Voters in the Grandview R-2 School District will vote on three members of its seven-person Board of Education in the April 5 election.
Two full, three-year terms are up. Both incumbents are seeking re-election: Timothy Brown, who is seeking his fourth term; and Brian Edward Dugan, who is running for his third. They are challenged by Scott Alan Walker and former member Terry Perren.
Walker did not return a Leader candidate questionnaire.
In addition, four candidates have lined up for a third seat. The winner will serve the final year of a seat held by Kenneth Ramsey. Ramsey resigned after moving from the district in the middle of his second full term and the board opted not to appoint a replacement to serve until the election.
Matthew James Tribout, former board member Robert Gearhart, Heather Langhans-Bodnar and Peter Faust are jockeying to replace Ramsey on the board.
Tribout and Langhans-Bodnar did not return Leader candidate questionnaires.
THREE-YEAR TERMS
BROWN, 46, lives in De Soto. He and his wife, Joy, who is a varsity dance team coach in the district, have one daughter. He is a director of IT security.
DUGAN, 38, lives in Hillsboro. He and his wife, Ann, have four biological children and two foster children. He is a civil engineer for the Jefferson County Public Works Department. A Grandview High School graduate, he received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri Science and Technology).
His wife is a high school head softball coach, middle school head girls basketball coach and substitute teacher for the district and his father is a volunteer assistant baseball coach and scoreboard operator for the district.
PERREN, 53, lives in the De Soto area. He and his wife, Angela, have two children and two grandchildren. A graduate of Grandview High School, he is a service manager at Midwest Gun Works.
His wife is an administrative assistant for the district and his sister-in-law, niece and nephew are teachers in the district.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Brown: As a board member for nine years, I’ve continuously challenged myself and others to give their all to the success of our district. In my professional career, my responsibilities are focused on developing secure and creative solutions for unique and tough problems.
Dugan: I have served for six years on the board, four as its vice president and one year as president. I also have been a youth athletics volunteer coach.
Perren: I served 12 years on the board from 2008-2020. I coached Grandview Little League for 10 years and am a proud Grandview High alumni. I volunteer alongside with school activities such as sporting events, the father-daughter dance, Breakfast with Santa, athletic campus cleanup days and the Elf Squad Christmas Outreach Program.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Brown: Having revenue streams that will allow for increased long-term expenditures, such as teacher salaries, is always a challenge. We must retain and hire great teachers to provide a great education. It is becoming harder to attract and retain teachers when we cannot offer salaries comparable with neighboring districts. We should continue to explore opportunities of sustainable revenue sources but also take a hard look at where money can be redirected without creating problems.
Dugan: The learning loss from COVID. I will give the administration the support it needs to get students back on track. Grandview always has had issues with teacher retention. We have made progress in recent years and I will continue to find ways to keep teachers. Communication is always a challenge, especially with members of our community who do not have kids in school.
Perren: Teacher retention is one of our greatest challenges. During my time on the board, we initiated a four-day school week to help with this problem. Board members must support our teachers and staff. Budgets are an issue in most districts. Working with a difficult school budget in the past, I can bring experience and knowledge to help.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Brown: My experience is a resource to help identify solutions for continued success while recognizing obstacles that may have caused us to stumble in the past. The last two years have highlighted the fact that our kids are at a disadvantage without access to high-speed internet. I want to work with county and state officials to expand services into our area. Also, with open enrollment bills moving through the state Legislature, we should evaluate this for potential impact to our district and develop a plan to overcome challenges should it become a reality.
Dugan: My previous terms have given me invaluable experience and knowledge about the changes being made and the direction in which the district is moving. Grandview is rapidly changing for the better and I plan on keeping that momentum going into the future. I will continue to facilitate change that drives the district toward excellence in every area of education. As a graduate, I understand that Grandview is more than a school. It is our community.
Perren: I have experience as a board member. I’m invested in what is best for our students and staff. I want to be a voice for them. My goal is to retain teachers and ensure students have the greatest opportunity to succeed.
What letter grade would you give your school board on its policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic? Why?
Brown: B. Our board went into this as a strong team that had to make tough decisions in uncertain times. Orders coming from the Health Department forced many of the decisions and directly influenced the policies we implemented. Other decisions felt forced from a liability standpoint. At times, it felt as though we didn’t really have a choice, even though everything was later stated to be recommendations. A quick as we were to develop a plan, the board was a bit slower at removing policies when the recommendations changed.
Dugan: A-. The district has done a great job the last two years providing in-person learning. We continue to evaluate the COVID plan and make adjustments as necessary.
Perren: B. Because of the constant changing of rules and regulations, no district could have handled this pandemic perfectly. I fully supported the things that were done in our district. Continuing with in-person and virtual learning allowed students to miss minimal instruction.
ONE-YEAR TERM
GEARHART, 50, lives in Dittmer. He and his wife, Jenny, have two children. A graduate of De Soto High School, he is a region manager at Western Specialty Contractors. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University.
His wife’s cousin, Ann Dugan, is a coach at Grandview Middle School.
FAUST lives in the De Soto area. He is married and has five children. He represents several industrial equipment manufacturers working for a company in Jefferson County. He has taken post-secondary classes.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Gearhart: I served on the board from 2015-2021. I am a member and past master of the Blackwell Masonic Lodge, I have volunteered and coached youth athletics at Grandview and do volunteer work for veterans organizations.
Faust: I have 35 years of business experience that has taught me how to work with a wide range of personalities AND issues. I have sat on numerous boards at church and school committees. I started the Grandview Junior Eagles basketball program and have run it successfully with my family and volunteers for 10 years. I center my energy on what is best for the students.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Gearhart: With an increasing teacher shortage in Missouri, it is more important than ever to focus on retaining and attracting, quality administrators and teachers. I would continue to work to supporting a more competitive salary schedule, a longevity reward program for teachers and build on what makes Grandview an attractive district to work for. The district also is trying to transition back to what education looked like pre-COVID. I will work with the board and administrators to develop and support a plan to make that transition.
Faust: Teacher retention and pay. A consistent curriculum would help keep teachers. Communication from the board to the community needs to improve. I think meetings should be available online with more discussion in the open rather than in executive session.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Gearhart: I have lived in the district for 25 years, and my wife and daughters are Grandview alumni. I have six years of board experience, five as president, and have completed the required board and president training through the Missouri School Boards Association. I will use my experience to work with the board making decisions for future success of the district.
I would like to see increased opportunities for students. I would promote increased course selections and programs, with a focus on college and career-ready programs.
Faust: I listen, and I live in a world of common sense. I want to be a catalyst of ideas where others say it cannot be done.
What letter grade would you give your school board on its policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic? Why?
Gearhart: A. The board and administration did a great job of offering different methods of instruction and keeping our kids in school as much as possible. Grandview, like every district in the nation, was forced to make tough decisions based on information provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and locally by the Jefferson County Health Department. The district did a great job of modifying its plan as recommendations and conditions consistently changed.
Faust: A- to B+. One of the advantages to being a small school is you can react to situations quickly. Grandview staff and the board worked very hard to get the students back to a normal schedule and life faster than most schools in the county. The issues with getting back to normal were guidelines and mandates from the CDC and the Health Department, not our board. We are just beginning to understand how difficult COVID was for our students and teachers.