The Cole County Republican Club had two questions for the four candidates running a seat on the Jefferson City Public Schools' Board of Education.
Incumbent board members Michael Couty and Pam Murray - each with one term of experience on the school board - face challengers Ken Enloe and Lindsey Rowden for two available seats on April 3.
After candidates were given the opportunity to introduce themselves and review their platforms for the small crowd inside the Cole County Sheriff's Department Training Room, the first question asked by local Republican Club President Greg Rollins was about the role of the board in running the district: "Do you interpret a seat on the school board as one that sets policy for the superintendent to enforce, or as one that supports the office of the superintendent?"
"We set the policy for the superintendent and then he will then develop procedures in carrying that out, then come back to the board" with the results, Couty answered first. "It's not the board's responsibility to run the district, but it's to set the policy for (the superintendent), with his team, to put those procedures in place," he said.
Rowden outlined her vision of three responsibilities for the board: to hire a strong superintendent - "which I think we've done a really good job of that" - establish a budget and help set policy. "I would hope that a good superintendent is also bringing us policy ideas. The administration is definitely the expert; we're just there to help make those decisions," she said.
Enloe said the superintendent is accountable to the board for delivering on procedures' desired outcomes, but he added the best relationship between the board and superintendent is a collaborative and constructive kind - not a "contentious conflict environment." He said, though, "That doesn't mean that the board rubber stamps. It doesn't mean that the board is a 'yes man' to anyone."
Murray said the board sets policy for the district, including direction, strategic planning and the budget. "The superintendent is hired to run the district and manage the district on a day-to-day basis. The superintendent and the board together make up the governance team, and that governance team functions best when everybody supports each other - not just the board supporting the superintendent, but the superintendent supporting all the board members, and respecting the policies and the decisions that they have made," she said.
Rollings said the Republican Club's second question was the most requested for the candidates to answer from a survey the club sent out: "What is your position on allowing public school staff to receive proper, certified training allowing them to conceal and carry for on site (possession of a firearm)?"
Rowden began her answer acknowledging she owns a gun, and said "with all the things that are going on in national news right now, we clearly are not doing something right to protect the students in a building. I think that we're missing something. Now, do I think that arming teachers is the answer? I don't know.
"I don't think that making that a mandatory requirement for anybody is fair. I said before, teachers went to school to teach kids, not to carry a gun and protect the kids. Now, if they wanted to do so, I think that that's a discussion that maybe we can have," she added.
On the same topic, Enloe said: "I think that discussion has to be part of a larger discussion." He cautioned against quick-fix solutions, "and I don't believe there is one in this circumstance."
He said he's already spoken with Superintendent Larry Linthacum about his recommendation that "we have a comprehensive conversation of all the stakeholders in this issue," including all local law enforcement with jurisdiction over any of the district's buildings. He said conversations he's had with members of law enforcement have led him to believe people need advanced training in order to effectively and safely respond to an act of school violence - and concealed carry training is not enough in that regard.
Murray said she received concealed carry training in another state 20 years ago, and "I am absolutely not qualified to handle an active shooter situation."
"Maybe it's the right decision in the future, but at this point in time, we are not there and we are not ready," she said, citing numerous liability, procedural and response issues that arise from arming teachers.
"Jeff City, we have a very good system with our SROs," Couty - also not a proponent of arming teachers - said, though he added perhaps the district could look into expanding the number of school resource officers it has dedicated to its elementary buildings. He said the district already also has good resources in place to prevent intruders from entering buildings and to respond if they do get in.