Bob Gruenewald has resigned his seat on the Fox C-6 Board of Education, and the remaining six board members are seeking applications from those interested in filling the vacancy until the April 2022 election.
Gruenewald, who was elected to the school board last June after the April election was postponed two months because of
COVID-19, did not return a call for comment.
However, in his May 19 resignation letter to the board, Gruenewald said school board policy required him to relinquish his seat in order for his “family members to have the opportunity to seek future advancement within their career, for which they have worked diligently.”
According to the Leader election survey Gruenewald completed before last year’s school board election, he had three relatives employed by the district – his daughter, Heather Schwalbe, a guidance counselor at Fox High School; his son-in-law, Patrick Schwalbe, a principal at Ridgewood Middle School; and his daughter, Lindsay Gruenewald, a teacher at Clyde Hamrick Elementary School.
Fox Superintendent Nisha Patel said the district does not disclose what employees apply for promotions. However, she said there is an assistant principal opening at Fox High following Gina Buehner’s promotion to principal at Clyde Hamrick Elementary School, replacing Elizabeth Anderson, who is retiring.
Bob Gruenewald, who retired from the district after working there as teacher, coach, principal and assistant superintendent, said he didn’t think having family members working for the district would be a conflict when he ran for the board seat.
“This did not seem to be a problem at the time of the decision to run for the board seat; however, the issue has become more prevalent,” he said in his resignation letter.
According to school board policy, no person will be newly employed or appointed to a position in the district if the person is related within the fourth degree to a school board member, superintendent, assistant superintendent or any person with rank equal to an assistant superintendent. However, if a person already was a district employee when his or her relative was elected to the board, that employee may continue employment and be hired for extra-duty positions or may be allowed to change positions in the district as long as the change is not considered a promotion.
Relatives of the fourth degree include parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents, spouse, children, siblings, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles and first cousins by blood relationship or marriage.
The board voted 5-0 at a May 21 “emergency” meeting to accept
Gruenewald’s resignation. His term on the board was to end in April 2023.
Both Gruenewald and board member Carole Yount were absent from the meeting, which was held via the Zoom videoconference app.
In his letter, Gruenewald said he enjoyed serving on the board.
“Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to such an incredible organization,” he said. “I have truly valued the opportunity to work with such a strong and dedicated team and wish I could continue the endeavor we all share, working and caring for our Fox C-6 School District future generation.”
The board also voted May 21 to give people 10 days to apply to be appointed to the vacant seat. Those applications are available starting Monday, and will be accepted through 4 p.m. Friday, June 4. The board will interview applicants during an open meeting on June 15 and then select one to fill the seat, according to board documents.
Applications to fill the seat are available at the Central Office, 745 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold. They also are available on the district’s website at fox.k12.mo.us. Applications must be turned in to board secretary Judy Turney at the Central Office.
Board members will receive copies of all the applications on June 7 so they may review them. The board expects to swear in the new board member on June 15, following the interviews and appointment.
To be eligible to serve on the board, applicants must be at least 24 years old; must be a U.S. citizen; must have lived in Missouri for at least a year; must be a Fox district resident and taxpayer; must not be delinquent on any state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes or real property taxes on their home, and if applicants were a past or present corporate officer of any fee office, that office cannot be delinquent on any state taxes.
In addition, applicants must not have been guilty of a felony under federal or Missouri law or under another state law that would be considered a felony in Missouri. Applicants may not be registered or required to be registered as a sex offender under state law. Applicants also must have filed all required campaign disclosure reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission, when applicable, for all previous elections in which they were a candidate.