Voters in the Windsor C-1 School District will get to select a replacement for longtime Board of Education member Steve Meinberg, who decided not to file for another three-year term after serving 16 years.
The other incumbent, Christina (Chris) Casey, is running for her second term. Others seeking one of the two seats up for election this spring are Melanie Willis, frequent candidate Charles Huey and Kari Lynn Meece.
CASEY, 52, lives in Imperial. She and her husband, Sean, have two children. She is a Realtor with Keller Williams St. Louis. A 1988 graduate of Fox High School, she received a bachelor’s degree in communications management from Missouri State University in 1992.
WILLIS, 36, lives in Imperial. She and her husband, David, have two children. She is a former teacher in the Wentzville School District. She received an associate degree from St. Charles Community College and a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri.
HUEY, 37, lives in Arnold. He and his wife, Becky, have two sons. He is a sergeant for the Missouri Department of Corrections. He is a 2007 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and a 2018 graduate of that university’s Law Enforcement Academy.
His wife worked as a substitute teacher for the school district from 2004-2011 and 2019-2020.
MEECE, 41, lives in Imperial. She and her husband, Chad, have two children. She is a global director for Total Talent Management in St. Louis.
A 1998 graduate of Windsor School District, she received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Missouri State University in 2001 and took classes toward a master’s degree at the New School University Milano Graduate School of Urban Policy and Human Resources Management.
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Casey: I am finishing my first full term as a board member. I have learned so much and have more to accomplish. I am the president of the Women’s Council of Realtors, St. Louis Network. I am a small business owner for more than 30 years, managing financial and human resources. I have been a Girl Scout leader, small group leader at our church, room mother and Project Graduation volunteer.
Willis: My career in public education (as a teacher and support staff member), and retail management would give the district a fresh perspective and new ideas. I have written and implemented curriculum and have an understanding of the diverse needs of our students. I have experience in payroll and hiring and developing employees. I am also a disability rights advocate and serve on the Spina Bifida of St. Louis board.
Huey: I have represented Subdistrict 5 on the board of Public Water Supply District No. 10 and have been or am a member of the Chaffee Planning and Zoning Board, the Missouri Correctional Officer Association, the Arnold KC, the National Gang Investigators Association, the Windsor Elementary and Intermediate PTOs and have been a Windsor Watch Dog.
Meece: I have lived in the district for 35 years. I graduated from Windsor and now am the parent of two students. I volunteered for 16 years to help the drama club, marching band, football team and various fundraisers and coached the Junior Owls cheerleaders. I chaired local disability and professional organizations. I have 21 years of experience hiring, developing and managing employees, designing and facilitating training and have managed multimillion-dollar budgets.
What are the biggest problems facing the district and how would you address them?
Casey: Our families have more options than ever when it comes to their children’s education. We must continue to work hard to make Windsor C-1 School District the choice of students and families. That starts with being able to retain and recruit high-quality teachers. We must work to be the leader in providing the most attractive salaries, benefits and quality working conditions.
Willis: Recruiting and retaining quality employees. We are competing against higher wages of other school districts as well as other careers. Some ways to address this would be increasing pay and benefits and being transparent by reflecting current salaries on the district website. Surveying current employees and those leaving should help us reflect on our strengths and weaknesses. We should use recruitment and retention grants. Some other options could be partnering with Jefferson College or hiring our own students for an on-campus work program.
Huey: Our test scores fell by 10 percent this past year. We must make sure children are being taught to succeed when they graduate. Parents need to be involved in their children’s education, not shut out. Every two years, the board approve the curriculums. I would like to see an annual town hall meeting to give parents a voice in what they want to see taught. It is our job to teach the children how to think, not what to think. We also need to retain and recruit substitute teachers by paying more and possibly giving them benefits.
