A Jefferson City attorney and former presiding commissioner of the Cole County Commission has announced his intention to run for a seat on the Jefferson City School District Board of Education.
Marc Ellinger, who will be seeking one of two openings on the board in the April 2022 election, said he has seen some progress in the district's test scores in the last several years, but he said much remains to be accomplished related to improving academic performance, finding a solution to disruptive behavior in classrooms, and ensuring students have access to quality programs and facilities.
"I am a proud graduate from the Jefferson City School District and want to do what I can to ensure our children have every tool they need to become successful," Ellinger said.
"Our children are our future and that our community cannot thrive and survive without a top-notch public school system. Economic growth is simply impossible without excellence in education, and we need the Jefferson City School District to be the gold standard in preparing our children for the future," he added.
Ellinger is a practicing attorney and is a founding partner of Ellinger and Associates. He has served as legal counsel for the Missouri auditor and has more than 29 years of legal experience.
He was Cole County presiding commissioner from 2007-14, and is chairman of the Cole County Bicentennial Committee, immediate past-chairman of the Board of Capitol Region Medical Center and chairman of the Senate Bipartisan Independent Citizens Commission.
Ellinger holds a law and accounting degree from the University of Missouri. He and his wife, Christine, are the parents of two sons, who are both graduates of Jefferson City High School.