Willard school board candidates share stance on book ban efforts
In Willard, the topic of restricting and removing books has repeatedly surfaced at school board meetings starting in the fall as parents addressed the board and filed challenges.
A prominent civic leader called for a "full audit" of school libraries in late October. Board president Kip Baker urged parents to pressure Gov. Mike Parson to create a rating system for books, based on content, that is similar to what is in place for movies.
In late January, a parent notified the board of plans to formally challenge 23 books.
On April 4, six parents with children enrolled in Willard Public Schools will vie for three open seats on the board.
Those elected will likely have to deal with requests to remove or restrict access to books in school libraries — along with other pressing issues including enrollment growth, school safety, and recruiting and retaining the best staff in a competitive hiring environment.
There is only one incumbent on the April 4 ballot, ensuring at least two new members will be sworn in. Board member Jason Dixon is seeking a second term.
Board members Ron Crighton and Devon Jarvis, first elected in 2013, are not running again. Crighton, first elected in 2005, is the longest serving member of the current governing board.
Candidate positions on book bans
The News-Leader recently asked candidates Sutton Berry, Lacee Blunt, Wesley Burrell, Jason Dixon, Curtis Martin and Eric L. Wilkins to answer a set of questions, including under what circumstances they'd vote to restrict or remove a book from a school library.
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Here is how each chose to answer the question:
Berry said books can provide entertainment and help students improve their reading and writing skills, use their imagination, and gain different perspectives.
"I know some books may cross the line for parents due to moral beliefs or what is deemed acceptable or not acceptable because of diverse family settings," Berry said. "Before voting to restrict or remove a book, I would want to fully understand the context of the implied situation, and then I would review the context and determine if it was beneficial to be on the shelves of a public school library."
Berry added: "Ultimately, I believe that any book on the restricted book list must have parental consent before it can be checked out."
Blunt did not answer the question directly but wrote: "These are complex issues that require a lot of attention as does every vote a school board member makes. I would like us, as a district, to find a balance and work together to move forward while not losing focus on what matters: our children."
Burrell said the district has "great, competent, and caring" librarians and staff.
"We need to trust them. It is the board's job to ensure there is a policy and process in place and let the process play out and move forward. If our staff feel a book needs board input, then the board has a direct policy in place for review," he said. "It is very important that each side is heard in regards to any item."
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Dixon, who has been on the board for nearly three years, has weighed in on the issue during meetings.
He said: "I would vote to remove content or curriculum that is unnecessarily graphic or explicit in nature sexually. Age appropriate educational content for our students is the goal, while parents have the ability to supplement other content outside of the school setting as they chose."
Martin said books with "sexually explicit content and excessively vulgar language have no place in our school libraries."
"Most kids these days have the world in the palm of their hand — their phone — so it would be naïve to think they cannot access this content elsewhere, but I do not feel we should spend the taxpayers’ dollars on these types of books," he said.
Wilkins said he'd vote to remove or restrict books "when I feel it does more harm than good to children/youth and our school system."
Here is a deeper look at each of the six candidates:
Sutton Berry
Berry, project manager at a manufacturing company, grew up in Willard. He attended South Elementary and both the middle school and high school. He was involved in sports, choir, industrial arts and other activities.
He has two daughters in the middle and high schools.
"I have a huge amount of pride for our school. I am a Tiger," Berry said.
"It also helps that I come from a family of current and retired educators and have children attending both the middle school and high school. I have a passion and desire to help the students in our community."
If elected, his top priority is to help the district be "best-in-class when it comes to education, teacher retention, facilities, and community involvement. I believe in quality public education."
"My goal is to be a voice for our students, teachers, staff, schools, and community," he said. "If elected, as a board member I will serve the educational needs of all students in the district to enhance and enrich what goes on in the classroom. I will work with parents and district personnel, along with other board members to be partners in success."
Berry described teachers and staff, and the long-lasting impact they have on students, as the district's greatest strength.
"Many may not know that Willard has one of the highest graduation rates in the area and above the state averages according to DESE. This is a solid example of the dedication and commitment our teachers and staff have put into their students’ success," he said.
He said inflation and limited state funding are among the district's greatest challenges.
"With COVID relief funds set to expire in a couple years, the district must have solid plans in place to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our students, retain and recruit teachers, keep class sizes to an acceptable level, and continue with facility improvements, which support all aspects of a quality public education," he said.
Berry added: "We must work as a team to create a vision for the district, collaborate with others and be respectful of others’ viewpoints, ultimately advocating for the value of a strong public education system."
Lacee Blunt
Blunt, who works as a substitute teacher in Willard, grew up in the city and graduated from the high school. She has children enrolled in the district.
She has a degree in sports administration from Missouri State University and an active member and volunteer with the Junior League.
Blunt said she has considered running for the board for several years. "As a former Willard school employee and a current substitute teacher, it is the right time. With my experience, I have a well-rounded view of how the decisions made affect the district from the top down."
If elected, her top priority is safe schools. "I want to see policies put in place and physical structures secured to confidently say we are one of the safest districts in southwest Missouri."
"I've spent more time in our facilities and with our staff and students in the last three years than all other candidates combined," she said. "I understand the workings, the frustrations, the vision, and I'm excited for this opportunity to help mold the future."
Blunt said the district has a "long-standing reputation for retaining their graduates in the community because they want their kids to be a Willard Tiger" and she considers that one of its greatest strengths.
She described "technology, social media, and OpenAI" as the district's top challenge.
