Challengers win in Jackson, Cape Girardeau school board races

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to correct the name of Lisa Schaefer.

A push from parents who wanted to become more involved ended a 15-year tenure for one Jackson School Board member Tuesday while another incumbent managed to hold on to his seat.

And in the Cape Girardeau district, two newcomers unseated an incumbent.

Adrian Toole

Alaina Hinze, a Jackson parent and business owner, won the five-way race with just under 24 percent of the vote, with 927 votes. Six-year incumbent Dan Stover won another three-year term on the board with 860 votes, while longtime member Gerald Adams came in a close third, bringing in just 20 votes fewer than Stover. Parents Brad Noel and Michele Irby took 17 percent and 15 percent of the 3,904 votes cast.

The race saw the most candidates running for two seats in many years in a contest that at times became contentious. Hinze's and Noel's platforms included that the board should be more responsive to parent concerns, most notably related to disagreements about the use of a standards-based grading system being used by the district. Irby also campaigned for better communication between administrators, teachers and parents.

"I am very excited and humbled by the outpouring of support," Hinze wrote in a statement Tuesday night. "I am looking forward to meeting with the rest of the board in an official capacity and working with them. This is a job not to be taken lightly and I am fully confident in my ability to fulfill the wishes of the community."

Jeff Glenn

Hinze also encouraged other parents and grandparents to run for school board when three seats are up for grabs in 2014.

Stover, a retired teacher in the Jackson School District, said he will continue to work with the board as he has in his prior terms.

"I just want to keep making things doable for our teachers," he said, "having been a teacher myself, I'm all about getting things right for the teacher and the kids."

Cape Girardeau

In a close race for two seats on the Cape Girardeau School Board, two newcomers were elected over an incumbent member of the board.

Adrian V. Toole captured nearly 36 percent with 1,485 votes and Jeff Glenn came in second with 1,334 votes. Incumbent Philip Moore finished third with 1,315 votes.

"I'm pleased with the result," Toole said. "I'm honored to be a part of the board."

Toole said that he wouldn't rush things once he is formally seated on the school board.

Glenn said he was honored to have been elected and that he campaigned with no agenda.

"I came into the race with a clean slate," he said. "My only objective is to be a voice for parents and students and to serve the community."

Glenn said he would approach every issue as a board member with parents and students in mind.

"I have two children in the district, and I want the best for them and all of the other students."

Other area school board races:

* Lisa Schaefer and Gary Elders were elected to the Scott City School Board.

* Lori A. Whistler and Pete Dooley were elected to the Chaffee School Board.

* James Watkins and Neal E. Seyer won seats on the Oran School Board.

* Nancy Voelker and Rick Francis won seats on the Perry County School Board.

* James Seyer and Diane Mangels were elected to the Oak Ridge School Board.

* David Kennedy, Hiram Jones and Tom Schmidt won seats on the Advance School Board.

eragan@semissourian.com

366-3627

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

601 E. Adams St., Jackson, MO

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO