Four candidates are running for two available seats on the Wright City R-II School Board. The race features two experienced incumbents, Austin Jones and Mary E. Groeper, facing challenges from Daniel J. LaMartina Sr. and Rodney G. Smith. Profiles of Jones and Groeper appear below in the order their names will be listed on the ballot. LaMartina and Smith did not respond to requests to schedule profile interviews. They also did not return surveys which were mailed to the candidates.

AUSTIN JONES Jones, who is completing his fourth three-year term on the board, listed three reasons why he is seeking to continue serving the on the Wright City R-II School Board. “My primary reason is the students,” he said. “I want to help kids do better in school. Student achievement is the most important thing.” Secondly, Jones said he feels he has a skill set to help Wright City’s students achieve academic success.“Last year, our district scored 14 out of 14 on its Annual Performance Review,” he remarked. “We’re going away from telling students, ‘You did a good job,’ to targeting interventions where students might need help. “A student may be strong in math, but not be doing as well in reading, so we’re developing interventions to address those areas where students are not performing as strongly as in other subjects,” Jones added. “I’m good at understanding the data which will allow the administration to develop interventions to target those areas and help our students achieve academic success.” Jones said his third goal is the school board’s fiscal responsibility to its patrons. “When you look at our budget, we have maintained reserves in excess of 18 percent over the past six years, so we were able to weather the economic downturn of 2008,” he stated. “We had to make budget cuts, but they were minimal.”

Goals Jones said student improvement will be his main goal if he is successful in his re-election bid. “I think about the data, such as cost-benefit analysis, as I go about the decision-making process,” he stated. “How do we incorporate mobile devices such as Smart Phones and iPads? How do we support diverse mobile technologies? “I’m able to understand these issues and apply them to education,” he added.As for the focus of the school district over the next year, Jones said three areas that must receive attention are continuing to challenge students in the classroom — at all levels, from the elementary schools to the high school — “so kids are prepared to meet the challenges they will face in the future.” One initiative the school board has discussed over the past year is the district’s 2020 Vision, which encompasses several initiatives, including continued improvement in student achievement, establishing a preschool and upgrading technology. “Providing funding for these initiatives is critical and remaining fiscally responsible while meeting these objectives will be key,” Jones asserted. Jones also noted that the board also is constantly reviewing wages and benefits for the district staff “to ensure that we’re compensating them fairly. We’ve been pretty good over the past three or four years in terms of turnover, but we need to make sure we keep a qualified staff.”

MARY E. GROEPER Groeper said she is seeking election to her seventh term on the R-II school board because of her love for the Wright City community and the students of the school district. “I take pride in my involvement in the Wright City School District,” she remarked. Her top priorities, if elected, are student success — both academic and personal — and fiscal responsibility. “We need to take care of the taxpayers’ money and use it responsibly to best serve the district,” Groeper said. During the coming year, one area Groeper said the district should focus on is expanding the early childhood education program. “I would like to see us expand our preschool programs and offer a voluntary preschool,” Groeper stated. “Those little minds are like sponges.” Also, Groeper said the board should work on improving salaries for teachers in the middle of the district’s salary scale, especially those who have earned master’s degrees.