Election will influence key board decisions
Mar. 17—Policymaking within the St. Joseph School District has changed gears since the last Board of Education election, and big plans will soon come into being.
In April of 2022, the Vision Forward process had just gotten started. The two board members who won seats, Kim Miller and Isaura Garcia, came into office with action on its recommendations more than a year over the horizon. Not so this time; the two people who replace Rick Gilmore and Phil Vandel on April 17 will be making big votes soon.
"The boundaries are now like, a pretzel on steroids," said Board Vice President LaTonya Williams. She is taking more of a leadership role after David Foster announced April 17 will be his last meeting as board president. "They are all over the place. In all honesty, they don't make any sense. And I'm anxious to correct it all in order to make it equal, equitable and fair."
Attendance boundaries, school closures or reassignments, staff pay and a response to game-changing legislation in Jefferson City will all likely be on board agendas in the near future. Although nothing has been passed into law yet, if House Bill 253 makes it that far, for example, the board will have to decide how many students from other districts it will accept.
It may also have to adapt to student loss, as up to 3% of the district's enrollment each year would be able to transfer out to, hypothetically, Savannah R-III, Mid-Buchanan R-V or further south to Kansas City-agencies, such as the Park Hill School District. Residency rules have applied to date, as transfers usually aren't allowed without moving to a new home. Advocates have said this is a matter of parental choice. Opponents fret about funding loss and fairness for poorer families with less flexibility to drive their children elsewhere.
"I think the main thing to keep in mind is, let's do what's best for kids," said Jeff Leake, a Lafayette High School teacher and coach who often contributes to what the board is working on. "That's the No. 1 question you can ask on any issue, whether it's a financial issue or a curriculum issue or the boundaries, is, 'What produces the best outcome for kids for the rest of their lives?' Even if you disagree with the effects of what is done, you can agree on making decisions with the best of intentions."
Nine candidates are on the ballot for April 4's election: Whitney Lanning, Brian Shewell, Harold Barr, Bradley Huett, Jonathon Bell, Jennifer Kerns, Don Crabtree, Rick Gehring and Amanda Cook. The filing deadline for this year's election has passed, along with the last day for newly registered voters.
Every school district voter will be allowed to select two of the nine names, or just one if they prefer. The top two vote-earners will win. Their three-year terms will commence April 17.
Marcus Clem can be reached at marcus.clem@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowClem
