The Blair Oaks R-2 school district has five candidates running for two available seats on the Board of Education, and while each candidate brings different personal and professional experiences, most, if not all, agree the district is on a good path.
The News Tribune held a Blair Oaks school board candidate forum at Blair Oaks Middle School on Tuesday night. All five candidates were in attendance: incumbents Jason Paulsmeyer and Mark Brandt and newcomers Calvin Wilbers, Dale Verslues and Tim Luebbering.
The candidates were asked questions about what they could bring to the school board as new members or continue to provide as incumbents.
Verslues said he'd like to think it would be possible for him to help continue to "keep everything going strong" in the district. He added while it's difficult to improve upon all the success the district has had, his experiences - in union carpentry and construction work - might be useful if voters approve April 2 ballot propositions that ask whether the district should pay for the construction of the first phase of new high school through a $14 million bond issue and a 30-cent increase to the district's operating levy.
Four of the men said they would support the two ballot propositions; Wilbers said he was for a new high school, but was undecided on the bond issue question because he wanted to know more about whether construction could be done in one phase instead of the proposed two.
Wilbers, 29, said as a board member, his age would be an asset that allows him to communicate issues and concerns with members of his generation who are having children who would be attending the district's facilities.
Luebbering said the current board is not lacking anything, but he could draw upon his experiences with working for Fatima Schools, where he serves as the human resources manager.
"Those experiences can help me better understand what goes on here and maybe share the wealth, so to speak. And hopefully I can improve both school districts by seeing what we do better, and what they do better," he said.
Paulsmeyer noted he's the only attorney on the board, and his legal background helps with matters in employment and Sunshine Law. He added he thinks he's also the only current board member with a child in elementary school, "so I think that gives me more opportunity to interact on a day-to-day basis with our elementary staff and see what goes on in that building from a parent perspective."
Brandt said he doesn't know if he particularly offers anything special; "I think every candidate up here would do a fine job on the board" and sustain the unity the board has.
He added his children transfered into the district, and he would want to maintain the welcoming atmosphere he and his family experienced in that process.
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Watch the archived video of Blair Oaks Superintendent Jim Jones explaining the bond issue and levy increase on the ballot on the News Tribune's YouTube channel here (at the beginning of the video).
Watch the archived video of the five candidates answering questions about school issues on the News Tribune's YouTube channel here (at the 59:50 mark in the video).