3 will vie for 2 seats on Cape board

~ Several school districts won't have to hold an election on April 4 because the races aren't contested.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education will have at least one new face this April because incumbent William Bird didn't file for re-election after a decade on the board.

Voters will choose April 4 among three candidates for two three-year terms on the board: incumbent Charles Bertrand, Dr. Twila Brown and Kyle McDonald.

Tuesday was the filing deadline for candidates to run for school boards in Southeast Missouri. Each area school district has two seats to fill.

Bird, pastor of Greater Dimension Church, was first elected to the board in 1996. He said he's stepping down at a time when the district is moving ahead under the direction of new superintendent Dr. David Scala.

"I believe we have a good superintendent at the helm now," Bird said.

Bertrand, owner of Spanish Street Mercantile antique store and a retired school superintendent, is completing a one-year term on the school board.

Bertrand would like to boost teacher salaries. "Let's look at our priorities," he said of the school district's $38 million budget.

He said he spent the first year just learning about the district's operations and finances. "It takes a little while to get in-volved and know what is going on," Bertrand said.

Brown, an assistant professor in the nursing department at Southeast Missouri State University, has three daughters in the school system. Her daughters are in ninth, seventh and third grades.

Brown said friends encouraged her to run. "Education is one of the most important things to me," she said, adding that she wants to be involved in the community.

She's married to a physician, Dr. Randy Brown.

McDonald, a pharmaceutical salesman, has two daughters -- an 8-year-old in third grade and a 5-year-old who will start kindergarten next year.

"I always have believed if you truly want to make a difference in your child's life you should become more involved in school," he said.

"I am investing my time in my daughters' futures," said McDonald.

His wife, Amy, has served as president of the parent-teacher organization at Clippard Elementary School for the past two years.

McDonald views the school board as a vehicle to learn more about the school system.

In Jackson, voters won't elect school board candidates. Incumbents Cathy Goodman and Brent Wills are running unopposed for three-year terms. It will be Goodman's second term and Wills' third term.

Under state law, school districts must hold elections only if there are more candidates than positions available.

Candidates for school board in other districts:

Delta

Aaron Helderman Jr., Carl Landewee, Jeff Trovillion, Diana Horn and incumbent Herbert Blattel Jr.

Nell Holcomb

Shannon Sinn, Lauren Reece and incumbent Jackie Foeste Payne.

Oak Ridge

Matt Puchbauer and incumbent Mike Light are running for the two seats. No election will be held.

Scott City

Keith Simpson, Roger Buckner, Gary Miller and incumbent Nancy Caldwell.

Chaffee

Jamie Wessel Nix, Mark Perkins and incumbent Donna Cannon.

Kelso

Incumbents Dayneen Glastetter and Patrick O'Brien are the only candidates for the two seats. No election will be held.

Oran

Eric Michelsen, Marty Priggel, Patrick Young and incumbent Carla Graviett.

Perryville

Keith Martin, Jerry Fulton, and incumbents James Bauwens and Kevin Bachmann.

Altenburg

Incumbents Mary Hunt and Richard Weber are running for re-election to the two seats. No election will be held.

Kelly

Jennifer Gadberry and incumbent Jim Simmons are running for the two seats. No election will be held.

Leopold

Cori Stoverink, Danny James and incumbents Sheila Irvin and Jean Clubb.

Meadow Heights

Dalton Denman, Stephen Garland, Marca Starkey-Overbey and incumbents Robert Wilson and Terry Wagner.

Zalma

Aaron Lemons, Danny Sitze, and incumbents Dale Fish and Steve Dickinson.

Woodland

Dale Long and incumbents Doug Faulkner and Mark McCormick.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123