While the makeup of the Warren County R-III School Board hasn’t changed all that much after this month’s elections, two incumbent board members who were re-elected April 5 say they have significant action they’d like to see from the board as the end of a highly vocal election season coincides with the dwindling of the COVID pandemic.

Board members Ginger Schenck and Sarah Janes received the large majority of votes on election day to retain their seats against three challenger candidates. Joining them in a third open seat is new member Rich Barton, who also received a dominant share of his votes.

Schenck told The Record this week that she has several priorities coming out of the election: improving how the school district prepares students for a wider range of future careers, turning the passion shown during the elections into long-term engagement with schools, and reviewing some of the concerns expressed during the elections.

“People were very passionate, one way or another, on some very nitty-gritty topics (this election), which I think is great. People should be looking at what schools are doing and getting involved,” Schenck said. “I would love to have more people attend board meetings to hear first-hand some of the issues we’re struggling with. ... We really want to hear from the community, because the school belongs to the community.”

One of the concerns that Schenck noted during the election season was for greater transparency from the school board. To that end, she wants the district to make a habit of hosting community forums dedicated to specific topics every few months.

However, Schenck added that it’s important for community members to realize that even though the school board wants to hear their input, that doesn’t mean the board will always agree with the positions that any one group wants them to take.

Janes told The Record that one of her primary goals is recovering from the effects of the COVID pandemic. Janes first took office in 2020, just as the virus was arriving to the area and the education system was making major changes to protect against it.

“To now have the opportunity to rebuild is exciting,” Janes commented. “There’s problems that have come up — learning gaps, teacher retention, budget challenges — because of the pandemic, and some existing before the pandemic. ... To be re-elected was a vote of trust and confidence that the community is willing to work with me for another three years to solve these problems together.”

Commenting on the issue of transparency, Janes said that she wants to be more proactive about helping community members find where some relevant school information has already been published online. That includes detailed information about district finances and student curriculum.

Both Janes and Schenck said they’ve also heard a lot of demand during the elections for more parent involvement in their children’s education. They said they need to gather more information about exactly what kind of involvement different parents are looking for, but that they’re excited to have conversations about how to increase parents’ engagement with the schools.

Rich Barton, who ran in a separate election for a shortened one-year term, said he was grateful for how much community support he received in his first bid for elected office. Barton is a former civics teacher and a 26-year member of the Warrenton Planning and Zoning Commission.

Barton said he didn’t think it was appropriate to come into office with any personal agenda other than doing what’s best for children and being a responsible steward of the community’s trust.

“To be elected as a school board member and get to serve the community, I think is one of the most important jobs that a community member can have,” Barton commented.

Although he’s familiar with elections as a civics teacher and involved community member, Barton said it was nerve wracking to actually go through one.

“But the community got behind me. They’ve known me for quite a while, and they know I’ve got the kids’ best interests at heart. I will do my best to uphold the trust of the community.”