CANDIDATES GET CHANCE TO AIR VIEWS AT MONDAY'S FORUM

JACKSON, Mo. -- Interest in Jackson School District has shifted somewhat among the most recent slate of school board hopefuls from managing districtwide enrollment growth to planning for the future of the high school campus.

Incumbent Gerald Adams and challengers Donna Tidwell, Kevin Schaper, Mack Illers, James Woeltje, and Tom Liebeknecht are vying for positions on the board of education. Voters will elect two candidates to three-year terms in elections April 3.

For the past five years, most school board candidates have focused their campaigns on the need for the district to manage fast-paced enrollment growth.

But with the passage of a bond issue in November to fund renovations to R.O. Hawkins Junior High, coupled with recent planning meetings designed to prioritize issues identified by the community, staff and school board, this year's challengers say the school board needs to pay closer attention to expansion or relocation of the high school campus within the near future.

"The location of the high school now is such that growth and further expansion is limited," said Liebeknecht, a Millersville resident and the only candidate who lives outside of Jackson. "I think there comes a time when you have to say this facility is no longer going to meet our needs. They may not be there now with this high school, but they will be within about five years."

Liebeknecht and Schaper take the view that the district needs to plan for relocation rather than expansion. They are critical of the current school board's decision this year to purchase several homes near the school's campus for the purpose of additional parking space or future construction.

Schaper said it makes no sense to consider expansion when the district could lose a portion of the campus in the near future.

Although final plans have not been announced, he believes it is likely the Missouri Department of Transportation's planned expansion of Hwy. 34 from two to four lanes will completely landlock the campus and will mean the loss of a large portion of the high school practice field.

"When they four-lane that out, it obviously appears that green space is going to be gone," Schaper said. "Why should we be looking to buy more property and expand when we're going to lose a good portion of property?"

Instead, Schaper said the district should dedicate its budget to maintaining existing buildings and making them energy-efficient.

"We have buildings that could use more windows so that they could be more efficient, we've got leaks in the middle school roof," he said. "Let's just fix it instead of spending $67,000 on a house around the high school."

Tidwell said her top priority is the district's economic well-being and that the high school campus is safe and secure for students. She, too, is concerned about the recent land purchases, mainly because they have contributed to the reduction of available funds for operating expenses.

"They need to talk to people and get their opinion about it before they continue to purchase any land," Tidwell said. "They should have looked into planning for that with bond issues so it could be paid off over time instead of out of our general fund. I just see our general fund getting lower and lower."

But not all candidates are against expansion efforts at the high school campus. Illers and Woeltje said the high school is a vital component to the community's downtown area. The decision to purchase surrounding property as it becomes available is fiscally responsible, they said.

"There's room for expansion I think would take care of it for years to come," said Illers.

Woeltje said the school board has made decisions based upon the opinions of patrons and staff. "At this time, the school board is going in the right direction of involving people in the decision-making process as to what they want their schools to be," he said.

Adams was unavailable for comment. However, he has said in the past that the community made major investments in the campus when they approved funding for construction of the multipurpose and math and science buildings five years ago.

MEET THE JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES

Following is information about the candidates who will compete for two, three-year offices in elections April 3.

Donna Tidwell

Residence: Jackson

Spouse: Mark

Children: Matthew, 15, and Shawn, 10

Employer: Lee Rowan

Other public offices: First-time candidate

Memberships: Supports children's activities in Boy Scouts, recreational baseball and track

Kevin Schaper

Residence: Jackson

Spouse: Tammy

Children: Melissa, 12, Kyle, 9

Employer: Goodman Midwest sales manager

Other public offices: First-time candidate

Memberships:

Gerald Adams

Residence: Jackson

Spouse: Nancy

Children:

Employer: Nordenia USA

Other public offices: Incumbent completing first three-year term in office

Memberships: Parish Council of Immaculate Conception Church, Knights of Columbus, manager of the (Junior) American Legion baseball program

Mack Illers

Residence: Jackson

Spouse: Doris

Children: One adult daughter, Ashley, 15

Employer: Self-employed

Other public offices: Failed run for school board in April 2000

Memberships:

James Woeltje

Residence: Jackson

Spouse: Kathie

Children: Molly, 17

Employer: St. Paul Lutheran School/ Illmo United Methodist Church

Other public offices: First-time candidate

Memberships: Retired elementary school principal, Jackson Optimist Club, volunteer at Safe House for Women

Tom Liebeknecht

Residence: Millersville

Spouse: Gail

Children: Brandy, 15, Emily, 12, Brandon, 9

Employer: Missouri Dept. of Probation and Parole

Other public offices: First-time candidate

Memberships: Fairview Methodist Church, Masonic lodge, Jackson American Legion Post 158, coaches recreational sports for youth

WANT TO GO?

* WHAT:The 2001 "Meet the School Board Candidates" forum. The event is sponsored annually by the Jacksonian Charter Chapter of American Business Women's Association. This year's moderator will be Lisa Crane from KFVS-TV 12.

* WHEN:7 to 9 p.m. Monday.

* WHERE: Jackson Middle School Library.

* COST: Free

* INFORMATION: For information about the forum or to submit questions, contact Pearla Murphy at (573) 243-0198.