Each candidate for the Jefferson City School District Board of Education has similar views on the best solution for overcrowding - they liked the idea of adding fifth- and sixth-grade centers, but they don't know yet if it is the best solution.
The uncontested April 7 election has three candidates for three-year spots.
Incumbent Vice President Lori Massman filed for a second term as a board member, incumbent Treasurer Scott Hovis filed for a second term, and new candidate Brad Bates filed to run for a seat on the board.
In January, the Board of Education voted to put a proposal on the April 7 ballot to build two fifth- and sixth-grade centers to increase space in the elementary and middle school buildings at no tax increase.
After holding two town hall meetings asking for patrons' thoughts on the proposal, Superintendent Larry Linthacum announced the district was delaying its decision so officials could have more time to evaluate possible solutions to overcrowding in kindergarten through eighth grades.
Linthacum said he is confident he will have a plan to address overcrowding next year, and it could be on next year's April ballot.
Bates said he was supportive of the fifth- and sixth-grade center because it seems the most economical, but he believes there are probably many good solutions. He said the district should make a decision on a solution as soon as possible while still making sure they have enough information to make the right decision.
Bates said the district has many subjects to focus on, and academic success is the most important. However, he thinks the district should focus on finding a solution to overcrowding at the same time, and they should start working to find the best solution now.
"The sooner the better because you want as much input as you can get from people who have kids in the district and are seeing firsthand the issues it's facing," Bates said. "We're kind of all in this together."
Massman said she was supportive of the fifth- and sixth-grade center plan, but she now thinks they need to do more research to find the best solution. She said the district and community should be discussing this now, and the district should make a decision in the next two to three years.
"We need to find a solution that is best for all students and be good stewards to our stakeholders," Massman said. "Together, we can find the right solution."
Solving the overcrowding issue will help academic success, Massman said, because smaller class sizes are better for learning and teaching.
The Board of Education has asked Linthacum for a three- to five-year plan that will address the overcrowding issue.
"We can't rely on plans that were made four to five years ago, as our enrollment and needs change day to day," Massman said. "Moving forward, we need to find a solution that meets the needs of our community and the children we serve."
Hovis said this three- to five-year plan and the research is the most important step because it will allow the board to evaluate the best solution.
Hovis said he liked the fifth- and sixth-grade center idea because it would allow for a softer transition to middle school, but he is glad Linthacum decided to delay the decision.
"I'm thankful that we did decide to put the pause on it to get everything in order and re-evaluate and make sure that we are making the right decisions for everybody," he said.
Hovis added this should be an ongoing discussion, and he said the district should make a decision whenever it believes it has enough information to do so.
"It's about doing your due diligence and making sure that we're doing the right thing and taking your time to make the right decision for everyone involved," he said.
The district should work on finding a solution to overcrowding while continuing to improve aspects such as academic success and discipline, Hovis said.
"I think that we keep doing what we're doing, stay on our path of trying to get better, but at the same time look at what we can do to help alleviate the crowding problem," he said.