Voters in the Northwest R-1 School District will choose two school board candidates in the April 2 election from among four candidates.
Chris Shelton is seeking his sixth three-year term on the seven-member board and the other incumbent, Terri Green, a retired administrative assistant in the district, is trying for her third.
They face challenges from Joel G. Yates and Elizabeth "Liz" Downer.
Neither Green nor Downer submitted a Leader candidate questionnaire.
School board members are not paid.
Chris Shelton
SHELTON, 55, lives in House Springs. He is the owner of Shelton Collision. He and his wife, Kerri, have three children and five grandchildren. He is a 1986 graduate of Northwest School District.
His wife, and a sister-in-law and niece work for the district.
Joel G. Yates
YATES, 67, lives in Cedar Hill. He is a retired after working as a union floor layer for 40 years of service. He and his wife, Marcia, have one adult son. He is a 1974 graduate of Northwest High School.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Shelton: I have been a member of the Northwest R-1 board since 2007.
Yates: I am a trustee on the Lake Tamarack Homeowners Association board. I served for 15 years on the executive board of Local 1310. I have donated my skills for my church and union charitable causes.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Shelton: Finances is and will always be the biggest hurdle in public education.
Yates: ■ Classroom safety: Continued safety measures using technology and human resources.
■ Student performance: During the recent remote learning, many students may have been fallen behind academically. Implementing tutoring and mentoring programs for these students would be of great assistance to them.
■ Teacher retention: Provide competitive salaries and benefits and adequate funding for classroom resources.
■ Student absenteeism: Since the district ranked near the bottom of all Jefferson County school districts for school attendance, perhaps unexcused absences should be tied to participation in extracurricular activities.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Shelton: I have been on this board since 2007 and I have a very good grasp on how it operates. I always have “what is best for kids” at the front of every decision I make. Some people have agendas or political reasons as the driving force for them to run for a school board. With my time on the board, we have navigated through some very tough times (including COVID and state funding cuts). We have made huge strides in our facilities and are trying to stay competitive in our salary schedule without putting the district in a financial strain.
Yates: As a lifelong district resident and taxpayer, students deserve the very best education that our tax dollars can provide and serving on the school would be my honor to achieve this goal.
