Voters in the Grandview R-2 School District will choose two new members of the school board in the April 7 election, as a pair of longtime members, Matt Wallach and Patricia Green Johnson, both decided against filing for new three-year terms.
Johnson has served on the board since 2003 and Wallach since 2009.
For their successors, voters will choose from a field of five – Abe Eoff, Matt Tribout, Robert Gearhart, Gary Bohler and Peter Faust.
Tribout and Faust did not return Leader candidate questionnaires.
EOFF, lives at 358 Woodsorrel Drive in the Hillsboro area. He and his wife, Crystal, have one child. A contractor for Ameren Missouri, Eoff received an associate degree from Jefferson College in robotics automation.
His wife and mother both teach for the district.
GEARHART, 43, lives at 9563 Jones Creek Road in Dittmer. He and his wife, Jenny, have two children. He is a manager at Western Construction Group in St. Louis, where he oversees the productivity, research and developing and central purchasing departments.
A De Soto High School graduate, Gearhart received a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University. He is a member and past master of the Blackwell Masonic Lodge, is a volunteer youth athletics coach and is the chairman of the committee promoting the district’s bond issue that will be decided on April 7. He also wrote a successful grant for equipment for National Archery in Schools Program for the district.
BOHLER, 54, lives at 1016 Green Summers Drive in the Hillsboro area. He is a manager for AT&T.
A graduate of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, he is a member of the Grandview Little League board, is a leadership in Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and served as a trustee for the Hansen Farms subdivision.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Eoff: Overall maintenance, and I would address this by supporting the April 7 bond issue.
Gearhart: Funding is always a problem. Grandview only has a fistful of supporting businesses in the district, which means a majority of the working capital at the school is based on resident taxpayer support and student enrollment. With student enrollment down in the district, it will be my goal to continue to support both new and existing programs that will help make Grandview an attractive district for all current and future residents.
Bohler:Grandview is representative of many schools across the country facing funding issues with aging facilities. Our direction and dedication will be to identify funding sources available to the district and apply our internal resources judiciously.
Why should the voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Eoff: I have a vested interest in the school district. I graduated from Grandview High School in 2002. My wife and I moved back into the district and purchased our home in 2008. My mother and wife are teachers at Grandview, and my son will also attend Grandview schools. My goal is to continue to support the teachers and staff while promoting a safe learning environment for all students of the district.
Gearhart: It is important that the students of Grandview have the same, if not more, opportunities than other districts. It will be my goal to use my experience in purchasing, productivity and project management to continue to ensure that the district’s money is spent efficiently and effectively. I manage several national rebate programs and have been involved with researching and applying for both energy and safety grants. This experience could be beneficial for future improvements and financial savings for the district.
Bohler: My goal has always been to apply myself to programs that already are great and bring my experience as a resource to help make it better. My commitment to education for our youth is the most valuable asset I bring. The most valuable asset we have as a community is our youth.
What is your opinion on the district’s April 7 ballot issue?
Eoff: I support the bond issue because it will help ensure the continued maintenance of our school district for our students and community.
Gearhart: There are many necessary maintenance issues and improvements needed in the district. I support the proposed ballot issue, and I am actively working with other committee members to get the bond issue passed. A majority of the proposed projects are a must and will need to be addressed with or without the approval of the bond issue. The bond issue proposes an extension of the tax levy previously passed by residents. If it does not pass, the district will need to use operating funds and look at loan options to pay for the proposed projects. Using the operating funds and paying interest on loans will increase the financial strain on the district.
Bohler: Our schools need to provide the best environment for our children to learn. If that environment needs to be repaired then we, as a community, need to find a way.