Voters in the De Soto School District will decide whether to maintain the status quo in the April 4 election, when they will decide who will fill three seats on the Board of Election.
All three incumbents – Mark Ferrell, Gene Moses and Tarrole Milfeld – are running for new three-year terms. Moses is running for his sixth term while Ferrell and Milfeld are seeking their second.
Voters can decide to keep all three or to seat one or more new members – Timothy Martin, David Kite or Susan Liley.
The winners will serve three-year terms.
Martin and Kite did not return Leader candidate questionnaires.
FERRELL, 48, lives at 2055 S. Washington St., De Soto. He and his wife, Renee, have three children and one grandchild. He is a social services manager for the Missouri Department of Social Services. A 1986 graduate of De Soto High School, he has received an associate degree from Jefferson College and a bachelor’s degree from Anderson (Ind.) University. He has a leader in the Boy Scouts of America for 17 years and a worship pastor for the Community Church of God for 23 years. He has also been a Little League and YMCA coach.
His sister, Melanie Downs, is a teacher in the district. He was a substitute teacher in the district from 1988-1991.
MOSES, 83, lives at 916 W. Kelley St., De Soto. He and his wife, Margie, have a child and a grandchild. He is retired after serving 30 years as the pastor of the Community Church of God in De Soto. A De Soto High School graduate, he has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Anderson (Ind.) University. He is a member of De Soto Contact and the De Soto Food Pantry, the Rotary Club, the De Soto Ministerial Alliance and Cemetery Board. He was a member of the Park Board and Jefferson County Community Partnership.
His daughter, Cyndie, is a teacher in the district.
MILFELD, 59, lives at 14500 Hwy. 21, De Soto. She and her husband, Felix, have three children and three grandchildren. She retired in 2012 after teaching 30 years at Vineland Elementary School. She has an associate degree from Jefferson College, a bachelor’s degree from Maryville University and a master’s degree from Webster University, in addition to other coursework.
Her daughter, Morgan, is a special education teacher at the high school.
LILEY, 62, lives at 13923 Vineland Road, De Soto. She and her husband, Robert, have two children and four grandchildren. She is retired after working at Monsanto, National Super Market, the De Soto School District and Mercy Hospital Jefferson. She has attended college. She was the secretary of the Redeemer Lutheran Church Council for two terms. She is a founder of the Citizens Committee for Flood Relief, a member of the Joachim Creek Task Force and Joachim Clean Stream team, a volunteer for the Vineland Elementary Boosters Club and the Women’s Evangelical Association and helps with church services at a local nursing home.
She worked for the district for five years as a central purchasing agent in the central office and four years as a senior counselor secretary before leaving to care for her family.
What are the biggest problems facing the school district and how would you address them?
Ferrell: Continuing to improve our test scores. We have made great strides and will continue to do so by hiring the most highly qualified staff, providing more advances in technology and improving our facilities. The second challenge is to improve communication between parents, teachers, administration and the community. We need to provide more opportunities for these groups to come together to share information and ideas.
Moses: The reduction of state funding and the need to make up for this deficit in planning for the district’s needs. We also need to continue the development of technology in our schools to better prepare our students for excellence and efficiency in a more computer-driven world.
Milfeld: The district’s student performance on state assessments has been low in comparison with surrounding districts. De Soto is analyzing data to find the strengths and weaknesses of new concepts, strategies and programs. The district has a unity now between staff, board members and the community. This unity is a result of effective, honest and transparent communications. Everyone is reflecting and collaborating to create curriculum aligned to the new standards. The district has shown an increase on student performance recently and it will continue to climb.
Liley: 1. Our test scores. I would form a parent group to ask for suggestions on how to raise them.
2. Grade school suspensions. I would like to have alternative classes. I would like to have testing and collect more information on students. Grade school children should not be subjected to suspensions. I would involve the parents more to prevent this from happening.
3. I would promote kindness and fairness to employees and to the children. I would be more involved as a school board member. I would like to be in the schools and witness what is happening.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Ferrell: My goal is to be an advocate for our students. They are the reason we are here and need to be our focus. Every decision we make needs to be looked at with three things in mind: What is best for our students, what is best for our staff and are we being good stewards with district resources? I will be a voice for other parents who have students in the district. As a parent of two graduates and a junior high student, I understand the challenges parents face and will be an advocate for them.
Moses: It has been my privilege to serve on the board for a number of years. During this time, there have been many significant improvements made that have provided better facilities, better curriculum, better technology and a continued excellent staff. My goals would be to provide continued improvements in those areas. A district is like a house in that there are always things that need to be done to improve it. Above all, I will continue to dedicate my time and efforts to the motto: Students first!
Milfeld: I have the benefit of 30 years in the classroom and continued education, so I am informed of the best practices that promote student achievement. This experience has provided me the insight to aid in decision making through data and facts. As a member of the board, I prepared myself for meetings and hold myself to high standards. My goals are to:
■ Promote student performance.
■ Attract and retain high quality staff.
■ Practice data-driven decision making. The best decisions are based on proper analysis and interpretation of relevant data.
Liley: I have worked in the schools. I know the challenges they face. I think we can use some different people with different ideas. De Soto has a great future ahead and the key to the future are these children. Let us build them up to make them strong. I have two grandchildren in the De Soto School District and two in the Fox C-6 School District and I want the very best for them. I will do whatever it takes to help De Soto to improve and flourish.