The Fox C-6 School District’s Board of Education is facing some challenges this year.
In addition to having to respond to educational issues caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the board was told in December that if revenue and spending trends do not change, the district is projected to have a negative fund balance by the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
In addition, Superintendent Nisha Patel announced that she would leave to take a similar position with Clayton, effective July 1. She will have served two years as the district’s superintendent after three years as an assistant superintendent.
With all that going on, it’s perhaps not surprising that voters will have an array of choices when it comes to selecting two members of the school board in the April 6 election.
Both incumbents, Vicki Hanson and James (Jim) Chellew, are running for their second three-year terms. Hanson is a former assistant superintendent for the district and Chellew is a former superintendent.
They will be challenged by James (Jim) Osia, Shannon Ponzar, Richard (Rick) Lamborn, Travis Lintner, Whendy Moore and April Moeckel.
School board members are unpaid.
HANSON, 69, lives in Imperial. She and her husband, John, have two children and 10 grandchildren. Before the pandemic, she was a part-time educational consultant to special needs students in public schools throughout the state. She retired from Fox C-6 in 2008, having served as a special education administrator and teacher. She’s also worked in other public schools and for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
She received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1974, a master’s degree in education from St. Louis University in 1984 and a master’s degree from Penn State University in applied behavior analysis in 2003.
Her daughter, Jennifer Ward, is a teacher at Fox Middle School.
OSIA, 46, lives in Arnold. He and his wife, Gina, have one child. He works in manufacturing at True Manufacturing. He attended St. Louis Community College in 1993.
PONZAR, 46, lives in Arnold. She and her husband, John, a physical education teacher at Guffey Elementary, have three children. She has been a school director at Creative Expressions Learning Center in Imperial since 2009. She has an associate degree from Jefferson College and received a bachelor’s degree in child development from Southeast Missouri State University in 1997.
LAMBORN, 62, lives in Fenton. He and his wife, Judy, have four children and five grandchildren. He has been the distribution manager for 22 years for Joyce Meyer Ministries and umpires high school baseball and softball. He graduated from Penn Manor High School in Millersville, Pa., then from Stevens State School of Technology. He also took numerous classes in business, economics, and computer sciences at Millersville University in Pennsylvania.
LINTNER, 37, lives in Arnold. He and his wife, Melissa, have two children. He is a drafting manager at G Lighting, a commercial lighting company. A 2002 graduate of Fox High School, he earned an associate degree in computer-aided drafting from ITT Technical Institute.
MOORE, 71, lives in Arnold. She is a widow with two children and seven grandchildren. She is a retired executive administrative assistant from Wells Fargo Advisors. She has an associate degree from St. Louis Community College.
MOECKEL, 43, lives in Barnhart. She and her husband, Rick, have four children. She describes herself as a “full-time domestic engineer,” who also works part-time in real estate marketing. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2001.
She has worked for the district as a substitute teacher.
CHELLEW, 72, lives in Imperial. He and his wife, Emily, have three children and four grandchildren. He works for Missouri Baptist University at the Arnold Regional Learning Center as a site coordinator and professor of education and education administration. Chellew was a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent for the district for 31 years before he retired. He is a 1967 graduate of Fox High School, received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Central Methodist University in 1972, an elementary teacher certification from University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1974, a master’s degree in elementary school principal from Northeast Missouri State in 1978, and a school superintendent certification from University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2001.
His nephew, Chris Conway, is a teacher for the district.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Hanson: I have served on the board since 2018, holding the office of president this year. I’ve been the delegate to the Missouri School Boards Association the first two years. I’ve worked as an OASIS tutor and teach Sunday School at my church. I’m a member of the Kiwanis Club of Arnold.
Osia: I am a member of the University of Missouri Extension Council and volunteer with Brenden’s Friday Backpacks, Watchdogs (Dads of Great Students), the Simpson PTO and Seckman Middle PTO. I was on the original Comprehensive School Improvement Plan committee.
Ponzar: I am an active part of this community and district. As a preschool director, I have hosted many community events. I am a member of the Arnold Chamber of Commerce, participated in the Jefferson County Library preschool fair and helping with a Fox clothing drive during the 2016 flood.
