Five of seven candidates for the Trenton R-9 Board of Education answered questions during a forum in the Trenton High School Commons on March 18th. Mindy Walker with the Missouri State Teachers Association moderated the event.
Candidates first introduced themselves, explained why they were running for the two open positions, and shared their qualifications.
Melissa King said she felt like the school board was something she could commit to.
King explained that in the last year she has come to appreciate living in Trenton, and she is grateful for the work Trenton R-9 has done. However, there is always room for improvement.
She wants to build leaders who will want to stay in Trenton.
King believes her life experiences could lend insight. She has experience with human resources, owns and manages two companies, is a pharmacist, is involved in the community, and has received a high school and college education. She is open to learning more.
Emily Lasley shared that her family moved to Trenton from Iowa about eight years ago. She made the decision to stay home with her children, but she has been involved with the Parent Teacher Organization at Rissler Elementary School. She has also been a substitute at the preschool and Rissler.
Lasley said there are a lot of positives for Trenton R-9, but there are things that could be done to make it better. She wants to know why so many teachers leave at the end of each school year.
Lasley grew up in Vermont, attended Iowa State University, and has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree.
Bill Miller said does not think the public feels comfortable with coming to school board meetings.
Miller has been in Trenton since 1996 and has an insurance business in Trenton.
Joshua Shuler was raised in Jamesport and has traveled a lot for his work with the precision ag company, Trimble. Travel has allowed him to see things from different perspectives.
Shuler believes it is important to build leaders by giving students opportunities, in the classroom, in agriculture, and other areas, as young as possible. He also wants to have open access to board meetings, as he feels they are uninviting. He thinks board members should be able to ask hard questions regarding things like finances and turnover. Shuler noted he has a couple of associate’s degrees, a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree.
Michael Voorhies explained he has been in the community for 35 years, and his wife is a teacher. He has worked for ConAgra and Nestle for 13 years.
Voorhies said he sees a lot of struggle in the district and would like to see communication improve. He does not believe dramatic changes need to be made, though. By being on the board, he believes he could help teachers and other faculty members with getting their concerns heard.
Trenton R-9 Board of Education candidates Jeffrey Spencer and Shaun McCullough did not participate in the forum.
Moderator Mindy Walker noted one of the candidates who did not attend declined and another had to work. She did not specify which candidate was which.
Look for our next article in this series, when candidates will begin to answer questions submitted by the public
