bellevue a strong community. Bellevue is home, and I care deeply about both the community we have today and the one we are building for the next generation.
Michele Bang
Why are you running for the Board of Education?
I am running for the Bellevue Public School Board because I believe strong public schools are essential to Bellevue’s safety, stability and long-term health. Whether or not you have school-aged children, we all benefit when Bellevue Public Schools thrive. Families choose communities based on schools that are safe, supportive and academically strong. We moved here more than 30 years ago for those reasons, and we stayed to raise our son, now a junior at Bellevue East. As a parent, I have insight into what is going on in our schools, believe deeply in the mission, and pledge to work hard to build a better experience for all of our students.
While it will be challenging, we can improve student learning outcomes. Recently, I was surprised when I learned that, according to the Nebraska Department of Education, fewer than 30% of Bellevue East 11th graders taking the ACT score proficient in English and math, and only 35% are proficient in science. Yes, demographics plays a role, and Bellevue West performs closer to the state average, with roughly 40% proficient in English and math and 52% in science. However, Papillion LaVista, whose demographics closely mirror Bellevue West, scores 50% proficient in English, 46% in math and 54% in science. I know the ACT does not provide a full picture of student outcomes, but it is the measure given to us by the state. We can do better.
After knocking on several hundred doors, I’ve heard many residents express the same concern. I have spoken to more than one parent who worries they hurt their children by choosing Bellevue. This is not what all parents are saying, but some are sharing it with me, which should make all of us sit up and listen. When families choose other districts, Bellevue loses.
Improved outcomes start with teachers. They need evidence-based tools, strong professional development and administrative support. This requires sustained leadership focus and fiscal stability so BPS can offer competitive salaries and invest in curriculum proven to improve achievement.
As a board member, I will challenge leadership to stay focused on best practices. For example, BPS provides a one-to-one iPad for every K–12 student. Initially, this sounds like a good thing. However, research increasingly finds excessive school screen time harms learning, especially for younger students. I know children need to understand technology, but school technology should serve our kids, not harm them.
Finally, our students need to know that WE understand how their sense of safety involves much more than school resource officers, secure entrances, cameras and lockdowns.
These are important, but today’s students face challenges far beyond the school building. Bullying happens on social media. Children are targeted by online predators who encourage self-harm or exploitation. Many students struggle with trauma and isolation.
When these pressures go unaddressed, some children act out by harming themselves or others. The National Institute of Justice found that nearly all individuals who commit K–12 school shootings were suicidal before or during the attack, had significant childhood hardship or trauma and showed clear signs of crisis prior to an attack. School safety and child well-being is everyone’s responsibility, and schools play an important role in identifying and supporting children in crisis.
What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
My professional background includes 29 years with the Omaha Police Department, where I retired as a deputy chief in 2022, and two years as an executive leader at Project Harmony Child Advocacy Center. Leading teams, managing budgets and developing policy taught me how board decisions translate into real-world impact for teachers and students.
Early in my career, I investigated crimes involving children, giving me firsthand insight into the long-term effects of violence, trauma and exploitation. Schools play a critical role in identifying and reporting abuse, and I understand that responsibility.
As a senior leader, I worked closely with Human Resources and the Law Department on personnel investigations, workers’ compensation and ADA compliance. I managed a $169 million budget and oversaw procurement and resource allocation and led the department’s federal and state grant programs. I implemented new initiatives, such as the co-responder and peer-support programs. Both began with federal grants matched by private foundations; an approach school districts also can use.
At Project Harmony, I helped set direction for programs including forensic interviews, medical exams and trauma-focused mental health services for children who experienced abuse, trafficking or online exploitation. I also oversaw Connections, a school-based program serving K–8 students, including those in Bellevue Public Schools. At both agencies, I met with leaders at the federal, state and local levels, provided media briefings and regularly met with elected officials and foundation leaders. School administrators carry out most day-to-day responsibilities, and my experience equips me to provide informed oversight and leadership.