Lamborn: I have served as chair and currently serve as the vice chair on the Jefferson County Board of Zoning Adjustment. I am a member of the Greater St Louis Association of Umpires and a registered official with the Missouri State High School Activities Association. I have led numerous outreach events in St. Louis for my church.
Lintner: My volunteer efforts have varied through flood relief, tornado damage clean-up, assisted in coaching of children’s soccer and football and as a Cub Scout den leader. The profession I have been in for almost 15 years demands attentional to detail. It is in the details, that I hope to find solutions.
Moore: I am retired with grown children and grandchildren so I have more time than in previous years. I have many years of business experience, from running a real estate office to working on the Wells Fargo trading floor.
Moeckel: I was an elementary teacher from 2001-2004, and then decided to stay home to raise my four children. I have mentored young women, taught Bible studies, youth group, coached basketball and attended missionary trips. I have served on parent committees for the district and church.
Chellew: In addition to serving as a teacher, principal and superintendent and now school board member, I serve in the following community service positions: Arnold Rotary Club, Arnold Kiwanis Club, Boy Scouts District Committee Eagle Board of Review and am a board member of the C-6 Educational Foundation.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Hanson: Finances, improving student achievement and maintaining and improving facilities. We need to get input from all stakeholders to ensure that their voices are heard. In finance, we need to decrease expenditures and increase revenues, keeping resources at buildings as much as possible, so we must determine what is essential. To improve achievement, we must look at data to determine areas of weakness, then develop an action plan with strategies in curriculum, professional development, instruction and resources. A master plan should be developed for building maintenance and facilities to identify ongoing maintenance as well as renovations or repair.
Osia: ■ Fund balances have been declining for a while: A thorough audit needs to be done to see where improvements could and should be made.
■ Improving test scores: A thorough look into why test scores have been declining needs to be done so we can improve them.
■ Building maintenance. A clear and concise funding plan needs to be adopted so we maintain better than what has been done in the past.
■ Transparency. Be as open as possible as law and policy allow.
■ Proposition P spending: Get long-term value for every dollar spent
Ponzar: Our biggest problem facing the district is hiring a superintendent who knows how to help our community thrive is critical. We need increased fiscal responsibility. I want to be part of making decisions that help us grow. Our teachers and students deserve to feel supported so they can succeed.
Lamborn: Currently the biggest problems involve facilities and spending. The chief financial officer stated that unless changes are made, we will have a negative fund balance by the end of the 2024-2025 school year. This means that virtually everything needs to be looked at and reevaluated. I will ask a lot of questions and listen to everyone, including other board members, administrators, teachers, parents, students and taxpayers to get as many different perspectives as possible to make the best decisions. I also want to hear about any curriculum concerns as well.
Lintner: Our financial trajectory looks bleak without a course correction. I would like us to be wiser about how we spend. Technology is a wonderful tool with endless financial ramifications and should not be the core of our education. I’m a fan of books, guaranteed to work every time they’re opened. Rising construction costs, coupled with technology support, will culminate with something having to give. We are an economically diverse district and should spend with that in mind. Trying to keep up with districts lacking the same challenges has sent us into a financial tailspin. Our greatness is in our grit.
Moore: The downfall of our schools with indoctrination of socialism and the continual overspending of tax dollars with exorbitant salaries and unnecessary hiring of family and friends to create new positions that have nothing to do with helping children. I would address these by making teachers accountable and using taxpayer money much more wisely. I believe in keeping schools on track with goals that affect both children and school policies. We need to have schools run more like a business but that is obviously not what is happening.
Moeckel: The budget is of great concern. We need to educate the public on how the budget operates. I believe knowledge is power regarding making wise and responsible decisions. I would see that the Prop P money is spent on what it was passed for, and the finance committee that has been formed follows through with creating a financial spending plan to help the board be fiscally responsible.
Chellew: Our top priority is getting or students and staff back in school safely. We are beginning to make significant progress in that area. What is most important now is what we can do to ensure that the pandemic has no long-term negative impact on learning. We need to develop a plan for providing extra support for those students who have fallen behind at the K-8 level. At the high school level, we need provide remediation for students who have fallen behind and develop a method for limiting long-term damage to students’ grade point averages.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Hanson: I keep an open mind and heart. I ask questions so that I can make informed decisions. My priority is making student-centered decisions. My approach is positive with administration, staff and parents. I’m honest, experienced and practical. My experience in education, as well as those of a parent and grandparent, give me insight into service as a board member. My goals are improving achievement, finance and communication with all stakeholders, creating success for all students in an environment that supports them and all staff.
