After the April 5 election, the Fox C-6 School District is assured of having a different look.
Neither of the incumbents whose terms will expire this year, Judy Smith and Carole Yount, filed for new three-year terms. Yount has served two terms on the board and Smith one.
Kenneth Woolsey, Todd Scott, Brandon Williams, Cathey “Break” Michalski, Raymond “Curtiss” Frazier III and Tara Hagin are seeking to replace them.
In addition, a third member who will serve the remaining year of a seat originally held by Bob Gruenewald will be elected. Vicki Hanson, who was appointed to fill the seat until the April 5 election, will face Travis Lintner, David Knoll and Ryan Giesler.
Hagin, Knoll and Giesler did not return Leader candidate questionnaires.
THREE-YEAR TERMS
WOOLSEY, 42, lives in Barnhart. He and his wife, Bettina, have five children. He has been a self-employed general contractor specializing in concrete work for 26 years. He is a 1997 graduate of Fox High School and attended Southeast Missouri State University in 1998 and Jefferson College from 1998-1999.
His wife, Bettina Woolsey, is a FACS teacher for the district; his sister, Regina Ray, is a librarian for the district, and his brother-in-law, Jim Ray, is an elementary school principal for the district.
SCOTT, 52, lives in Arnold. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children. He is a sales representative at Presort Inc. He received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Southwest Missouri State University in 1991, a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1997 and a specialist in education from Missouri Baptist University in 2009.
Scott retired as principal of Seckman High School in 2019 and before that was an assistant principal and assistant superintendent in the district and has been a teacher, coach and sponsor at both high schools.
His daughter, Hannah Scott, coaches the varsity pom team at Seckman High School and his son, Connor Scott, is involved in the Character Kids Club at Rockport Heights Elementary School.
WILLIAMS, 35, lives in Imperial. He and his wife, Amy, have two children. He works at Graybar Electric in St. Louis. He received a bachelor’s degree from Maryville University in 2008.
MICHALSKI, 69, lives in Imperial. She and her husband, Thomas, have two children and two grandchildren. She was self-employed for more than 29 years, is a nurse and a former teacher with an art degree. She said she created the first medical use of tattooing, working with plastic surgeons to finish their work and has done beauty facial tattoos.
She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Bowling Green State University in 1975, has taken courses at the University of Cincinnati, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Webster University and received a registered nursing degree from St. Louis Community College-Meramec in 1991.
FRAZIER, 39, lives in Arnold. He and his wife, Heather, have three children. He is an electrical engineer for Ameren. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2005 and has a professional engineering license.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Woolsey: I attend First Baptist Church of Arnold, where I worked as a youth leader for 17 years. This is where my passion for students comes from. I want to give every student the best possible environment and education we can.
Scott: I have served on many different district committees over 25 years. I understand how school committees work and how I can best help students in those roles. I have sponsored many student leadership groups at both high schools and will promote student leadership opportunities as a board member. I am a member of the Immaculate Conception Men’s Club and have volunteered my time at the annual church picnic.
Williams: I am a husband, father of two amazing children and a brother of a 17-year-old sister who attends high school in the district. I care about our district, kids, teachers, staff and community. I will be a voice of the people for the people.
Michalski: I was a teacher for eight years in the Lindbergh School District, where I was active in all school affairs. I initiated ADOPT (Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment) to build a humane society for Jefferson County. I volunteer frequently for the Alliance for Animal Legislation, where we work with lawmakers from Jefferson City to create laws against animal abuse and neglect.
Frazier: I have experience working on the district’s Finance Advisory Committee, learning school finance and the financial challenges facing the district. This will help to provide innovative ways to keep costs controlled and still getting the value students and staff need. I am a licensed foster parent who has been trained to provide care for children who have trauma. This helps to have a small understanding of issues children face today.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Woolsey: Financial stability. With no tax increase since 2004 and declining enrollment, the district is struggling. Without some major changes, there is no way to sustain the needs of the district in the near future. I will never ask the community for a bailout, but I will push to make very tough, unpopular decisions. I would be completely transparent in order to gain trust with our community and to show willingness to sacrifice. Through this sacrifice, we can show this community we can manage more efficiently and earn trust to possibly pass a long-awaited tax increase.
Scott: The biggest problems:
■ Student achievement: I would work with the superintendent and the administration on a plan to diagnose our shortfalls and identify weaknesses in the curriculum. We must then provide financial resources in staffing and curricular support for teaching and learning.
■ Retaining and attracting staff: We need to be more of an active recruiter and communicate all the positive reasons why working for the district is great.
■ Financial accountability: I would ensure that all money is spent with the idea of what is best for our students and how this expenditure will impact student learning.
Williams: The biggest problems:
■ Achieving educational goals: We need to increase test scores through proper curriculum that will set up our kids for success after graduation.
■ Community trust: I would work to rebuild trust in the district through transparency and honesty.