For the past two years, I have been an active Bellevue Public School substitute teacher, helping in K-12 classrooms. This provides me with a greater understanding of the challenges teachers and students face in the classroom. I also teach undergraduate courses in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UNO and serve as an adjunct instructor at Bellevue University. Prior to becoming a police officer, I taught 7th grade math and science at Millard Central Middle School.
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
I am a Teammates mentor and have met weekly with my mentee, now a 9th grader, since she was in 4th grade. I serve on the Board of the Mid-America Council of Scouting America. Before retiring from OPD, I served on the Board of the Metro Area LOSS Team, assisting families and friends when a loved one dies by suicide and was the law enforcement liaison to the Project Harmony Board. I was a longtime Cub Scout leader and previously volunteered with the CASA program.
Dickee Jost
Why are you running for the Board of Education?
This is my top reason for running. During the fall of 2023, a dear friend got word the Bellevue School Board was considering removing Policy 604.09-Teaching of Moral and Spiritual Values. I decided to look into this myself and found no good reason to remove such a policy, only bad ones. For example, there is a book in the high school library which teaches children, that although becoming a prostitute, girls and boys, may be scary and possibly physically painful, it can be fun and pays remarkably well. This book is a direct assault on the morals of our students. During two school board meetings, the board heard several testimonies from concerned taxpayers asking not to remove this policy. Each of us gave compelling and historical precedent to keep the policy intact. Despite our impassioned pleas, three of the conservative board members on this November ballot, turned a blind eye and joined the more liberal members and unanimously voted to eliminate the policy. It seems it was easier to simply remove it rather than to confront the issues. Concerning spirituality, consider the first public school established in these United States, Boston Latin School, established in 1635. Admission was determined by examination. Applicants had to read verses from the Bible. However, just last year, a fourth-grade student from Bellevue Public Schools, brought his family Bible to school to silently read during an open reading period. He was confronted and told he was not allowed to read the Bible in school. A policy was put into place so as to not allow students to bring in any books from home, rather, read only those books provided by the school. This further removes parents from their child’s education. This is how far we have fallen.
What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I was nominated and elected as Home and School Board (similar to a PTA) vice president then served two terms as president using Robert’s Rules of Order to conduct meetings. I will leverage my 25 years of military experience into serving our community. Board members have many responsibilities. They look at contracts, budgets, new hires, resignations, performance reports, grades, and so much more. I have filled each of these roles and responsibilities and have performed similar tasks. These have included program management, certified flight instruction and evaluations, performance reviews, equipment inventories and building budgets, and tracking millions of dollars’ worth of flight hours. As a civilian, I served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for a company with a budget larger than that of the Bellevue school district. I ran operations in 38 states and 48 nations. This meant working respectfully with people from many walks of life and cultures. I have experience with the pains and frustrations of working with the government, managing multi-million-dollar contracts.
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
My service has always been extended to my community no matter where the military sent me. I served on the Finance Committee of my church, St. Nicholas, in North Pole, Alaska, while stationed at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks. Moving away from my place of birth, my kids did not have the chance to see their grandparents and experience their wisdom as often as we would have wished. So, we visited a neighboring nursing home and “adopted” a grandma and grandpa. I served as the boys’ basketball coach for four years, coaching grades five through eight. As mentioned in a previous question, I was elected as Home and School Board vice president for one term and then served two more terms as president. I volunteered as an adult leader in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts as my son advanced through the ranks. I am currently a member of the Sarpy GOP. There, I have supported, with my time, talents and resources, various local, county, and state races. It was through my volunteering for others, running a campaign, visiting school superintendents form five counties, when I realized there was more I could do. My family and friends inspired me to run for the Bellevue School Board. School board itself is a volunteer position. During the previous election, I worked for eight months on my campaign without a single day off. I spoke with 1000s of people while knocking on over 6000 doors. I saw firsthand how property taxes are forcing people out of their homes. Apartment rent was also becoming out of reach and this is a direct result of taxes. Countless times, voters would remark that no one running for school board had ever knocked on their doors. This tells me that most of our current school members may well be out of touch with the taxpayers. I heard their pleas to end ‘woke’ and make schools wholesome again. If you are ready for servant leadership, I am here and Mission Ready. Visit www.VoteJost.com for more info.