Osia: For seven years, I have been a voice at the podium at board meetings and out in the community. I listen to the community, staff and students. I will continue to do so. The community will not have to question my loyalty. I will only have the best interest of the taxpayers, students and staff when I help make decisions. I plan on having town hall meetings frequently to hear from taxpayers, community members, students and staff.
Ponzar: I am committed to helping to find a superintendent who knows our community and is committed to staying long term to support our children, families and educators. I want to ensure our students have a quality education and that we can provide the best tools and resources for our classrooms while at the same time protecting taxpayers. I want to ensure we can attract and retain top staff.
Lamborn: I will bring a conservative perspective to the board. Currently, the board consists of members who are either past or current educators, and I will bring a solution-minded business background to fill the void. My goals:
■ Balance the budget without impacting quality of education.
■ Retain the new superintendent for the long term.
■ Improve facilities and plan for capital improvements.
■ Value the dedicated teachers and staff.
■ Promote a quality but never an anti-American curriculum.
I would accomplish these goals with the involvement of administrators, teachers, parents, students and taxpayers, which will help restore trust.
Lintner: I am a longtime member of this community with a vested interest in the district as both a graduate and now a parent who wants to inject common sense into the conversation. My interest in the position is rooted in a genuine concern for our children, both mine and the other students. My goal is to get feedback from the parents, faculty and community. I am volunteering the time to partake in what I feel is my civic duty to hopefully make a difference, and maybe inspire others to do the same.
Moore: I have many years of business experience. I am also a strong individual who will fight for our children as well as our community to rid ourselves of the liberal views they are now being taught and the continual overspending of our tax dollars. I would address these by making teachers accountable and using taxpayer money much more wisely.
Moeckel: By electing me, the board would more diverse, with fresh ideas and outlooks on solutions and problems. With four kids in the district, I am already involved and understand what our children are going through and how they are learning and would be a voice for parents. I am approachable and relatable and this builds working relationships with parents and teachers, along with more community support and engagement.
Chellew: I have spent my life serving this community as a teacher. school administrator, professor of education and in volunteer service. My understanding of the community and my extensive experience in education, both at the K-12 level and higher education level, positions me to bring a perspective that can be especially supportive to our district moving forward in achieving both short-term and long-term goals that include improving student achievement, using community resources effectively and efficiently, providing a safe and inviting learning environment and building trust through transparent communication.
What letter grade would you give your school board on its policy regarding virtual vs. in-classroom learning during the current school year, and why?
Hanson: A. The school board did not have a policy regarding the re-entry plan. Dr. Patel designed it, with input from staff, parents and administration. The district has been responsive to the needs of students, parents and staff while navigating the challenges of the pandemic. This has been extremely difficult because information changes rapidly. As a board, we listened, asked questions and supported Dr. Patel as she made the necessary decisions to keep our students in school. The flexible learning plan allowed parents to choose all-virtual or an in-person plan, which could (and did) change based on the rate of COVID.
Osia: C. Having our daughter, a seventh grader, experience both first in-person and now virtual gives, some insight to how both were done. There is room for improvement if the district chooses to continue next year. Expecting to have teachers do one or the other was a miscalculation. Having some teachers do both can and does lead to confusion, not only for the student but for the parents as well. This is not the teachers’ fault but more the system put in place. I commend teachers who are trying their best to implement the system.
Ponzar: C. There was definitely good and bad in the decisions that were made for this school year. Each school was given the opportunity to pick their own technological programs. This was very difficult for our teachers to make sure they knew each program. All schools should have had the same system for all children. The social and emotional aspect was not taken into account for our children. The board should help to come up with helpful ways to help our children who are struggling and help the superintendent to implement these ideas.
