THREE RUNNING FOR SCOTT CITY SCHOOL BOARD SEAT

SCOTT CITY -- Scott City voters have three perspectives to choose from April 1 when they cast their ballots for a school board candidate.

Incumbent Nancy Caldwell was a teacher for 32 years before joining the school board three years ago. Rick Sample has been involved as a volunteer in school activities for years. Lisa Ellison is a mother of two and the vice president of Scott City's Parent-Teacher Organization.

Caldwell taught for 29 of her 32 years in Scott City. She is trying to claim her second three-year term on the board and said her first year was just what she expected.

"After having taught over 30 years you kind of know what to expect," she said. "Of course it puts you on a different side of things."

Caldwell said her experience has allowed her to see some things the other board members missed in issues concerning students. She said the board is moving in a positive way with a new administration she supports. One of those positive moves has been an middle-school addition onto the high school.

She said the addition was made possible by a building committee and a lease-purchase program initiated by the new superintendent.

"I think the town will be very appreciative of the fact that we are able to have a building program that won't raise taxes," Caldwell said.

Caldwell, 58, has lived in Scott City for most of her life. She and her husband, Charles, have one daughter.

Sample said he was approached by Scott City residents and teachers who said they'd like to see him on the board.

"A lot of people do come to me with concerns, and that's one of the reasons why I'm running," he said.

Sample said his close association with both the school and the community would provide residents more input into school affairs. He said community involvement is something he thinks has been missing from the school system.

"Just about every one of our parents were involved with the school in one way or another," he said. "I feel like now it's usually if it only involves you directly."

Sample said his contact with the school system has come through his two sons and mainly revolve around sports. He said he helped start the fourth- and fifth-grade basketball programs, helped install a sound system at the school and has worked with the football team.

He said he'd like to be involved with the school system's development as additions are made. Sample, 39, is a telecommunications engineer with Siemens Telecommunications. He has lived in Scott City all his life. He and his wife, Dawn, have raised two teen-age sons.

Ellison said she has one son in the Scott City school system and one preparing to enter it.

"I would just like to be involved so I can have an input on things that are going to happen in the school that my kids are going to," she said.

Ellison said she's always been active in the school system, is vice president of the PTO and a librarian a couple days a week.

She said she would like to see a greater emphasis on computer courses at the elementary level.

Ellison, 29, lived in Scott City for two years and was raised in Scott County. She works as a secretary at Elmo Baptist Church and for the Boy Scout committee. She and her husband, Mike, have two sons, 10 and 4 years old.