kansascity star2011 03 30

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Friday, Apr 1, 2011

Posted on Wed, Mar. 30, 2011

The Star’s recommendations | Elect school boards th at can cut budgets, but not quality

While Kansas Citians will decide the fate of the 1 percent earnings tax on Tuesday, school board elections are on tap in Missouri and Kansas suburbs.

Most needed are leaders who can realistically deal with financial shortfalls without compromising educational quality. Our recommendations in selected contested races:

Blue Springs

A strong slate of candidates is running for the board of one of Missouri’s best-performing school districts. It has received a perfect score on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s annual performance report for nine consecutive years.

Although some well-qualified challengers are seeking to fill the three open seats, the incumbents up for re-election have earned new terms.

Voters should re-elect Dale Falck , a businessman seeking his second term; Dale Walkup , a businessman and veteran school board member; and James Coen , a retired teacher and experienced board member.

Other candidates are Rashid Makhdoom, Diane S. Voss and Ginger Duhon.

Grandview

The Grandview School District has made strides in student achievement recently, and needs a strong, focused school board to maintain its momentum. Nine candidates are on the ballot for three open seats.

Amber F. Woodrome has worked tirelessly since she was seated to fill a vacant position a year ago. She understands how good school boards work and deserves to be elected. Bob Stewart , a retired teacher in the district and executive director of the Missouri Middle School Association, is also a strong candidate. Paul N. Alexander has distinguished himself as a parent volunteer and has earned a spot on the board.

They are joined on the ballot by Barbara Polette, Ron E. Haley, Meagan Jackson, Larry Pulos, Chad Crosby and Patty Kramer. Haley and Jackson are not actively campaigning.

The Star also recommends that Grandview residents vote “yes” on the district’s request for a $7 million bond issue for remodeling and building maintenance.

The bond issue would not affect the district’s tax levy, and the money is badly needed. Many district buildings are 40 years old. Planned upgrades will result in a much more productive learning environment for students and teachers. The bond issue needs 57.1 percent of the vote to pass.

Hickman Mills

The Hickman Mills School District needs a fully engaged board to tackle the challenges of lagging student achievement and a threatened loss of accreditation. For that reason, we recommend some changes when voters choose among five candidates for three open seats.

Incumbent Debbie Aiman has been conscientious about seeking information from the administration and demanding transparency in board proceedings. She deserves re-election. Newcomer Shawn Kirkwood has a compelling personal story about the importance of a high-quality education and is running for all the right reasons. Dan Osman , an attorney for the city of Kansas City, would be a good addition to the board.

Others running are Bonnaye Mims, the current board president; and incumbent Breman Anderson Jr.

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Kansas City, Kan.

Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools are looking at more painful budget cuts, including layoffs. But the district also is buoyed by an upcoming partnership with Google’s new high-speed fiber project.

Fortunately, experienced and committed candidates for the school board’s four open seats are prepared to handle the highs and lows.

We recommend that voters re-elect the four incumbents on the ballot: longtime board President Gloria A. Willis , George Breidenthal , Brenda C. Jones and Richard J. Kaminski .

The newcomer on the ballot, Christal Watson, is a dynamic candidate. But the incumbents have the edge.

Lee’s Summit

In the wake of voters’ rejection of a levy increase to raise money for schools, the challenge for the Lee’s Summit school board is to deal with the new financial realities while upholding the high-quality education that is the district’s trademark.

To achieve that, we recommend that voters re-elect incumbents Jon R. Plaas and Jack Wiley . Although they disagree on some issues, notably teachers’ pay, they are knowledgeable and committed to the students. A good choice to join them is Christopher Storms , a parent who has served the district in multiple advisory roles.

Other candidates are Terri Harmon and Michael Smith.

Olathe

In the last decade, as the Olathe School District’s economically underprivileged population has almost doubled, its academic performance has improved. And the district began the decade at a level already above the state average. But the next school board faces intense challenges as state and federal funds plummet. Those elected must be ready to innovate. The Star recommends:

Position 1: Le Etta Felter. Her background in building truck and equipment dealerships from lean years to success gives her an understanding of budgets that will be invaluable. She recognizes there are no easy solutions but also the importance of district success to Olathe’s success. That obvious passion for the district will be vital in difficult years. She is running against Michele Lockwood.

Position 2: Rick Schier also brings needed budget expertise. He believes the challenge facing schools is that they will be required to provide more to students while getting less, and that the solution to this problem will determine the long-term health of Olathe. He is running against Lister Potter Jr.

Position 7 at large: Harlan C. Parker has been important in the last decade’s growth and improvement in Olathe schools and has earned another term. His experience and commitment will be crucial. He understands that the coming changes, whether increasing the local option budget or reducing programs, must reflect what district residents most want. He is running against R.W. “Duffer” Holm and Cynthia C. Daugherty.

Park Hill

In this high-achieving and well-run district, voters will decide the fate of a $49.5 million bond issue and select four school board members.

The Star recommends a “yes” vote on the bonds. They would not increase taxes, leaving Park Hill with the 10th lowest overall property tax levy among 12 area Missouri-side school districts. The money would be used for needed repairs to existing buildings, technology upgrades, added classroom space at several schools and a new elementary school.

Eight candidates are running for the three available three-year school board positions.

Impressive newcomer Michael Atchison is well informed about the district’s many accomplishments and its challenges. Newcomer Rick Turley would bring needed experience in financial matters. Incumbent Janice Bolin has been an effective leader on the board. Other candidates with strong qualifications are incumbent Pauli Kendrick and Boon Lee. Others on the ballot are Josh Blackman, Chris Seufert and Timothy Thompson.

Four candidates are running for the one, one-year term on the ballot.



Incumbent Fred Sanchez is the clear choice in this race, which also includes Todd Burr, David Cox and Victor McCance.

Raytown

The Raytown School District has benefited in recent years from a strong school board and professional administration. Voters can help maintain that standard by choosing three well-qualified candidates.

Incumbents Rick Moore , the current president, and Terry E. Landers , a retired educator and administrator, should be re-elected. Jerome Barnes , a recently retired labor relations specialist with a long record of community involvement, is an impressive newcomer.

Other candidates in the race are Lee Martin and Eric Teeman.

Recommendations in some school board races have appeared in previous editorials. A complete slate of The Star’s recommendations will appear online on Monday and in print on Tuesday. For more information on April 5 races, go to www.midwestdemocracyproject.org.

© 2011 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansascity.com



kansascity star2011 03 30

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