Meece: Hiring key roles, identifying opportunities for project efficiency or reducing waste in budget. We also need to improve test scores, student experiences and prepare them for the workforce. We need to continue to support and develop our educators as they face many challenges.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Casey: As a mom and small business owner, I have an interest in the success of the district. I will continue to keep the needs of students and staff as my top priority. I will seek to hire a post-secondary counselor to help students find the best path after high school – a trade, college or military service. I will continue to support the progress we are making to upgrade our technology and building improvements.
Willis: My experience as a teacher and special-needs mom has given me knowledge of students’ diverse learning needs, and I would always focus on what is best for the students. My goals would be to:
■ Recruit and retain quality teachers.
■ Advocate for students and staff, including mental health support.
■ Increase safety, security and building maintenance.
■ Maintain a balanced budget and low class sizes.
■ Examine expenses in relationship to student success.
■ Work to reduce achievement gaps.
■ Provide opportunities for college, career and technical school readiness.
■ Increase technology and instructional resources.
Huey: I will be a voice for the parents and students and will work to make sure they are given the education they need to succeed. I will never vote for any type of mandate (mask or vaccines for students or staff). I will never vote to do virtual learning or closing the school down and I will work to keep Critical Race Theory out of our curriculum. I will work with parents to keep them involved in their children’s education.
Meece: I will work to hire key roles in the district, with candidates with experience and skill but also who are aligned to our values and meet required competencies. I will review the budget and projects to determine what waste can be reallocated to improve education and staff development. I would also love to use my creativity to refresh outdated policies, processes and programs.
Do you support Proposition Windsor 2022, a $20 million bond issue extension on the April ballot? Why or why not?
Casey: Yes, the proposed “no tax increase” issue will allow the borrowing power to improve our technology infrastructure, to provide special education and sensory classrooms and a new gym at the Intermediate Center. Additional classrooms will be added at the Middle School and renovations to the fitness-athletic complex will include additional tennis courts. Renovations to the band, choir and art rooms are planned and additional playgrounds will be built. Every student will benefit.
Willis: Yes, as this is a “no tax increase” bond extension that will help fund additional classrooms for our growing student population, but not at an additional cost to taxpayers. The bond issue will also help fund technology upgrades and security. It’s important that our district continues to provide up-to-date technology resources and provide a safer learning environment with additional security measures. Investing responsibly in education now is imperative to the future success of all students.
Huey: I do not support the bond extension. We are dealing with inflation rate and increases of gas and groceries. The district has to do as everyone else – spend within its means. But the people have the right to decide and if they approve it, I will respect that decision. If I am elected, I will make sure I get our residents the best deal I can.
Meece: Yes, it’s important to stay on the cutting edge to give our students the best opportunities and experiences. It’s been too long since major improvements have been made to this school. I want to set our students up for success.
What letter grade would you give your school board on its policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic? Why?
Casey: A. Schools have trained for years on how to handle earthquakes, tornadoes, fires and active shooters. No one had a playbook for how to handle COVID-19. We did the best we could by the students, teachers and staff with the information that we were given. We never had to shut a building down due to an outbreak. We all can agree that our children need to be in school and it was my goal to have them back in school as quickly as possible.
Willis: B. The district has done a great job of keeping our kids in school five days a week this year. Last year, students lost instructional time due to hybrid learning and frequent quarantines. Communication also was excellent last year, but less communication took place this year. Our administrators, teachers, nurses and support staff members have worked tirelessly to keep our children safe, and their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. Educators did an amazing job in being flexible and quick to transition when students were homebound.
Huey: B+. I applaud the board and superintendent on getting kids back to school and keeping masks optional throughout the school year. If I was on the board, I would not have taken any advice from the Jefferson County Health Department as they did not give specific guidance to the district. I attend board meetings and fought to keep children with individual education plans in in-person learning. I would not have closed school down.
Meece: B+. The board did fantastic throughout the pandemic. There’s always room to improve. I would like to enhance what was done with the focus on professional development geared to improving test scores and student experiences.