■ Staff support: I would listen to our teachers and staff to understand what they need to be successful in the classroom and remove their roadblocks.
Michalski: The biggest problems:
■ Preparing for another possible epidemic, making certain that students at the poverty level have access to computers. These students risk falling behind and dropping out.
■ Attracting and keeping teachers: We are experiencing a severe teacher shortage. I will work closely with the board and staff to address concerns and make our district attractive to applicants.
Frazier: The biggest problems:
■ Addressing students’ progress in learning due to COVID and getting the correct resources to catch them up.
■ Getting staff the support they need to address student progress, while also making them feel valued. We need to provide development opportunities for staff to stay and we need to proactively work to retain quality staff.
■ Finances: Costs continue to rise and funding mechanisms do not keep up. We need to find innovative ways to save costs, provide quality education to students and gain public trust.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Woolsey: You deserve a voice in this district. Community involvement is a necessity. I believe in parent choice. I want clear, consistent and accessible curriculum. We need a vision for a five-year plan with a current evaluation and strong goals to achieve. I would provide parents with details and teachers with support and tools needed to implement our vision. I plan to have open forums to invite all the public to voice their concerns. Let’s also get behind a superintendent and follow their leadership but hold them accountable.
Scott: Make decisions with the best interest of our students in mind. Everything that we do impacts students and their learning, so all decisions need to be based out of this belief. I would work to:
■ Improve student achievement.
■ Retain and attract qualified staff for all positions.
■ Work collaboratively with the board and administration to model appropriate behavior, both as a board and individually.
■ Respect diversity of opinion and listen for understanding in conversations with the community, teachers, staff and students.
■ Promote and support the superintendent in work that meets the district goals.
Williams: I care about our kids, community, parents, teachers and staff. I will provide a background that is different from education. I can help with district finance, especially around projects. I will support our superintendent and value his recommendations. I want to create a safe environment for teachers and staff that is free of judgment and retaliation. We must listen and ask questions to ensure we are delivering what is expected from a board member.
Michalski: With my background in teaching, medicine and small business, I understand the classroom and what teachers experience. Our students went through a traumatic last two years. Having medical knowledge, I will be able to understand not only the physical stress but especially the mental. Having a successful small business for 29 years, I understand the importance of organization and budgeting.
Frazier: My goals:
■ Use my knowledge from the finance committee and my experience managing multimillion dollar budgets to keep the district on a trajectory for financial success.
■ Continue to push for financial transparency, rebuilding public trust.
■ Use my standing as a parent to rebuild the parent and community trust with the board and be a bridge between parents and educators.
■ Work on getting curriculum to the highest standards and consistency within the district.
Has the district spent revenue from Proposition P correctly? Why or why not?
Woolsey: I think the district has spent the money well. However, we haven’t broke ground yet, but should by the end of March. The board and administration carefully evaluated the potential capital improvement projects, then selected those projects that made the most sense given the limited funding provided by Prop P. With more than $150 million in the district’s capital improvement needs, it would be hard to spend the $40 million of Prop P incorrectly if it is spent on improving facilities.
Scott: Yes. A bond issue of this scope takes time and phases to implement all the construction and projects. Videos and pictures should be used to show all the updates to our facilities. Regular updates on progress should be given at board meetings as well as shared on the web page and through social media. The bidding process needs to be transparent and reported on at the board meetings as well.
Williams: Prop P has allowed the district to make some much-needed improvements to facilities. However, some buildings still need improvements. We need to look at the district’s internal revenues to address these areas instead of asking taxpayers to fund the projects.
Michalski: From everything that I have read so far, they are applying the money to the needs of the schools.
Frazier: For the most part, the district has allocated the Prop P money well. All of the projects proposed are being executed. Some upgrades have already been completed, while others are slated to be completed this summer and next year. The district has been bidding these projects to get competitive pricing. The list of projects is still on track for all to be completed within the approved amount of funding, even with the rising costs of material and labor. I would like to see the district complete a running list of upgrades still needed.
What letter grade would you give your school board on its policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic? Why?
Woolsey: D. When the pandemic first started, we didn’t know much. As time went on, we gathered more information and should’ve been able to make adjustments based on new information. Most board members were not willing to change any views on how to handle the pandemic and weren’t interested in listening to the needs and wants of the community. The board failed to have good policies and worse, had zero consistency with implementing them. Keeping kids out of school for as long as they did was detrimental to our students’ learning.
Scott: B-. The district’s goal for the 2021-2022 school year was to begin school as normally as possible while continuing to follow updated guidance and COVID mitigation protocols. Fox has been able to implement COVID guidelines that were locally developed and regularly updated and adjusted as the situation has changed. Regular communication has been shared and updated. The community is split on this topic and the implementation hasn’t always been a perfect process, but it has been one that has allowed the district to return to in-person learning five days a week.
