Four candidates are seeking two seats on the Jefferson R-7 Board of Education in the April 7 election.
The two incumbents in the race – Steve Floyd and David G. Welker – both are seeking their second three-year term. Both ran unopposed in 2009. They are being challenged by Sara N. Harmon and Sherri (Fulbright) Rawe.
FLOYD, 40, lives at 13248 Waggoner Road. He and his wife, Sara, have two children. He owns SMF Contracting LLC.
A graduate of Crystal City High School, Floyd also attended Jefferson College.
HARMON, 34, lives at 30 Howe Crossing. She and her husband, Brian, have four children and a foreign exchange student also lives in their home. She is a certified nurse anesthetist at Mineral Area Regional Medical Center and Midwest Orthopedic Pain and Spine, both in Farmington. She also owns continuing education seminar company for anesthesia providers and a travel agency.
Harmon received an associate degree in nursing from Mineral Area College, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from WebsterUniversity in 2009.
She was a chairman of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists’ Wellness Committee and has been a member of the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments since 2010.
WELKER, 48, lives at 2467 Wimbledon Estates Drive. He and his wife, Denise, have two daughters. He is the director of Operations for Control Devices LLC.
A 1984 graduate of St. Vincent High School in Perryville, Welker received a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University. He was given the university’s Young Alumni Merit Award in 2003. He has served on the district’s technology advisory and K-12 tech initiative committees. He is a member of the Festus-Crystal City Elks, is president of his subdivision board and is a member of the Our Lady Parish Council.
RAWE, 42, lives at 1012 Whitetail Crossing. She and her husband, Steven, have three children. She owns Bloomsdale Express Inc. and has worked in the transportation and logistics industry for 25 years.
She is a 1990 graduate of Herculaneum High School. She was a member of the Blue Jay Booster Club, is the founder and president of the Blue Jay Band Booster Club, was a member of the first Danby to Jefferson Transition Committee, volunteers in the press box and in concession stands, is the cookie chairwoman for Girl Scout Troop 1572 and participated in programs to educate students and faculty about Type I diabetes.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Floyd: A big problem is the restrained budget to work with to get the most out of every dollar while maintaining a high-level education along with the highest-quality faculty. My goal is to keep every dollar accounted for and work toward building a strong financial foundation.
Harmon: Funding and managing finances. We have reached a pivotal point in our growth where we are going to have to make some hard decisions on wants and needs. Aging infrastructure, capital repairs and salaries are not the glamorous way to spend available dollars, but they are necessary for the safety and well-being of our children, as well as the retention of fantastic teachers and staff that we have to ensure an educational experience that is exceptional for the entire district. We need to attract and retain the best possible teachers and staff to maximize learning opportunities.
Welker: Our biggest challenge is continued state and federal funding shortfalls and managing finances to create stability now and for the future. Increasing maintenance and facilities issues in our older buildings are a growing concern. There have been several school and community events over the past few years that continue to pull the community and district together. We are on the right track, with more opportunities in the future to build these relationships. Our main focus is to provide the best education with the best teachers and administrators, producing the greatest opportunities for our student’s future. Higher state and ACT test results and increased scholarships have proven we are on the right track.
Rawe: Our district has experienced enormous growth since adding our high school and with growth comes growing pains. Our immediate issues revolve around keeping up with the repair and maintenance of our current buildings. We have a sewer issue that must be addressed at Plattin Primary School, a leaking roof at our Danby-Rush Tower Middle School and children eating lunch at 10:20 a.m. at Telegraph Intermediate School because the cafeteria also is used for physical education classes. Another result of our growth is lack of necessary parking, which must be addressed from a safety standpoint. We are already a very proactive district, but we must continue to push forward with security enhancements to ensure our students’ safety.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Floyd: I have served on the school board since 2012. I have obtained many valuable experiences during that time. I am dedicated to serving our district in this position. I believe in making decisions that are in the best interest of our students, faculty and community. While I have been on the board, we have worked to maintain levels of education that our district has grown accustomed to. We have brought in one-to-one technology for every student. My goal is to give our children a future they are prepared and ready for after graduation.
Harmon: Although I have only lived in the district for 10 years, I am very vested in our community. I would be valuable to this board for several reasons. I am in a unique position because I have children in almost every building in the district, so I’m very much aware of the improvements and issues that need to be addressed. My goals are academic growth while remaining fiscally responsible, improving student and staff safety, capital repairs, repairing the relationship between the community and the district, staff growth and retention and transparency of the board.
Welker: My family and I moved to the district in 1997 because of the school and the community. We provide one of the best educational programs in the state. We produce highly educated students with outstanding character, creating opportunities for success. Our current board has created an environment of stability, trust and teamwork throughout the district and community, no one has an individual agenda and everyone puts the students first. My goal is continued support of the teachers and administrators along with bringing in the most talented personnel for the right positions. It also is my goal to continue providing events and programs that build on the community and school partnership.
Rawe: I am very passionate about the safety and success of the children of our district. Historically, we have very low voter turnout from our Plattin Primary and Telegraph Intermediate parents and families. I would really like to see that change. Our younger students and their needs must be represented. Our community members are intelligent, hard-working people with great ideas and opinions that need to be heard. I have been a part of this district through times of peace and times of unrest over the past decade and while we have made such unbelievable progress as a school district and community already, we must continue to move forward.
What is your opinion on the district's April 7 ballot issue?
Floyd: I stand in favor of Proposition Every Kid Counts. With interest rates at an all-time low and safety issues for students at an all-time high, we need this approval from the community. Refinancing comes with a huge savings to the district. Safety and security for students and staff is at the forefront of our society. We also have buildings that are in need of major repairs and there several other minor repairs are needed. It will be a decision by the voters of our district to make this possible. As part of the community, I feel we need to work together to achieve a thriving school district.
Harmon: I am very much in favor of the bond measure. Restructuring our current debt with interest rates that are historically low only makes sense. There are significant repairs and improvements that have to be made and it is fiscally responsible to do them when borrowing money costs the least. The safety and continued academic growth of our students is what matters the most and this cannot be done with intercom systems that do not work and septic systems and infrastructures that are failing.
Welker: I support the Proposition Every Kid Counts. Based on current school funding interest rates, timing is critical, and now is the right time to refinance outstanding bonds. This will save more than $800,000 in interest and creates an estimated $600,000 in available funds per year for 14 years. Bottom line, it’s the same as refinancing a home – you save interest, reduce the annual payments and extend the term by six years. Funding will provide safety and security improvements, major facility repairs in the older buildings, capability for expanded district wi-fi and an opportunity to build a fine arts-community center. Passing this proposition will be a great step forward.
Rawe: I support Proposition Every Kid Counts. The sewage system at Plattin, the roof at Telegraph and HVAC systems at Danby-Rush Tower and Plattin need to be replaced. The bond issue will allow us to repair and expand our facilities, allowing our third- through fifth-graders to eat lunch at a reasonable time and offer an expanded preschool program. We will be able to upgrade safety and security systems in every building. As a mom, that’s very important to me. Refinancing the current bonds will save the district more than $800,000. That will allow the district to have local control over our money instead of spending it on interest. As a taxpayer, I believe in local control of our tax dollars.