Jamestown C-1 School Board Candidate Melissa Miller
Years with address in the school district: My family and I made the move to Missouri 18 months ago from Petersburg, Illinois
High school graduated from: I graduated from PORTA High School in Petersburg, Illinois
Occupation and title/position: I have been a stay at home mom for 13 years. Prior to that I worked as a paraprofessional.
Family: My husband Kyle and I have 7 children, 6 who are still at home.
Leadership experience: I have played a leadership role in several different ways. A couple of my most recent are, heading up the annual county Easter Egg Hunt in Menard County and helping lead worship in my current church.
Volunteer experience: I have volunteered in several different areas. Some of them include; Town and Country Womens Club, church organizations, Petersburg Athletic Association, school PTO's, and Jamestown Summer Rec.
Why run for school board? I care about the school my children attend, and want to play a vital role in the school district.
Why is public education important? Without public education, there would be many students left without an education at all. It is imperative to have a strong education system to teach the next generation who will be our future.
What skills or knowledge do you possess that could benefit the district? Having worked in public schools and on numerous volunteer organizations, I feel confident I would be an asset on the board working together for the betterment of our school.
What are the district's strengths and weaknesses? As a parent newer to the district the strength I have seen is the student teacher ratio. It has helped my children immensely. The weakness I have seen is the need for teachers with certification completed and teachers for every class offered.
What issues are most important to you? A few that I find important are; Keeping a positive work environment for all teachers and staff, the need for parent involvement with parents feeling their concerns and ideas are valid, a knowledge for all teachers and staff concerning special education needs, and the school to be a safe and happy learning environment for all students.
What else should voters know about you before they go to the polls? I would like the voters to know my commitment to education is real and I will work extremely hard to help the board make our district the very best it can be. I have 6 really good reasons for wanting a strong school board. My husband and I will have 16 more years of public school involvement.
Jamestown C-1 School Board Candidate LouAnn Wolfe
Years with address in the school district: 19 years in district; 33 years in Moniteau County
High school graduated from: Benton County R-I-Cole Camp
Occupation and title/position: Retired educator in the areas of Language Arts and Media Studies (School Librarian)
Family: I live north of Jamestown with my husband, Danny; I also have three adult stepchildren and seven grandchildren
Leadership experience: I have served one term on the Jamestown C-I school board
Volunteer experience: Moniteau County Public Library Board of Trustees; Friends of Moniteau County Library Services; Mt. Zion Cemetery board; English as Second Language Instruction volunteer; Jamestown Retirement Housing Board.
Why run for school board? My motivation for running for our school board stems from my continued interest in the well-being of our school district and how it can serve our district's students.
Why is public education important? A public education is important because it provides the opportunity for every child to receive an education regardless of location, race, academic ability, and economic situation.
What skills or knowledge do you possess that could benefit the district? I retired from the Jamestown C-I district in 2018 after teaching twenty-nine years there of my thirty year career. I am interested in serving on the district board as a way to see how a district operates from a different vantage point. I am invested and interested in the education of our students and I want to continue to serve on the board.
What are the district's strengths and weaknesses? I believe one of the Jamestown district's strengths is the very strong parent and community interest in the school; pride in our school is quite evident; another strength is a dedicated faculty and staff population who have worked hard to provide a challenging education to our students; yet another strength is out administrative team that is quite proactive to build and maintain a strong program to ensure the students' safety and well-being. A weakness of our district is the difficulty of attracting certified staff in some content areas which I know is a common issue with many smaller districts currently.
What issues are most important to you? The purpose of a school is to provide an education to its students in order to go out into the world and compete with their peers from any other school district in whatever post or school endeavor they choose from military service, technical school, college or the workplace. It's important that public school programs challenge these students to learn to think and to create an atmosphere in which work ethic is just as important as any skill.
