Four vie for Wright City R-II School District Board seats
Posted 11/7/19
Voters who live in the Wright City R-II School District have four candidates to consider for three open seats on the board of education. Following is information provided to the Warren County Record …
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Four vie for Wright City R-II School District Board seats
Posted
Voters who live in the Wright City R-II School District have four candidates to consider for three open seats on the board of education. Following is information provided to the Warren County Record by each candidate.Alice JensenJensen, Innsbrook, is running for re-election. She is a professor of nursing at Maryville University and vice president of the Wright City R-II School District Board of Education.“I am running for a second term on the Wright City R-II School Board because I believe in the importance of public education as a foundation of democracy. During my first three years on the board I have learned so much about how the district is run, the major legislative and financial issues impacting education, and the legal responsibilities of a board member,” Jensen said.She added that her 29 years as a college professor makes her uniquely qualified.“Although the age of the students differs, the basics of teaching and learning are the same,” she said. “Since I have been a teacher, I understand the needs and the perspectives of classroom teachers. As a registered nurse I recognize the need to educate the whole child and I am uniquely qualified to focus on physical and mental health needs as well.”Jensen said she had been privileged to work with a board that focused on children’s education.During her term, Jensen served on a task force which reviewed student behavior issues and recommended changes to the board.“(If elected) I will continue to focus on some of the behavior issues and review policies and procedures related to discipline,” she said. “An important issue for the board will be the changes in legislation related to school financing, charter schools and school choice. My priority will be to advocate for public education.”Jensen is married to Bob Dowdle, who is retired.Thomas UhlUhl, 41, Wright City, is an operations manager at a business and a volunteer with the Cub Scouts in Wright City.“I am running for office for a completely selfish reason. I want the school my boys attend to be the best school possible,” Uhl said Uhl has a clear vision of his goals if he is elected.“Each student reaching their full potential with as much growth as possible. A student should not be stalled simply because they have reached a proficiency mark for their grade level,” he said.His second goal is to make hiring, training and retaining quality teachers a top priority because, he said, great teachers are key to great education. He added that schools should work with community youth groups.“There should be as much cooperation as possible between community youth groups and the school district,” Uhl said. “We have a lot of youth groups in this community that need the school as a conduit to reach students. Our school district should not only be open to this but should be embracing it.”Another campaign goal for Uhl is to keep students and staff safe.“Students and staff should be safe not only in body but in mind. Students need to be respectful to themselves, other students and staff at all times,” he said. “It is the job of the administration and the school board to make sure this is happening so teachers and students can focus on the task of learning.”He is married to Kerry Uhl, a grade school music teacher.Michael BatesBates, 37, Wright City, is a director of human resources for United Services for Children, a developmental learning and pediatric therapy center.“I chose to run for the Wright City School Board because I believe strongly in the advantages of a quality education and that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed,” Bates said.He said people must continue to strive for academic excellence that aspires to educate the whole child and allows children of all abilities to reach their God-given potential.“I believe we achieve this by keeping our curriculum data driven and student centered,” he said. “Dynamic educators are essential, and we must create an environment that retains them and fosters innovation and creativity. Bates added that he would support accountability at all levels of the district and evaluate success by the achievement of students.Heidi BoxBox, 31, Wright City, is an accounting manager at John Henry Foster Company.“I’m running for re-election on the school board because I am passionate about the education of every kid. I have no agenda and I am not a single-issue candidate, I simply want to do what’s best for every kid and every taxpayer in our district,” Box said. “Wright City schools are great and I want to continue that greatness and retain the phenomenal teachers that we have. Every kid matters and deserves a great education.”During her term on the school board, Box said she has worked diligently to do what is best with taxpayer dollars while still finding ways to hire and retain the best teachers.“I want to continue these efforts. I have also worked with other elected officials, at the state and local level, to do what’s right for our schools and kids, as it takes the whole community. I’ll continue these efforts of advocating for public education and every kid,” she said. Box said she knows students at every school are different and going through different struggles.“As a board member I want to be sure we are giving every kid the best chance possible to succeed, no matter what is going on at home, or what type of issues they may have,” she said. “We need to make sure every kid thrives in our school and receives the best education possible.”
Heidi Box, top left; Michael Bates, top right; Alice Jensen, bottom left; Thomas Uhl, bottom right.
