Pharmacist, former SPS principal take steps to run for school board
Two more hopefuls have picked up packets to make a run for the Springfield school board: Chad Rollins, a pharmacist, and Judy Brunner, a retired Springfield principal.
Both went to Glendale High School. Rollins graduated in 1994 and Brunner graduated in 1970.
They join incumbent Shurita Thomas-Tate and newcomers Landon McCarter, who owns a digital marketing company, and J. Michael Hasty, who works in sales.
The five potential candidates have until late December to gather enough voter signatures and turn in the paperwork to appear on the April 4 ballot.
In that election, voters will select two members of the seven-member governing body that approves a budget, sets policy and hires and evaluates the superintendent.
Board president Denise Fredrick, first elected in 2011, is not running again. The rest of the board members are currently serving their first term: Kelly Byrne, Scott Crise, Danielle Kincaid, Steve Makoski and Maryam Mohammadkhani, the vice president.
More:McCarter, Hasty explain why they want to run for Springfield school board
In the coming months, the board is expected to finalize a new strategic plan, which helps guide all policy and budget decisions.
The board is also expected to vote on a recommendation from the Community Task Force on Facilities to put a bond issue of up to $220 million on the April ballot.
Here are details about the new hopefuls:
Judy Brunner
Brunner retired from Springfield Public Schools in 2006 but returned, on an interim basis in recent years. She spent two years as co-interim principal of Central High School during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 years.
For part of last year, she worked in central office as coordinator of student and school services. This year, Brunner is co-director of Study Alternative School.
"I value Springfield, Missouri. I think it's a wonderful place to raise a family and I think our local school district is a big part of what makes it so nice," she said.
Her career in SPS includes working as a special education teacher at Parkview High School, assistant principal at the Pershing K-8 school, principal at Wilder Elementary, Reed Middle School and then Parkview.
"I've looked at education from so many different angles. I've been a teacher. I've been a parent. I've been a principal at all three levels and I was fortunate enough to be asked back, out of retirement, for a couple different roles," Brunner said Monday. "The opportunity to serve on the board is looking at the district from another lens."
Brunner, who is married and has two sons and three grandchildren, added: "I think that my areas of expertise can be a real asset to the board. I'm not only an educator, I'm a business owner."
An author and educational consultant, she co-founded Edu-Safe, a school safety training company, with Dennis Lewis, former director of Springfield's school police force. She has regularly presented on school safety at national and state conferences.
Brunner also co-owns Instructional Solutions Group, which focuses on differentiated instruction, literacy and academic engagement.
She has bachelor's, master's and specialist degrees from Missouri State University, where she has been a supervisor of clinical experience in the College of Education.
Chad Rollins
Rollins is a facility manager and pharmacy director at HealthDirect Pharmacy Services in Ozark, where he was worked since 2002.
The business was formerly known as Family Pharmacy, which was started in 1977 by Lynn Morris, a Republican who served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2013 to 2020.
He and wife Morgan have seven children, all of whom have been enrolled in Springfield schools. He also attended and graduated from district schools.
"I want to contribute my services to make sure our kids have a good learning environment and that the schools have what they need to be able to do that they need to do for them," Rollins told the News-Leader.
In a Nov. 3 video on Facebook, Rollins asked for volunteers to help him gather signatures for the candidate petition. He said his goal in running is to "make sure that our youth have a good environment for successful learning."
Rollins, 45, qualified and competed in the 14th season of American Ninja Warrior. "My run didn't get shown on NBC. It was possible but it didn't."
He is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
More:SPS board president Denise Fredrick 'not planning to run' again in April
How to run for school board
The paperwork needed to run for the Springfield school board can be picked up at the Kraft Administrative Center, 1359 E. St. Louis St.
Petitions must include the signatures of at least 500 registered voters who reside in the district.
Dec. 6 is the first day to submit paperwork and petitions. Candidates who file on that day participate in a random drawing to determine the order their names will appear on the ballot.
Those who file on a later date will appear in the order their petitions are received and validated by the board secretary.
The final day to file paperwork and petitions is Dec. 27. The election is April 4.
A board candidate orientation will take place at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Kraft Administrative Center.
Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Tips and story ideas can be sent to criley@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Pharmacist, former SPS principal consider run for school board
