All five candidates for Jefferson City School Board attended the News Tribune's forum Wednesday night to weigh in on interactions and partnerships with parents in education, school funding and budgeting, and student nutrition.
Five candidates are vying for three seats on the board in the April 4 election: Mike Harvey, Suzanne Luther, Scott Hovis, Brad Bates, and Tapiwa "Felix" Madondo.
The forum was moderated by News Tribune Editor Gary Castor.
Education objectives
Castor began by asking candidates what the primary objective of public education should be.
All five candidates agreed the focus should be providing children a good education that prepares them for success.
Yet they differed on where and how the district could improve in reaching that objective.
Hovis said the district has done a good job, particularly with its increased Advanced Placement offerings, but the district should never be satisfied.
Bates said the 90 percent graduation rate is a good sign, but it means 10 percent of students didn't make it.
"We may never have a 100 percent graduation rate, but that has to be our goal," he said. He said buildings like the Jefferson City Academic Center and Nichols Career Center make it possible to reach all kids and keep them engaged in school.
Madondo said he sees the college credits offered at JC Schools as a positive and wants to see increased investments in Nichols.
Harvey said it's important that the district put as much attention as possible toward staff and faculty to help students early on.
Building off of other answers, Luther said, "The trend behind all of this is the district as a whole has been somewhat ready to adapt -- like what does this next generation need that maybe this generation didn't? And I think that shows up with the extra programs we have coming out of the Nichols Career Center."
A parent's role
Castor asked candidates what a parent's role in education should be and how it fits with the district's role.
Bates said that ideally, parents would be able to continue learning at home by helping children with homework, but not every home is the same. He said the more involved parents are, the better schools are, but teachers often step in as role models, guidance counselors and disciplinarians.
Madondo said parent involvement is essential.
"It's as simple as, check grades, show up to parent teacher conferences, that kind of stuff," he said.
When your child gets in trouble, they should see consistency and follow-up at home, he added.
Harvey said parents must train their children early to be polite and obey rules, and if they don't, "all those wasted years" will be reflected in the student's treatment of staff and faculty. He said the job of teachers is not to babysit, but to teach.
Luther said it would be ideal to have every parent participate, but regardless, it is the district's job to make sure every child thrives.
Hovis said it is great to see parent participation, but it's vital to have quality teachers.
"Growing up with two parents who were teachers, one who was a coach as well, and a mom who was a guidance counselor, I saw how they ... ended up being parents to these kids a lot," he said.
Dealing with disagreements
Castor asked candidates about how they would deal with points of contention with the community over policies or curriculum, and what factors should drive a board's decisions in those areas.
Madondo said politics have been inserted into schools. He said the board should decide based on what makes a child a better future citizen.
Harvey said parents should have a say in how their children are educated, and the board has been voted in place by the public.
"But I still feel that the parents should be able to have a conversation with the board and all sides should be looked at and discussed and decide, are we right, or are they right, or are the parents right, and what can we do to resolve the problem? Is there somewhere in the middle we can meet?" he said.
Said Luther: "So the key there, I think, to making sure that parents are happy with that curriculum is communication, and if a parent is upset with what the state of Missouri has determined needs to be taught at that point, then there are other outlets to make it known that they disagree with that.
There are also existing avenues to address an issue such as talking to a teacher or bringing in an administrator, she added. She said parents should not determine curriculum because education must be consistent for all kids.
Hovis said the board should hold the superintendent and staff accountable on educating according to the standards. He said civil communication is essential.
Bates said transparency and communication helps "lower the temperature" to enable conversations. He said the board has made strides such as deciding to broadcast the board meetings.
Taxes for schools
Castor asked whether people without children in the district and/or people over 65 years old should pay taxes to support public schools, and if not, how they would propose funding schools.
All candidates said that they should pay taxes to support schools.
"I'm over 65, and I have no children in the district, and I pay taxes," Harvey said.
"I think it's our responsibility," he added.
Luther said public schools must be funded for a thriving community.
Hovis agreed, saying that questions about schools are among the top questions real estate agents get when people are moving to town. He said schools drive growth in the town.
Bates said people will leave a community that doesn't have a vibrant school system.
"Somebody else invested in you, so why not invest in somebody else?" Madondo said.
Budgeting
Candidates were asked how they would prioritize budget allocations.
Luther said she would like to see an emphasis on teachers, staff and paraprofessionals.
Hovis said he wants to see raises for teachers and said the April 4 bond issue could allow that.
Bates said he wants dollars to benefit staff and children and cited the Career Ladder program as a good investment.
Madondo said paying teachers well is a top priority, and he'd like to see investments in early childhood and programs that prepare students for their post-secondary paths.
Harvey said he had to deal with many budgets as a councilman, and a budget should always start with personnel.
"You can't get cheap when it comes to your staff," he said.
Healthy food
Castor asked candidates about ensuring student access to healthy food.
Hovis said the buddy pack program is a great resource, along with a giving community.
Bates said the district has partnered with the food bank to provide food for kids on the weekend and that the district should educate students on nutrition.
Madondo also cited food banks and pantries as options to help.
Harvey said the buddy pack program helps, and nutrition education is important for students and parents.
Luther said she's been impressed with programs that show students how to grow food and help them connect with responsibilities for the food they're eating.
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Archived video of the forum is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymQd_2Ssy-Q.