TWO MORE FILE FOR THREE SEATS ON JACKSON'S BOARD OF EDUCATION

JACKSON -- The number of candidates filing for the three seats on the Jackson school board is now up to seven.

The latest to file are two-term board member Dr. T. Wayne Lewis and newcomer Wendy Hayes.

Lewis has had a dental practice in Jackson for over 25 years. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Lewis and his wife, Linda - a nurse and teacher at the Cape Girardeau Vocational School - have five children, who are all graduates of Jackson High School.

Lewis is president of Region 13 of the Missouri School Board Association, and also serves on the board of directors and legislative committee of the Missouri State School Boards Association. He is currently president of the Southeast Missouri Medical Center, and holds membership in the Drug and Alcohol Free Advisory Council of the Jackson R-2 School District, the Jackson Rotary Club, and the Old Bethel Restoration Committee.

"The six years I have served on the school board have been a real learning experience for me," Lewis said in a prepared statement. "I enjoy the work and feel that my experience will be of value in meeting the present and future challenges that the Jackson R-2 School District faces."

Among the challenges facing the district, Lewis said, is maintaining the excellent and positive attitude of the professional and non-certified staff in the district, and planning for the rapid growth of the district.

"I continue to hear testimonials from the public about how much effort the teachers, administrative staff, bus drivers, cooks, and custodial staff put into making the educational process a quality one for the students," he said. "With this caring atmosphere, we are growing by 100-150 students a year. This means we need more room. The junior high is about ready to burst at the seams. So we are very involved in getting ready to present to the voters the building of a new middle school."

Lewis was involved in the largest expansion that the school district has ever accomplished when the board planned and built Orchard Elementary School, the multipurpose gym, and remodeled Central Elementary for high school use. "And we were able to do all of it for less than the project was budgeted," he adds. "I want to use that experience for the present building program."

Lewis said funding for public education continues to be the crisis of the '90s. "Our legislators certainly need our encouragement to be more creative. Their problem is trying to raise more money and be fair and equitable to everyone," he said.

"In the same respect, on the local level, we either have to raise more money or cut expenses. ... I know we have been creative in cutting expenses. And we will continue to be more so as time goes along," he said.

Hayes is a native of Jackson, and mother of Lacey, a five-year-old Jackson kindergarten student. She graduated from Jackson High School in 1972, and received her bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi at Oxford.

For the past three years, Hayes has worked as a real estate agent with Blanchard & Associates Realty of Jackson and Cape Girardeau.

She is president of the Jackson Primary School Annex PTO, a charter member of the Jackson Noon Optimist Club and also served as past member of the club's board of directors.

Hayes has been involved in a number of community activities, including past chairman of the Cape Girardeau County Realtors blood drive.

Hayes decided to run for school board after the seventh seat opened up. "I am not running against any of the incumbents," she said. "Also, I believe it would be nice to have another woman serving on the school board."

Being involved in real estate sales the past three years, Hayes said she has met many families who have moved into Jackson. "The number one reason I hear they moved into the Jackson school district is because of the great reputation of our district. They want their children to attend Jackson schools," she said.

As president of the Jackson Primary School Annex PTO, Hayes had worked with many parents.

"I have enjoyed serving the parents of kindergarten-age children in the district, and now I would like to be able to serve as a board member to the rest of the school district. We have a wonderful school district, with excellent administrators, teachers and staff."