Potential SPS school board candidate said lack of support for LGBTQ students inspired run

Charity Jordan Rex said it was inaction on the part of the Springfield school board that inspired her to run for a seat on the governing body.

She wanted the board to issue a statement of support for LGBTQ students and employees.

For nearly a year, parents and LGBTQ advocates demanded a statement. Board member Shurita Thomas-Tate called for a vote in late June but the motion died for lack of a second.

There was no vote and no statement.

"Issuing a statement of support, it is not a policy change, it doesn't obligate you to anything. It is just lip service, essentially. It is the literal least that someone can do to show support for someone else," said Jordan Rex, a prevention education coordinator at Harmony House.

"I watched that meeting online, watched the students and parents come up and share their stories and they are emotional they're talking about how they're being harmed — and I know that because I know what is happening in our community — I don't know how you could not want to even pay lip service to that. It is the literal least and if you can't do the literal least then why are you on the school board? If you can't advocate for those young people."

Eight people have picked up a packet to run for the board including three incumbents, two candidates who were on the ballot in 2023 and three first-time candidates, including Jordan Rex.

She grew up near Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Springfield more than 20 years ago to enroll at Evangel University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in English language arts. "I've been here ever since."

Her original goal was to be a classroom teacher and she worked as a substitute and paraprofessional before getting hired to teach in a neighboring district. After one year, she decided it was not her calling.

Jordan Rex pivoted and spent 19 years as a youth librarian in the Springfield-Greene County Library District. "It was a perfect fit."

"In between working for SPS, as I did way back in the day when I was finishing my degree and immediately after, and my work with the library, I have been in almost every school in the district," she said.

"I have worked with thousands of kids and families in this community over the last 19-20 years. That gives me really good experience to understand what the needs are for staff and students and be able to advocate ... and make sure they have the resources they need to be successful."

In her role at Harmony House, which provides shelter for victims of domestic violence, she still works with children and teenagers. She is invited to visit youth programs to talk about healthy relationships and staying safe online.

She is married and has two stepchildren who attend school in a neighboring district.

"I have built a life here. I feel like it has taken me a long time but I have finally found my people in this community. It has been really exciting to see Springfield grow and become more diverse in the years that I've been here because it was not always visibly evident," she said.

Jordan Rex said she has considered running for public office in recent years and wants to make a difference.

"I felt a call to at least attempt this, to throw my hat in the ring. Seeing what is happening around the country with libraries and school districts, that became more of a concern," she said. "Really, the moment I thought 'OK, I think I want to run for school board' was the meeting where they were deciding whether or not to put out the statement of support."

She added: "I've honestly kind of been troubled by some of the decisions that have been made. I said 'OK, the school board needs people that both understand what these young people are going through and they understand what is happening in schools.'"

Jordan Rex said during her interactions with young people, she has seen the "detrimental" impact of "not having the support they needed from the adults in their lives."

More: Springfield school board will fill 3 seats in April. How many incumbents will run again?

She said at Harmony House, she sees the difference it can make when a vulnerable young person gets support. "It can be a life-saver, literally."

Three spots on the school board will be decided April 2. The seven-member board sets policy, approves a spending plan, and hires and evaluates the superintendent.

Potential candidates can drop off petition packets starting Dec. 5. The final day is Dec. 26. Seven others have picked up a packet to run for school board. They include:

• Incumbent Scott Crise is the manager of gas plant operations at Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. He is currently school board vice president;

• Incumbent Danielle Kincaid, a partner at Elder Law Group, currently serves as school board president;

• Landon McCarter, CEO and co-founder of Secure Agent Marketing, is an entrepreneur who unsuccessfully ran for school board in April 2023;

• Incumbent Maryam Mohammadkhani, a retired pathologist at CoxHealth, is former board vice president;

• Susan Everett Provance, retired teacher and coach who worked for SPS and the park board;

• Chad Rollins, a pharmacist and facility director for Healthdirect in Ozark, unsuccessfully ran for the school board in April 2023;

• Kyler Sherman-Wilkins is an associate professor of sociology at Missouri State University.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Lack of support for LGBTQ students inspires SPS board hopeful to run