Three candidates are seeking two Sunrise R-9 Board of Education seats on April 8. Candidates are incumbents Tara Horton and Andrew Coleman and challenger Yvonne D. Allen. The seats are for three-year terms and are unpaid.
Horton, 40, of De Soto owns Granny Franny’s Diner. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She is married to Andy and has two children.
Coleman, 47, of De Soto is a De Soto Rural firefighter. He is married to Jennifer and has two children.
Allen, 67, of De Soto is semi-retired. She has been secretary for Allen Foundation LLC for 40 years. She is a De Soto High School graduate. She is married to Butch and has four children and nine grandchildren.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Horton: I currently am serving as the Sunrise school board president. I have continually volunteered for the district for more than 10 years.
Coleman: I have been a school board member for 12 years; a firefighter for 34 years and involved in budgets and contracts, starting as a volunteer and moving to full time. I attend church and volunteer around the church. I am an assistant coach for my son’s baseball team and a 4-H volunteer.
Allen: I have served as room mother and volunteer for my children who went to Sunrise. I have volunteered for events at Sunrise with my grandchildren and plan to keep doing that. I volunteer at Knights of Columbus.
Do you support the levy transfer on the April ballot to provide more funding for salaries, facilities maintenance and general operations? Why or why not?
Horton: This is not a tax increase, only a levy transfer from debt services to operating services. This will give us more options to use the funds. I 100 percent support this transfer and encourage the community to educate themselves on this transfer and all the great things this will do for the school.
Coleman: This ballot measure is a transfer from the debt service fund to the general fund. Yes, I am in favor of the ballot issue and continue to look for ways to improve education and our facilities.
Allen: As a taxpayer and homeowner, I don’t know much about the proposition. As a school board member, I will do my best to maintain the quality of our wonderful school and staff.
What are the biggest problems facing the school district and how would you address them?
Horton: I believe that the biggest challenge we are facing are the state scores. I believe we are doing everything we can to make sure we get these scores improved. I think the challenges that we are facing have been addressed among the district administration and board. We are working diligently to get the steps into place to make that happen.
Coleman: Funding is one of the biggest problems facing the school. The state is not funding the fund balance, and now the state is looking to use some of the funding for charter schools and private schools. Curriculum and how children learn the information are also some of the biggest issues.
Allen: I really do not see any problems in the district. If there are problems that arise, I will address them in the best way to resolve.
Why should voters elect you to this position?
Horton: I am a hard worker and dedicated to doing the best job I can as a board member. I am eager to learn about what I can do to ensure that the students get the best education possible.
Coleman: I have experience with several years on the board. I’m always trying to make things better for our staff and the children who attend the school.
Allen: I was a parent of four children, three who attended Sunrise, and I have grandchildren there now. I do have time to spend in any way needed, and I will continue to do the best for Sunrise.
List your goals, if elected.
Horton: My goals are to learn and educate myself on the best resources we can get for the education of our children. Personally, I would like to see our literacy program improve, and I will do whatever it takes to work with our administration to make that happen, whether it be as a board member or a parent.
Coleman: I will work to get additional funding, to get facilities upgraded, find ways to better educate students and maintain small classroom sizes, keeping that ratio of teacher versus students.
Allen: My goal is to do the best job on the school board and continue to lead Sunrise in the best direction for everyone.
