Cape Girardeau School Board: Adrian V. Toole

Age: 58

Place of Birth: Gideon, MO

Spouse, children's names:

Spouse: Jamie Toole

Children: Meredith, Monica, and Vance

Occupation: Retired Chief Financial Officer

Employer: Retired from Cape Electrical Supply

Business owned, all or part:

Cape Electrical Supply, LLC

Schaefer's Electrical Enclosures, Inc.

Transformation LLC

Previous offices held or sought:

Cape Girardeau School Board Member

Do you currently hold the office for which you are running? Yes

What in your background or education makes you qualified for this office?

As a product of Cape Public Schools, I have a deep and abiding respect for and interest in our public school system. My wife and I are both Cape Central graduates, as are each of our 3 children. Without any children currently in the public schools, I bring a uniquely unbiased viewpoint to the issues faced by our educators. As a business owner and executive, I am an analytical decision maker with broad vision.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing your school district?

Our school district's greatest challenge is the growing number of students within our district who come from impoverished and/or broken homes. Without a nurturing family environment or adequate financial means, many of these students face enormous struggles when it comes to achieving success in the classroom. Fortunately the School Board, faculty and staff in our schools care deeply about these students and actively strive to improve their prospects for success.

If elected, do you have any plans for improving the school district?

My plan is to continue guiding the school administrators to apply the district's limited resources in ways that best serve its mission of educating every student to be a successful, responsible citizen. Key among my priorities are further improvement in teacher pay scales, continuing the development of Professional Learning Communities, improved intervention for struggling students, collaborative teaching strategies, and taking full advantage of the advances in technological resources that our district has recently employed.