What else should voters know about you before they go to the polls? Each school board member operates as part of a team that provides general supervision of a district and decisions must be supportive of the educational well-being of all of the district's students. It was my privilege to teach the students of the Jamestown C-I district for many years and it is certainly a privilege to be considered for the district's school board.
Jamestown C-1 School Board Candidate Lucas Coonce
Years with address in the school district: I have lived in Jamestown all my life.
High school graduated from: I graduated Jamestown school in 2003.
Occupation and title/position: I have been a union carpenter since graduating. I work for Imhoff Construction out of Jamestown.
Family: I have two kids that attend the school and my wife works there as a secretary.
What issues are most important to you? I feel that there are several issues that affect schools these days that need to be addressed. More so on a higher level than on a school board, but you have to start somewhere to ask a difference.
What else should voters know about you before they go to the polls? All I could try to accomplish is a good work environment for staff and the best decisions for the students.
Jamestown C-1 School Board Candidate Regina Ann Baepler
Years with address in the school district: I have lived in Jamestown area most of my life (35 years).
High school graduated from: I attended Jamestown School district up until the 11th grade. I graduated from high school out of state. My husband Mike Baepler attended Jamestown C- 1 from K-12.
Occupation and title/position: homemaker/substitute teacher.
Family: I have a husband and six children. I have four children, seven nieces, and one nephew who currently attend Jamestown C-1 School District. Including my children we have 12 family members that span from elementary to high school covering almost every grade. I am invested!
Leadership experience: I have worked 10 years as a tutor for Classical Conversations and 2½ years as a Director of Classical Conversations. Recently, I substitute teach.
Volunteer experience: Before I was married I went on several mission trips to Russia. We brought Bibles and medical supplies to hospitals and orphanages. I have also volunteered three summers at youth camps. I have volunteered at a Pregnancy Crisis Center for two years and volunteered for eight years helping my family put on the Leon Deraps Memorial Walk/ Run for the Good Citizenship Scholarship awarded to Jamestown senior recipients. I am also a church member, and have volunteered on the worship team and other church related activities. I am an active member of the Jamestown PTO and I attend Jamestown School Districts Board meetings.
Why run for school board? The Jamestown community really reached out and supported the Leon Deraps Memorial Walk/Run in memory of my brother Leon Deraps -- a 2005 Jamestown graduate killed in action in Iraq on May 6, 2006. As a public servant, it is my way of giving back to the community. I would like to serve on the Jamestown School board to maintain community involvement and employment in our school district. I would like to support the board in maintaining qualified and certified staff. I would like to support the teachers in maintaining resources and support they need to stay successful. And most importantly I would like to support the students, who are our future, by ensuring every student in our district the same opportunities that all students deserve.
Why is public education important? Public education is vital in maintaining healthy communities. Schools support children and families to grow and be successful.
What skills or knowledge do you possess that could benefit the district? I have the benefit of being a long time resident of the Jamestown Community. I have worked in education. I care about children and want to make sure their learning environment is a place that allows them to grow and be successful.
What are the district's strengths and weaknesses? The Jamestown school district is filled with teachers and families that truly care about the education of their children. Jamestown school district has small class sizes which can benefit students learning. They have many opportunities for students to grow and succeed. Jamestown School District employs several community members and it is a vital place of employment in the small town of Jamestown. The challenges that many districts face is the national teacher and staff shortage. Pulling resources from our own community is imperative. Maintaining qualified, certified staff is imperative for the success of our students.
What issues are most important to you? The success of the the students and the communities continued involvement in the school district as well as teachers having the needed support and resources. The challenge that face all schools, not just the Jamestown school district, is the long term strategic planning to maintain a healthy school district. This includes qualified and certified staff and teachers that understand rural schools.
What else should voters know about you before they go to the polls? I will do my best job as a board member to represent the district and the needs of the community.
The Jamestown C-I School District has one other candidate running for school board: Jedidiah Willouer.
Submitted Regina Ann Baepler