As the April 6 election approaches, the Blair Oaks R-2 Board of Education candidates discussed their priorities - including student safety, technology and facility needs - at the News Tribune's virtual forum Thursday.
Incumbents Tim Luebbering and Dale Verslues, as well as challenger Logan Gratz, are vying for two available seats on the April 6 ballot.
The first phase of construction of the new Blair Oaks High School is planned to be done by August, in time for the 2021-22 school year.
The new high school will accommodate grades 9-12. Grades 6-8 will move to the current high school, grades 3-5 will move to the current middle school building, and grades K-2 will stay in the elementary school building.
Gratz said one of the district's current needs is a new playground at the current middle school, which will be re-named Blair Oaks Intermediate School when the new high school opens.
He also said the district will need to consider ways to improve safety on the road between the new high school and the rest of the schools. The new high school is on Falcon Lane in Wardsville, across the street from the current middle school.
Keeping up with ever-changing technology is another important need, Gratz said.
"Always making sure that we can keep up with technology is something I think is really important - especially after 2020 - making sure that our teachers and our students and our administration have the best technological resources available to them," he said.
Verslues said technology is important to him as well, but his top priority is student safety. He said the board needs to ensure the district has an effective plan for student safety on campus.
"I would say the biggest concern for the next few years is going to be traffic, moving students building to building and making sure their safety is all in line," he said.
Verslues said the district needs to consider adding an athletic area next to the new high school after it's complete to prevent students from traveling from place to place, and the district will also eventually need to renovate the older buildings to ensure they're up to code and ADA accessible.
"We're going to have to do some work on the older buildings - get them up-to-date and make sure they meet all the qualifications," he said.
Luebbering also said safety is important to him. He said the board will have to consider if another school resource officer is necessary with the addition of the new high school.
While he doesn't foresee any large-scale construction projects anytime soon, he said, there's always more additions the district can strive for through fundraising.
Luebbering said one of his goals as a board member is to use tax dollars as responsibly as possible.
"We have to make sure we do our due diligence and get what we can for every dollar that we receive from a taxpayer," he said.
He also said keeping up with technology is an important need.
"Our administration and teachers did a wonderful job during COVID, but that can be improved on," he said. "We learned a lot over the last year on how that'll work."