Lamborn: C. Hindsight is always 20/20 and at the onset of the pandemic, no one really knew how dangerous COVID was and how long the pandemic would last. Given the multiple, conflicting directives, the board acted appropriately to keep everyone safe. Once it was determined that kids and healthy adults are seldom more adversely affected than a bad case of the flu, and balancing that with the dangers of isolation and the impact on families, I would have encouraged everyone to get back to a normal schedule as quickly as possible using common-sense protocols.
Lintner: This year has been a testament to the grit of our students, faculty and parents. The adversity was immense in the face of something that many of us could not fully understand. The uncertainty of the risks I can relate to, as well the disdain for a threat that seems to be an ever-moving target. No perfect answer would have pleased everyone. The board did the best it could to appeal to those concerns with options. An average C overall, but I would give an A-plus to five days in at this point and moving forward.
Moore: D-minus on its policy regarding virtual vs. in-class learning. Our district was way too compliant to government suggestions. Social distancing was not necessary so parents who were fearful should have had a choice rather than it being mandatory for every student to participate in virtual learning. COVID affects very few school-age children, so masks were completely unnecessary.
Moeckel: I don’t believe a letter grade is the way to judge the board regarding this unprecedented time. A board that is divided on virtual learning vs. in-class learning does not put forth a clear path to educate students. Emotional, social and anxiety issues have been on the rise due to the lack of direction and different rules from day to day. I am happy that we are moving to five days for students K-5 students and the administration has done a great job navigating the situation to get the kids back as soon as possible.
Chellew: A for effort. The board's first obligation is to provide a safe environment for students and staff. This pandemic has been a challenge unlike anything I have ever experienced. By providing face-to-face and virtual instruction or a combination and other safeguards, the board addressed its first obligation. The academic program was far more challenging and was different for individual students based on their circumstances. Although the program wasn’t ideal for any of our students, some were able to excel while others suffered emotionally and academically.
How will you help foster a good working relationship between the board and the district's next superintendent?
Hanson: I will work to build consensus between the board, the superintendent and other administrators. This can be done by being respectful and accepting differences of opinion. All of us have a shared vision and mission, but we may disagree about how to get there. Having different perspectives is a good thing, because it forces us to consider all options prior to making decisions. As a board member it is also important to represent the needs of our constituents, sharing those views with the superintendent. The board and the superintendent need to work together as a team.
Osia: First, I would get to know the new superintendent. Get to know their style, goals and personality. Let them know the same in return. There will be times that the board and superintendent will bump heads, but having open and civil discussion will need to be done to move the district forward. I would just let them do their job and not hinder their work, but reign in when needed.
Ponzar: The role of a board member is to support the children, teachers and the superintendent. The children must be why they are there. I will help to ensure fiscal responsibility and help the superintendent make tough decisions. This will help our district become stronger over time. We need board members with a strong understanding of how to help the superintendent stick to a budget and what needs are most important. I will be able to make difficult decisions that are in the best interest of the children and our teachers without any bias or influence from outside interest.
Lamborn: Fundamental to establishing a good working relationship is open and honest communication. The board must focus on the big picture and allow the new superintendent the freedom to run the day-to-day operations without interference, as long as they stay within their boundaries. There must be total transparency and as a united board, we should assist the entire team of administrators, teachers and staff to get on board and work with the new superintendent in any way they can. We all must also be available to parents, students and the community as well.
Lintner: Communication is key. We should provide a concise message as far as our expectations in policy, curriculum and implementation. If our superintendent follows the responsibilities of their job with accountability, I see no reason for contention. It is the duty of the board to have oversight. History has shown us what happens when the board falls short of that. My hope is that the community can begin to see it in this light and that we all can all move on to solve the problems that we are facing.
Moore: I would love to help foster a good relationship between the board and our district’s next superintendent by enforcing a Teach America First agenda.
Moeckel: A good working relationship with the next superintendent comes with support, community involvement, a diverse perspective and collaboration with everyone on the board to find common ground to make the best decisions for students and their progress.
Chellew: Fostering a supportive relationship between the superintendent and board that is built on the common goal of preparing our students for a quality and productive life is essential. The board is legally obligated to perform three functions – approve all expenditures, approve the employment of all personnel and approve all policies. The board relies on the superintendent’s expertise to bring forward recommendations in all these areas that serve to prepare our children for success in life and ultimately achieve the district’s mission.