Seven candidates seek open seats on Jefferson City Board of Education
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Voters will send three brand new members to the Jefferson City Schools Board of Education in the April 7 election.
Those candidates will replace outgoing members Brad Bates, Scott Hovis and Suzanne Luther. A majority of the board will have less than a year of experience running the district -- board member Carlos Graham replaced president Erika Leonard in January when she stepped down.
Click on a candidate's name to view his or her interview.
Griffin has lived in Jefferson City for the last 16 years. She is the assistant director of school counseling services at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in the Office of College and Career Readiness. She said her background in mental health work could help the district better address those problems within schools.
"I think that there's a lot of resources out there for mental health that maybe the Jefferson City School District could benefit from," Griffin said. "And with working for the state department, we're able to see at a broader lens what the district might need or resources that the district might be missing, and I think that me being elected on board, I'll be able to give some perspective or provide some insight on what issues might be concerning within our school district."
Vallandingham is a medical sales representative in Jefferson City. He grew up in Jefferson City and graduated from the Jefferson City school system. He said the departure of three board members this year inspired him to step up and run for one of the spots.
Vallandingham said teacher retention was one of the most pressing issues for the district. He said his parents' and wife's careers as educators in Jefferson City Schools showed him directly what support employees and staff need.
"I know firsthand through my parents, through my wife that the work doesn't stop when you leave school," Vallandingham said. "You bring a lot of baggage home with you. You have kids that are struggling to meet basic needs at home, so a lot of times, teachers become that support that they get during the day. There's a lot of that, there's a lot of teachers that deal with that kind of stress on a day-to-day basis while they're trying to deliver great education."
Towner owns Towner Communications and is a longtime resident of Jefferson City, graduating from Jefferson City High School in 1999. Towner has served on several volunteer boards and commissions, including the United Way's Fund Allocation Committee and Nichols Career Center Advisory Board. He said his experience in those service roles will help him navigate things like the school budget.
Towner said he's heard funding and transportation are big issues facing the district, and he hopes the public will come to him, the board and administration with their problems so they can help fix them.
"I'd like for parents and teachers to bring those items and issues to the school board, to the administration, and then have us help work on those issues," Towner said. "I'm not trying to come in with any big set agenda that, you know, I want to get things done. I always want to help solve problems as they come up, and I think my experience being involved in various other advisory panels and with the United Way facilitates that for me."
Scheperle is a former Cole County commissioner and is a lifelong resident of Jefferson City. He owns a construction company and ran the city's yard waste site for 12 years. Scheperle said student attendance is one of the biggest issues facing the district, and said the district may need to find creative ways to encourage or get kids from home to school.
"Whether you're going to school or whether you're going to work, you have to show up," Scheperle said. "That's the biggest challenge, just getting people to show up and be on time and do those little things and, you know, being responsible starts at school."
Rodemeyer is a retired CPA and Holts Summit resident. While living in the Jefferson City area most of her life, she has been in Holts Summit for the last 26 years. She said she hoped to bring the perspective of a Holts Summit resident to the board, who face unique challenges like transportation getting to school.
Rodemeyer said teacher retention, transportation and use of artificial intelligence are some of the biggest issues she's interested in exploring if elected.
"When the Internet came in, you had to make sure that it was being used correctly and that it was safe for the students," Rodemeyer said. "And so I think we just need to look at it that way. It's not something that's going away, so we need to teach them to use it well and make sure they're safe when they do it and have policies in place for that."
Duckworth is a human resources director for the state and a 16-year resident of Jefferson City. She said she hoped to bring more transparency to the district when it comes to funding for different schools.
"From talking to teachers and staff, there's concerns about transparency and money being spread equally across the district," Duckworth said. "As a newcomer, I don't have all the details. I don't know all the answers, but I do have a listening ear, and I want to help with those things that are concerns to the community and to our staff."
James Kindred
Kindred did not confirm a time for an interview with ABC 17 News.
