Board candidates speak at Chamber forum

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — School board candidates voiced their opinions on subjects ranging from a move to two high schools to improving school attendance at a St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce forum on Wednesday morning.

All six candidates were in attendance and answered questions about important topics affecting the St. Joseph School District.

A hot topic during the forum was candidates’ views on support for SJSD’s long-range plan and Proposition 2.

“We definitely need the change. And we all know that our our school district needs an uplift, a facelift I would say,” said Jennifer Kerns, a board candidate. “So whatever’s going to move this district forward is what I support.”

Kim Miller said the long-range plan provides a path for the board.

“I do like that there is a plan to follow because it gives us goals to reach,” Miller said. “And some of that has to be determined ahead of time. Some of that can be tweaked as it moves along.”

Brian Kirk and Cassandra Veale both said they support the district’s long-range plan and Prop 2.

Candidate James Mrkvicka said while he supports the long-range plan, he is hesitant to vote yes on Prop 2 due to the financial effect it will have on fixed-income taxpayers.

Kenneth Reeder said the long-range plan is misguided, but he would support one new high school as long as Benton and Lafayette high schools were left alone.

Two high school model and middle school structures

As the district looks to move to a two-high school model, four of the candidates supported the right-sizing.

Reeder was the only candidate in complete opposition to two high schools.

“Our town could handle three schools. There’s nothing wrong with a school, a high school that’s 700 to 800 kids,” he said. “You know, all those in this state that are 700, 800 outperform all the big schools every single time.”

Mrkvicka said he understands both views.

“I am very fond of the three-high school model, but realistically speaking, you know, there’s a lot of empty seats in some of these schools,” said Mrkvicka. “And so it only makes sense to try to consolidate.”

When it comes to the middle school model of potentially moving sixth through eighth graders to the four middle schools, Miller and Kirk said they support the three grades being grouped together.

Kerns, Veale and Mrkvicka said the district would need to look at boundaries in St. Joseph, be consistent with whatever model would best suit the community and maximize building resources.

Increases to academic scores and attendance

As the district works to increase its academic scores and attendance rates, candidates shared their views on ways they think would help the district see those successes.

A majority of candidates gave suggestions like investing more in the district’s early learning centers, fostering more parental and family engagement and providing more resources to teachers.

“I think one thing that we need to do is constantly continue to look at the data, look at where kids are out on their benchmarks,” Veale said. “Look at, you know, what we’re doing and what’s working correctly.”

In terms of parental involvement, Kirk mentioned the importance of family and community involvement to academic and attendance improvements.

“The classroom extends beyond the school building and into the home, and so we could be doing more in our community to educate parents, to support parents on how they are educators as well, and how they are also part of the school district, and then we will see academic success as well,” he said.

News-Press NOW will continue to provide information on School Board candidates and proposition two leading up to the April 8 general municipal election.