Six candidates, the most in Jefferson County for any school board this spring, are seeking a pair of seats on the Hillsboro R-3 School District’s Board of Education in the April 2 election.
The two incumbents are seeking re-election. John Linhorst, the current board president, is running for a second straight three-year term while Stephanie Cage, who was elected last year to serve the remaining year of a spot originally held by Lisa Welker, is seeking a full three-year term.
They are being challenged by Josh Williams, William Scott, Christopher Miller and Derek Shashek.
Williams and Scott did not return Leader candidate questionnaires.
School board members are not paid.
John Linhorst
LINHORST, 42, lives in Hillsboro. He is the vice president of finance and administration at Jefferson College in Hillsboro. He and his wife, Jennifer, have one child. He earned an associate degree from Jefferson College in 2001, a bachelor’s degree in information systems management from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2004, and a master’s degree in business administration from Western Governors University in 2019.
His wife teaches first grade at Hillsboro Primary School.
Stephanie Cage
CAGE, 45, lives in Hillsboro. She is the director of the Jefferson College Early Childhood Center in Hillsboro. She and her husband, Scott, have two children. She earned an associate degree from Jefferson College in 1999, a bachelor’s degree from Missouri Baptist University in 2002, and a master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Missouri in Columbia in 2009.
Christopher Miller
MILLER, 41, lives in Hillsboro. He works for the Wounded Warrior Project, managing local volunteers and planning events for veterans and their families. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children. A 2000 graduate of De Soto High School, he is a veteran of the U.S. Army and Army Reserves. He earned an associate degree in education from Jefferson College in 2008, and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2010.
He previously worked for the district as a high school special education teacher from 2015-2020, and a girls basketball coach from 2015-2019. He left the school to work for a veterans nonprofit agency.
SHASHEK, 35, lives in Hillsboro. He works as an engineer for a cybersecurity company. He served in the U.S. Navy as a reactor operator and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a public policy focus from George Washington University in 2013.
His wife, Ashley, is a speech language pathologist at Hillsboro Elementary School.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Linhorst: Reflecting on my first term, the experience and perspective gained in understanding district operations have been both humbling and rewarding, setting a strong foundation for the next term. Drawing on my position and expertise as Jefferson College’s vice president of finance and administration, I offer proficiency in operations and strategic planning, from an educational standpoint, to district governance, promoting open and collaborative communication.
Cage: In addition to my current tenure on the board, I serve in both the children’s and youth ministries at Gracelife Chapel.
Miller: I was a special education teacher and coach in the R-3 district for five years. I have never run for elected office before. I volunteer with multiple veterans organizations, both locally and nationally, and serve as much as possible at the church that we have attended for 22 years, Gracelife Chapel (formerly Victory Church).
Shashek: I’ve operated a reactor on a submarine, worked in labor relations for a large trucking company, briefly owned some restaurants and worked a few other odd jobs. These roles all required a deep understanding of the systems and organizations involved to be successful. Something that’s stuck with me from nuclear power training is to maintain a questioning attitude; scrutinize everything and make sure you understand why. This is the mentality that I would bring to the board.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Linhorst: Hillsboro must stay true to its strategic plan, ensuring its mission is upheld in the coming years. The plan is a guide for all aspects of the district, contingent on strong communication, data analysis and districtwide flexibility. Key ongoing goals include early childhood education, career readiness and community outreach.
To counter potential challenges such as expanded charter education and funding formula concerns, the district must remain financially conservative. This is critical to sustain teacher and support staff compensation. The district’s commitment to the education of all students must remain the strongest priority, despite external legislative and funding challenges.
Cage: The lack of quality early childhood programs in the community. Without the opportunity to participate in quality experiences before kindergarten, children are at a disadvantage. Social-emotional skills are important and can be learned through participating in early childhood experiences. Developing these skills prior to entering kindergarten sets children on the path to success. When children are able to express themselves, share spaces and solve problems, they ready to focus on learning academics.
Miller: Child safety is my biggest concern. We have six buildings with students and only one or two police officers. In an emergency, minutes are precious and could save lives. Conservative values is also a huge concern. We do a decent job of staying out of political and social issues, but many parents I have talked to are concerned about what they see around the country, and welcome someone on the school board whom they know is speaking on their behalf. Just knowing their values are being represented means a lot to them.
Shashek: For many students, school is the only opportunity to receive special education services, but these services, especially speech and language, are not being properly administered. For the last two years, the board has approved a contract to “supervise and mentor” speech implementers – a job classification that was eliminated in Missouri in 2022.
The speech language pathologist job description requires state certificates that are not issued to people with that job. Even when the district has reasonable policies, they are frequently not being enforced. Students are not getting services they need because these programs are not being administered correctly.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Linhorst: I will continue to approach each opportunity with a focus on enhancing student opportunities. I have faith in the collaboration between the district and the community to enhance education, and will use my position on the board to champion initiatives that drive continuous improvement and meaningful change. The 2023-2028 strategic plan, crafted in partnership with district educators, support staff and the community, charts a five-year path for district development.
As a board member, I am committed to backing this process and proposing new and/or revised goals as the educational landscape evolves in the years ahead.
Cage: My main goal is to continue working on the implementation of an early childhood program within the district. Establishing an early childhood program would provide an opportunity for children to begin working on important social emotional skills. This in turn provides the district with a student ready to begin their academic journey.
Miller: I want to focus on child safety, conservative values and common-sense administration. Voters can rely on me to ask questions, be a no vote when needed and push back against policies and procedures that aren’t good for the students or the community. I want to communicate with the parents and voters about issues that are important to them or they may not know, and I want parents and voters to be assured that at least one person on the school board shares their conservative values.
Shashek: I will be a skeptic and work to address the concerns I have raised regarding the administration of special services in the district. The board has an oversight responsibility that cannot be fulfilled if they do not understand what they are voting on. Essentially every item that comes before the board is approved unanimously, with minimal questions. The job description and contract I discussed earlier were both approved by the board. It is unclear how they could have passed either if they understood what they were voting on.