Williams: F. The constant flip-flopping on masks was hard on parents, teachers and staff. Parental rights were taken away and had no say in masking or not masking their child. The board refused to listen when parents asked to use our own internal data to make these decisions, instead of the inconsistent data of the Jefferson County Health Department. We still have a mitigation plan of 2 percent, which needs to be removed.
Michalski: A. Having a medical background, I believe in science. The scientists and scholars, as apolitical specialists, devote their lives to researching the best outcomes for all of us. Understanding science needs to be at the heart of any effort to contain the pandemic. Our school board, along with other schools, closely followed the advice of the medical community to contain and control the virus in spite of those individuals who have opposite views. As a result, numbers are dramatically dropping
Frazier: C-. While the pandemic put most schools in can’t-win situations, the board failed to be consistent in its approach. The board laid out a policy at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year and was not able to consistently follow it. They went back and forth on what the requirements were and overruled their own policy of required numbers to require masking. If they would have followed their policy, the end results would have been mostly the same with less confusion and frustration. The board also continued to ignore the recommendations of the superintendent.
ONE-YEAR TERM
LINTNER, 38, lives in Arnold. He and his wife, Melissa, have two children. He is a custom quoting consultant-engineer for a commercial decorative lighting manufacturer. A 2002 Fox High School graduate, he received an associate degree in computer-aided drafting and design from ITT-Technical Institute in 2005.
HANSON, 70, lives in Imperial. She and her husband, John, have five children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She is retired and works part-time as an educational consultant. She was a special education teacher for the district from 1987 to 1993, director of special education from 1993 to 2008 and assistant superintendent of special services from 1997 to 2008. She also has taught in other school districts. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1974, a master degree’s in education from St. Louis University in 1984, and a master’s degree in behavior analysis from Penn State University in 2003.
She has a daughter who is a teacher at Fox Middle School.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Lintner: My volunteer efforts have varied through flood relief, tornado damage cleanup, assistant coaching of youth soccer and football and as a Cub Scout leader. I am a lifetime community member and parent with children in the district. What happens here matters greatly to me and to our future. The profession I have been in for almost 15 years demands attention to detail. It is in the details that I hope to find solutions.
Hanson: I served on the board from 2018-2021 then appointed to fill a vacancy last year. I volunteer as an OASIS tutor, Sunday school teacher and the Arnold Kiwanis Club. I served on the Commission on Disabilities and Aging, and the Jefferson County Safety Task Force.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Lintner: We must make sure the staff feels our support and that the community is heard. That is a challenge, because not everyone shares the same perspective. We also cannot ignore our financial situation. Letting our district slip into losing state accreditation will make us guilty of a huge disservice to our children and their options. Difficult decisions will have to be made in the foreseeable future. If the children remain our moral compass in navigating these decisions, as a community we will reach the best solutions.
Hanson: The primary focus needs to be on students, with college and career readiness programs, a strong curriculum and highly qualified teachers. To achieve that, we need to attract and retain staff through competitive wages. A financial plan needs to be implemented so that we have adequate resources to meet these goals with community support.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Lintner: I am a lifetime member of this community with a vested interest in the district as both a graduate and a parent with children in the district. I hope to bring another parental voice into the conversation. My interest in the position is rooted in a genuine want for student and overall district achievement. My goal is to get feedback from the parents, faculty and community to be a board member who represents their voice while exemplifying a love for our district.
Hanson: My goals are:
■ Improve achievement so that all students can be successful.
■ Improve the culture and climate.
■ Improve finances.
We can do this by communicating effectively. This will enable the school and the community to work and learn together so that the goals can become a reality.
Has the district spent revenue from Proposition P correctly? Why or why not?
Linter: The Prop P funds are intended to be spent on such projects as construction, roofing replacements and security upgrades, among others. From what I’ve learned at the board meetings, many of these projects are either underway or have dates for breaking ground in the coming months. To my knowledge, the funds have been spent in an appropriate manner so far. I plan to ensure that this remains the case.
Hanson: The district is spending the revenue from Prop P as planned. We need to communicate more about what is happening in each of the buildings, so that everyone is aware of what is being done. The work is being done in phases, so some projects are being worked on now, while others will be started on later. Timelines have been developed that show when and how this will be accomplished.
What letter grade would you give your school board on its policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic? Why?
Lintner: We should have been focusing on our internal data instead the entirety of Jefferson County from the start. I would like to have seen the original re-entry plan this year followed. No decision would’ve pleased everybody, but that would’ve allowed for the freedom of choice based upon each family’s risk assessment and allowed for consistency in the approach. Administrators and staff were caught in the middle of unhappy parents, dismayed children and board policy with no means with which to navigate.
Hanson: A letter grade can’t be given because it is such a divisive issue. People are very passionate about their opinions and beliefs. It was impossible to make any decision that would be OK with everyone. It has also been complicated by the fact that there were so many unknowns and the information was changing frequently. All board members did their best to ensure the safety of students, staff and the community as decisions were made. As the situation changed, the board revised policies and practices accordingly.