Voters in the Jefferson R-7 School District in southeast Jefferson County will select at least one new school board member in the April 5 election.
There are two three-year terms up for election, and while one of the two incumbents, Wayne Surratt, decided not to seek a third term, the other current member, Karen Koenig, has filed to retain her seat.
Koenig, who previously served on the board, was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2020 and faced no opposition in June of that year to serve the final two years of the term.
Chris Hastings, a member of the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission, and Lauren Kern also are seeking seats.
KOENIG and her husband, Ralph, have three children and five grandchildren. She is retired after working as an elementary school teacher and counselor for the district for 24 years and as a psychological examiner for the St. Louis County Special School District for 11 years. She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Central Methodist College and a master’s degree in guidance from Virginia State University as well as numerous educational certification areas and graduate work from a variety of educational institutions.
HASTINGS, 39, and his wife, Amanda, have two children. He works in construction management. He received a bachelor's degree in management information systems from Westminster College in 2005.
KERN, 36, and her husband, David, have one child. She is an implementation engineer in the financial services industry. She received a bachelor’s degree from Webster University in 2008.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Koenig: My experience includes 11 1/2 years as a school board member, a volunteer psychological examiner with multiple school districts, a volunteer with Helping Hands and Horses, a mission team member and volunteer, church activities volunteer and a member of the PEO and Daughters of the American Revolution. Additionally, I have been a parent and grandparent involved with multiple student activities.
Hastings: I served three years on the Fox C-6 Board of Education. I am on the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission and the Jefferson R-7 Facilities Committee and volunteer with my church.
Kern: I’ve volunteered for political campaigns and worked in political fundraising for a time, I’ve volunteered in the children’s ministry at my previous church, and I’ve received a Court Appointed Special Advocates certification. I also help with my son’s baseball and wrestling teams.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Koenig: The possible loss of revenue from Ameren’s Rush Island plant. This will ultimately, as the need arises, be addressed through adjustments with staff and programming, perhaps changes with some state reimbursements and community input.
Hastings: Finances. Certain laws and tax adjustments will leave an uncertain financial stress on the district. Also teacher retention: We need to be more competitive to attract not only qualified, but the very best teachers. It’s imperative to address these issues by receiving input from our stakeholders, as well as making sure our district maintains fiscal strength today and into the future.
Kern: The planned closing of Ameren’s Rush Island facility in 2024. At this point, I don’t think anyone has a solution, but it will be a major priority of our board to determine the best avenue to take. We’ve also seen a disregard for parental choice over the past couple of years. We need to align the values of parents, school leadership and students. We also need to ensure our curriculum isn’t infiltrated by political agendas and sexually inappropriate material.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Koenig: My 38 1/2 years of experience in education provide a unique perspective as a board member. I have a strong, positive perspective regarding the value of every child and his or her ability and right to learn. It is both humbling and exciting to be an active part of an organization that is responsible for providing a quality education for children with all requisite personnel and programs.
Hastings: My goals are to better the education of our children. I will work with the administration to create policies that are beneficial to our student’s growth. I also will be a strong advocate for our community and an effective steward of your money. As a new board member, I will bring a fresh energy to the board.
Kern: I’m a strong advocate of parental choice and listening to the community. I’m a team player, but I’m definitely not afraid of speaking up when needed. My goal is to make sure parents and students feel heard by our board and making the best decisions for our district accordingly.
What letter grade would you give your school board on its policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Why?
Koenig: A-. The policies were based on and reflected local data and impact.
Hastings: Our district handled COVID-19 policies the best it could in a pandemic where data was ever-changing and uncertain on a daily basis.
Kern: Although the last couple of years were tough to navigate, I don’t think the situation was handled as it should have been. We were one of the last districts in the county to drop our masking and quarantining protocols, which should have been dropped much sooner. Our kids suffered greatly because of masking and having to quarantine unnecessarily. It should have been left to parental choice and I’m a strong advocate for that.