There are three candidates for two seats in the upcoming Prairie Home school board election.
Amanda Cantrell, 35 has lived in Prairie Home most of her life and is hoping her experience on the board will be helpful, if she is elected. Cantrell said the school is important for the community.
"As a past board member, I would appreciate the opportunity to use my knowledge, experiences, and perspectives to bring a well-rounded voice to the board. As a mother of three, I am very family-oriented. The school is a vital part of our community and I want to be active in the decision making process of our school board," Cantrell said.
She said a topic she would focus on is student success and how to help them achieve.
"I would like to focus on each student's success by creating meaningful progress toward college/career readiness and strengthening their learning environment," Cantrell said.
She said trust is another important topic when it comes to the school, the community, and the school board.
"I would like to create and maintain the trust of the students, teachers and the community in the decision-making process of the BOE," Cantrell said. "I would like for our students to reach their full potential, while attending and after graduating from Prairie Home School."
Rachel Lock, 42, said she is running because she also knows how important the school is to the community.
"As a parent and former teacher, the education of our children has always been important to me. After serving for the past three years as school board secretary, I have gained a greater understanding of the complexities of running a school district," Lock said. "I want to use this knowledge to continue working with other board members, administration, faculty, staff and the community to provide the best educational opportunities for our students."
Lock said funding for the school is an important topic. Lock also said she would like to see the school library open in the summer.
"Sufficient funding for school operations is always an issue," Lock said. "Our community passed a bond issue in April 2015. With that funding, we were able to make safety and technology improvements. Some of the projects we have completed are the installation of central air and heat, improved security at school entrances and in the classrooms, and the purchase of laptops for classroom use.
"I would also like to see the library offer access to students outside of the school day and during the summer."
Lock said she encourages the community to talk to the board and that she appreciates how welcoming the community is for the 16 years she and her family have lived there.
"The board's mission is to provide the best education possible for our students and help them grow into responsible, contributing adults," Lock said. "We value the input and support from parents and other community members, and always invite them to come to us with ideas and concerns."
Peggy Ann Eichen, 59, has been in Prairie Home for 28 years and she said she is running for one of the open seats, because of the impact the school has on the community.
"I think public schools are essential for the small rural communities," Eichen said. "Not only does it provide great education for the students. It is really the center of the community, the heart of the community, and our school has been a really good one.
"They have been doing really great things and are improving every year. I want to see that continue and help with that any way that I can."
Eichen said the school is performing well, but, like a lot of small schools, it faces issues in funding cuts. She also said continuing to add more science and computer classes would be helpful.
"They need to be able to help meet the needs of the students to compete in the modern world," Eichen said.
She said she would like to keep the programs the school already has, while adding more programs in computers. And she would want the school to help prepare the students for the future, no matter what they decide to do after they leave the school.
"I want to try to give all of them the things that will prepare them for their future goals," Eichen said.
Keeping the school strong for the community is something Eichen views as important.
"It is amazing to see how well supported our school is for ball games and everything like that," Eichen said. "People turn out who don't have any kids, who don't have any one related (in the school), just community members and I think that is great.
"And keeping the school strong, keeps the community strong. I work at the University of Missouri, so I've seen students come from a wide range of schools and backgrounds and I want to see our kids be able to compete here."