Corning School Board Candidates
October 27, 2023
Meet the Corning School Board Candidates
Stephanie Hodapp
My name is Stephanie Hodapp, I am married to Jeremy and we have 3 children Adeline
(8), Blaine (6), and Spencer (2). We moved back to Corning in 2017 when Blaine was
born to raise our children in a small town that we knew and loved. I am a graduate of
Corning High School; I did not grow up in Corning but was able to attend here from my
sophomore - senior years. I grew to love this community because of the people and
how much they genuinely care for one another. I began my college adventure at
DMACC for Dental Assisting, worked in the field for a few years and then returned to
school in Fort Dodge at Iowa Central Community College to become a Dental
Hygienist. I currently serve our local community for dental hygiene care through Family
Dental Center.
I have a passion for youth athletic activities and especially enjoy volunteering at home
track and cross country meets. I coached SWV track for 3 years recently and during
this time I was able to work with a lot of our youth and encourage them to grow in areas
of mental and physical endurance. Being involved with the school is a big part of why I
want to be on the school board. I am passionate about helping our district grow and
become the best district it can be, ensuring our community provides children with a
great education and facilities that inspire our children to succeed in life. Small rural
communities are very special and produce generations of hope for our communities'
future, I recall firsthand the impacts having a supportive community had in shaping
critical adolescent years of my life and want all children to experience a similar
supportive community.
I am a hardworking and reliable individual that goes the extra mile to do what it takes to
get the things done. My goal for the district would be to help showcase that we have a
wonderful school with exceptional educators and are surrounded by a great community
of people, ultimately hoping to attract more people to join our district.
Todd James
My name is Todd James and live just outside of Corning with my two sons. Ethan is a senior and Tyler is a freshman. I’m involved in a family farming operation alongside having my own trucking business. I help my girlfriend Kim with her cupcake empire. We also keep trying to get our pumpkin patch going. I’m a 1997 graduate of the Corning district and also a graduate of Iowa Western Community College in 1999.
I am currently on the SWV FFA Advisory committee.
I’m running as a write in candidate for school board to help the district move our kids down the path of success. Although the administration is doing what they think is best, I believe it’s not being done adequately enough for the students or the teachers. I would like to be that voice that stands behind them.
I think that I’m qualified for this position being a business owner along with prior public service. I was involved on the finance and pastor parish committees at Corning United Methodist Church. I am currently the vice president of the Adam’s County Farm Bureau. I’m also the current treasurer for the Adam’s County Shriners.
My goals at this time are to get the administration and teachers all working positively together for the kid’s future. I would also like to determine why there have been several students that are no longer being educated in the Corning district but have not moved away from the district.
I helped with start up of the successful Watch Me Grow Program at POET. This program educates 4th and 5th graders about the benefits of ethanol. This is done by having 4th graders plant their own corn in the spring. The students are updated about their corn regularly during the growing season. In the fall of their 5th grade year, the students harvest their crop and sell it to POET. The kids love this program.
Trent Roberts
I was born and raised in the town of Corning. I had the privilege of growing up on a farm and attending Corning Community Schools. The school has been a staple for myself, 3 siblings and many cousins. I’m very proud to share that my mother, Deb Roberts, had the opportunity to teach at Corning High School. For 17 years she taught upper level math and sciences. Following High School I continued my education and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwest Missouri State University. After college I pursued a career in various aspects of construction. Today I’m a Project Superintendent for a General Contracting firm. I also participate in our family farm enterprise. My amazing wife, Stephanie, and I have two kids that are currently attending Corning Elementary. They are just at the beginning of their journeys.
With my construction background and from school representatives I was honored to join as a member of the Corning Community School Design Team. Over the past few months we have been working diligently to plan for the build of a new elementary school and ball field upgrades. This achievement will have a major impact on the future of our district's educational opportunities.
The future of our district is very important to me. This school system provided me with amazing opportunities. Teachers and staff at Corning Schools were so inspiring decades ago during my tenure and STILL are! They are dedicated, devoted, and passionate about our children. I’m also regularly humbled by the pillar families throughout our community that have continued generation after generation to support our town and school systems. I’m excited about the opportunity to be a school board member giving back to the community that’s been such an important part of my family. I want to do everything I can to make our district a wonderful opportunity for those to come.
My role as a leader on the job site provides me with a useful background. Being the leader on my team requires the ability to strategically plan how processes and changes I make set the roadmap for what we want to achieve in the future. This is just like working with a school board team to build a strong educational future for our district. As a member of the school board, I would provide fair and rational problem solving to upcoming challenges. I also value integrity and compassion while appreciating the necessity to make tough decisions.
The people of our district stand strong to support our schools. With the school improvements set to take place, I want to continue pressing forward to keep the district financially sound with the best education experience possible. Our wonderful school system will add to the greatness our community offers, opening the door for new faces that may choose to pursue their education here.
I’m a member of the Corning Youth Club. We provide opportunities to local youth to participate in various athletic programs. I’m a co-head of the Little League baseball program and help organize the season. Through CYC I coach baseball teams as well as the flag football team. I also coach a division in the youth Scramblers wrestling program. The youth in our community inspire me every day. I’m excited about the potential our district has and am ready to help continue to make our schools great.
