School board hopefuls showcased at Thursday gathering

By Harry Loomis

Voters have the chance to hear where school board candidates stand on issues at a forum hosted Thursday by the League of Women Voters of Northwest Missouri.

All 10 candidates for the three open seats have been invited to the forum, which is open to the public. It takes place at 6 p.m. at the Rolling Hills Library Upper Story Room, 1912 N. Belt Highway.

Among the most pertinent topics of conversation is expected to be recent state legislation.

“There’s some debate about vouchers for using public tax dollars to allow people, children, to attend private schools,” said Michelle Mears, president of the League of Women Voters of Northwest Missouri. “I know there’s some issues about open enrollment where allowing children to go who live in one district to attend another district. And so I think those questions we probably would ask just to see if they’re up on what’s going on in the legislature.”

This isn’t the last forum the organization will have before the upcoming election, which is set for April 2.

“We do have a forum scheduled for Monday, March 4, where the superintendent of the St. Joe School District, Gabe Edgar, will be available in a public forum for voters to ask questions about the bond issue,” Mears said. “That particular thing is very specific and really only current school personnel can answer the questions about it.”

Being relatively new to the city, the organization feels it’s important to engage with the community, and events like Thursday’s forum help to do just that.

“We really feel that every citizen is should have the opportunity to participate in their community and to get informed and be an informed voter,” Mears said. “The way to do that is to have these events where people can ask questions and listen. We’re trying to find different ways to reach voters and make sure they have all the information they need to make an informed decision when they go to vote.”