Williams retains board president seat

By Marcus Clem

A divided St. Joseph Board of Education reelected LaTonya Williams as its president on Monday, backing newcomer Mike Moore as vice president.

Williams, who won reelection as a board member on April 2, received support from Whitney Lanning, Rick Gehring and Mike Moore. She also voted for herself. Her nomination as president carried 4-3, over “no” votes from Kim Miller, Isaura Garcia and Ronda Chesney.

Moore and Chesney, the two board newcomers, went in different directions, with Moore as the deciding vote. Williams placed first in the elections two weeks ago, with Moore in second and Chesney in third.

“I think she has set a good precedent,” Moore said. “No doubt, we need to be more functional during our meetings. But, she knows that, and, you know, I know this about LaTonya: Nobody out-works her.”

In his bid to be vice president, Moore received support from all board members except Miller and Lanning. He and Chesney were sworn in for a three-year term alongside Williams immediately prior to the nomination of board officers.

Within the board, ideological divides and personal differences are likely to persist. Garcia remains explicitly at odds with Lanning, amid a lawsuit and misdemeanor allegation related to an incident on Feb. 26.

Board members appear to be inclined to agree on one thing: the need to raise taxes in order to support additional pay for teachers and staff. A vote on that matter is thought to be imminent. After which, voters will be able to approve or reject the tax increase on Aug. 6.

“It appears as if the support is already there,” Williams said. “All we have to do is just to move on and to make it a formality, and so I am really excited in order to be able to do that for our teachers.”

David Foster, who served from April 2021 until his term ended on Monday, received recognition for his contributions, including as board president from 2022 to 2023. During his service, Foster obtained a distinguished certification from the Missouri School Boards Association, which takes many hours of study and volunteerism to earn. Only nine other board members in the state have obtained it.

“Hopefully everything we do is ultimately for the betterment of our students,” Foster said. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. It’s been an honor to serve.”

Kenneth Reeder, who served alongside Foster as a member and as board vice president from 2023 until Monday, did not attend the meeting because of an illness.