R-2 VOTERS TO PICK 3 BOARD MEMBERS

JACKSON -- Contests exist Tuesday for two, two-year terms and a one-year unexpired term on the Jackson R-2 Board of Education.

Candidates for the two, three-year terms are board President Larry Koenig and incumbent Jack H. Knowlan Jr. They are challenged by J. Alan Crites.

Koenig is seeking a third, three-year term on the board while Knowlan is running for a second term.

Koenig was elected president of the school board in April 1990. He was appointed Jackson police chief on Jan. 1.

Koenig said a lot of good things have happened to the school district over the past years and he wants to make sure the trend continues.

Koenig said the Jackson district will face some tough financial decisions this year because of continuing decreased state aid for elementary and secondary education.

Knowlan is the chief administrative law judge with the Division of Workers' Compensation in Cape Girardeau.

Knowlan said he wants to continue to serve on the board to help the school district overcome a major financial challenge this year.

"We've accomplished a lot of what I had in mind when I decided to run for my first term," Knowlan said. "Our building problem has been resolved with the new elementary school and the new facilities on the high-school campus. Our biggest challenge now is the financial condition of the school system. It has to be the number-one priority of the school board to control expenses and find new sources of revenue, or increase revenues."

Crites said he is running for the board because Jackson has a reputation of having a high-quality school district.

"I want to make sure this type of quality continues," he said. "The district is going to be facing some very important challenges in the near future, such as funding. I would like to be able to offer my expertise and experience."

Crites works as a sales representative for Kasten Masonry Co. of Jackson.

The two candidates seeking the one-year unexpired term of former board member Nancy Schafer are Ronald L. Obermann and Jeanette Bollinger.

Obermann said he decided to run for the seat on the school board after serving on the school district's New Buildings Projects Committee. "That peaked my interest in the needs of our school system and my concern for the students and the community," he said.

Obermann owns and operates a plumbing, heating and electrical contracting business in Jackson. Because of his business commitments, Obermann said he decided to run for the one-year term. "If it works out for me and the business, I would consider running for a full, three-year term."

Bollinger retired in 1984 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ASCS office in Jackson. From 1986 to 1990, she headed the group-claims department at Tullis Insurance Consultants.

Bollinger said with the resignation of Nancy Schafer there are no women represented on the school board. "I feel the voters should have a choice," she said.

Bollinger said her business experience and work with the public and numerous school- and youth-group organizations provide the necessary qualifications to serve on the school board.