Voters in the Fox C-6 School District will be assured of having at least one new board member to elect on April 4, as John Laughlin opted not to run for a third three-year term.
The other two incumbents, Vernon Sullivan and Dawn E. Mullins, are seeking re-election, but they face challenges from Scott Stewart, Steve Holloway and Avery A. Fortenberry.
Both Mullins and Sullivan are seeking their second straight three-year terms, although Sullivan also served 10 years on the board from 1977-1987. Holloway was elected to the board in 2013 but lost a bid for re-election in April 2016.
STEWART, 43, lives at 15 Windswept Drive, Arnold. He and his wife, Mary, have two children. He is a veterinarian at Arnold Animal Hospital. A 1992 graduate of Hannibal High School, he attended Truman State University and received a doctoral degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia. He served as a trustee for the Enchanted Forest subdivision’s homeowners association. He is a member of the Arnold Kiwanis Club and is an assistant scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 469 in Arnold. He was an assistant den leader for Cub Scout Pack 451.
HOLLOWAY, 45, lives at 2118 Seven Trails Drive, Arnold. He and his wife, Jill, have two children. He is a senior project leader at the Edward Jones financial services firm. He has bachelor’s degrees in computer science and management science. He has been a volunteer coach for the Fox basketball league and a parent volunteer at Antonia Elementary School.
His wife works for the district.
MULLINS, 50, lives at 2532 Spring Forest Road, Imperial. She and her husband, Douglas, have three children. She is a registered nurse and executive director of Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care. She received a registered nurse degree from Missouri Baptist Hospital School of Nursing, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Central Methodist University and a master’s degree in health care administration from Webster University in 2009. She has been involved with the Boy Scouts and has been a hospice volunteer for the Greater St. Louis Hospice Organization.
SULLIVAN, 72, lives at 2881 Tommy Drive, Arnold. He and his wife, Glenda, have three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is the retired director of facilities for the Fox C-6 School District. He is a graduate of Greenville High School and is a certified member of the Missouri Plant Managers Association. He represents Ward 3 on the Arnold City Council. He is a member of New Hope Methodist Church, is a member of the Rotary Club, is on the board of the Arnold Food Pantry and C-6 Educational Foundation, is on the Jefferson County Boy Scouts Advisory Committee and the Arnold Performing Arts Council. He also is a trustee of the Webb Terrace subdivision homeowners association. He has a long list of past civic involvement.
Two of his sons, Dave Duncan and Brad Duncan, teach in the district.
FORTENBERRY, 70, lives at 6604 Crimson Lane, Barnhart. He and his wife, Jann, have four children and six grandchildren. He is retired after 22 years at Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. He received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Maryville University in 1982 and has taught evening classes at St. Louis Community College for 15 years. He was on the Board of Directors of the Festus Special Road District from 2005-2007 and served for four years on the Jefferson County Extension Service board. He also is a member of the Republican Club of Jefferson County and volunteers at the Jefferson County Rescue Mission. He has been involved in various capacities in the past with Jefferson County Habitat for Humanity, Ride On St. Louis, the Judevine Center for Autism, the Writers Society of Jefferson County and numerous subdivision boards.
What are the biggest problems facing the school district and how would you address them?
Stewart: We continue to face funding challenges at every level. At the federal and state levels, we must continue to work with our elected representatives to make sure our schools are properly funded, even in challenging times. At the local level, we need to be as efficient as possible while also considering the effects our decisions have on our teachers and staff. Our second biggest challenge is to improve the public trust in the board and the district. I want to provide oversight and find ways to allow the public to have input in the board’s major decisions.
Holloway: My priorities include continuing the progress being made in technology, fostering positivity in our schools and advocating for an improved curriculum. Gathering knowledge from the community is a key component to ensuring the district stays on a positive track. Also, it is important to keep a positive culture in our schools. Gestures of kindness and generosity can make a difference in a student’s life. Lastly, it is important to ensure our curriculum is as strong as it can be.
Mullins: The board will need to continue to focus on funding and budget compliance while ensuring student achievement is the utmost priority. We need to recruit and retain the very best faculty and make sure that our facilities are well maintained. The board will need to ensure that improvement in community confidence continues. We need to expand on the progress we have made and look for every avenue possible to communicate with our community and our faculty and parents.
Sullivan: Balancing the budget is always a problem, as the state never fully funds its formula. This makes it very hard to set and maintain a budget. It is common for the state to withhold funds in January, causing a budget crisis. We must continue holding public forums to get the input from residents to learn the direction they want the district to go in. We must become involved in the community to receive the input of parents, staff, students and community leaders.
Fortenberry: Responsible and responsive leadership on the board to ensure the administration, staff, parents and public in general that the board is overseeing the district to avoid the financial and administrative foul-ups of the past. The board must have been asleep at the meetings because no questions concerning budgets and spending were asked.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Stewart: I will do everything I can to provide the best education possible to the students of the district. I want to continue to improve the public trust in the district and the board. I want to provide sustained oversight of the administration. I want to improve transparency when decisions are being made. I want to do a better job of listening to the teachers and staff and concentrate resources into the classrooms for teachers to do an amazing job educating our children.
Holloway: I have three previous years on the board, when I partnered with other board members to bring about change to move the district in a positive direction. My wife is a teacher and I have two children attending district schools, so I have an understanding of issues that teachers and students are challenged with. I have extensive industry experience in technology, project management and financial services that I can draw from to shape board decisions.
Mullins: With a child in our district and as a current board member, I understand the challenges that we face. I have more than 20 years in health care administration, including responsibilities of policy, human resources, budgeting, state and federal regulation compliance and service excellence. I am results-driven and eager to expand on the training I have received through the Missouri School Boards Association. My goal is to continue to champion efforts to maintain high board standards with accountability and support innovative ways for our district and our children to be successful.
Sullivan: I am a proven leader with 25 years of construction experience. I have knowledge of the district and how a board should work together. During the last three years, I have helped direct the district back into a balanced budget. My goals are to:
■ Expand the early childhood program.
■ Hire the best and brightest teachers.
■ Spend more money in the classroom.
■ Provide our students with technological tools.
■ Be smart caretakers of your tax dollars and do not spend more than income.
■ Prevent outsourcing of district support staff.
■ Keep clean and well-maintained buildings.
Fortenberry: A parent’s greatest asset is his or her children. We entrust our children to the teachers to provide educational development. The teachers’ instructions and parental guidance are the legacy and the immortality we give to the world. I understand this and it is why my presence and guidance as a board member is essential.