"Schools across the nation are trying to understand the place these technologies have in the classroom while not letting them become a distraction," she said.
Blunt said she welcomes "open conversations with any constituent about the things that matter to them and issues they wish to see addressed."
Wesley Burrell
Burrell, a financial advisor, grew up in Willard and graduated from the high school in 2008. He attended Willard South, Willard Central, and the middle and high schools.
He has one son, a first-grader in the district.
Burrell said he was motivated to run to "support my community. I was raised in Willard and I chose to raise my family here. It’s important to help build a sustainable and relevant public education community."
If elected, he wants to help Willard navigate the "financial direction of our district in an ever-changing environment."
"We have some fantastic people in place, but need to protect our future by developing a long-term plan for education, finances, and building maintenance," Burrell said. "I feel far too often people run for school board with an agenda to accomplish. The key to the position is an open mind that allows for conversation to occur."
Asked the greatest strength of the district, he said the community has the reputation of a "small town feel with big town opportunities."
"It has had that reputation for decades and I don’t feel that needs to change. I want to continue to provide the best opportunities for our students to be life ready, while preparing our district for a secure financial future."
He said a "skewed perspective of the true purpose or role of the Board of Education" is a major challenge facing the district.
Burrell said the role, according to the Missouri School Boards Association, is to "clarify district purpose, connect with the community, employ a competent superintendent, delegate authority to the competent superintendent, monitor performance of the district, and take responsibility for the board itself through policy."
He has served as a board member and president of Willard Children’s Charitable Foundation in recent years.
"This experience helped me to better understand the needs of our students and staff. As a financial advisor, I’m well versed in analyzing budgets and understanding the financial environment," he said. "I have learned through life not all people view things equally and many times we can make ourselves better by listening to all sides and then making a decision."
Jason Dixon
Dixon works in freight service for a railroad and was raised in Marionville, graduating from Seneca High School in 1990. His family moved to Willard in 2003.
He has two children, a Willard High School graduate and an eighth grader. "We are staunchly proud to be Willard Tigers and love the family culture of our district," he said.
Dixon, first elected in 2020, is seeking another term on the board. He is running again because he has "more to give."
He said the district is full of employees who "put in long hours working to educate our children."
"I look forward to the opportunity to serve those teachers and employees on behalf of our parents and families of the district," he said. "I know that together we can solve our challenges and build on our strengths to give our community the school system that it can be proud of."
If re-elected, Dixon said he will work to keep improving "communication and direction between the district and our families (and) patrons." He plans to promote the district's vision while "giving a voice to both our educators and families."
"One thing we do exceptionally well is prepare our students for the real world after graduation," Dixon said, when asked about the district's greatest strength.
"Our greatest challenge in the future will be attracting and retaining high quality educators as the numbers in our industry are declining rapidly," Dixon said. "I am confident that Willard families will continue to support quality education through a strong culture, good compensation, and improved facilities."
Dixon said he was raised by two educators who taught and coached. He is married to a teacher and coached for six years. "I have an in-depth understanding for the heart/calling of both our teachers and our parents in the district."
Curtis Martin
Martin, production manager for a grass seed company, grew up in Ozark and graduated from Ozark High School. He moved to the Willard area in 2012.
He and his wife have two daughters in Willard schools, a seventh-grader and a high school freshman.
Martin said he was motivated to run for the board because of his belief that "kids should be able to attend public school and receive the type of education" that districts were designed to provide.
"I support educational paths that are free from the political and sexual agendas that are being forced upon many school districts today," he said. "My goal would be to use my voice/input to promote and uphold the conservative values within the school district and community."
Martin said Willard schools have "strong leadership to guide the district forward" and believes the district is "working aggressively to address safety issues within the schools."
He said finding and retaining quality staff is the district's biggest challenge and acknowledged it is a challenge many businesses are facing right now.
"I have worked in all aspects of management over the last 20 years. From dealing directly with consumers to the manufacturing process, my experiences have allowed me to lead and work with all types of people. I also understand how businesses operate at all levels," Martin said.
"I believe this experience of working with people and managing business matters will play a big part in my decision-making as a school board member."
Eric L. Wilkins
Wilkins, branch manager for a company that offers sales to tourist destinations, grew up in the Willard area on a farm near Morrisville. He went to school in the Marion C. Early district and then moved away after graduation. He has lived in Willard for six years.
He has six children and the youngest three are still enrolled. He comes from a large family with a lot of nieces and nephews who attend or have graduated from the Willard district.
His name is similar to the Willard superintendent, Eric Wilken.
Wilkins said he was motivated to run because of the number of openings this year, especially with two incumbents not running. "I want to help keep Willard Schools great and try and serve where I can and thought this was a great way."
"I was born in an amazing family that taught me by example how to be kind, work hard, speak up, love God, serve others and find ways to do a little better each day. I have been, it seems, in some form of leadership from an early age in life. I served as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America and was a leader among youth at church as early as 12 years of age," he said. "This has helped set a foundation of being able to recognize problems and then creatively work with others to find solutions to these problems."
If elected, his top priority is to make sure Willard schools are "a great environment for children and youth to learn and grow and continue to improve on the great foundation that we have."
He said Willard teachers and staff are the greatest strength of the district. He said they "care about the school and students."
The biggest challenge, Wilkins said, is "finding ways to retain our awesome staff and find new. We need to come up with some creative ways to continue to keep Willard a desirable place to be."
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: Six Willard parents vying for positions on school board
