The field includes former board member Brian Meine and newcomers Wilbert "Bill" Hawley and David Housewright. Meine, 41, served on the board from 2005-08, but lost his bid for a second term. He said he's running to continue the progress made during his previous term. Citing the construction of Warrior Ridge Elementary and the renovations at Rebecca Boone Elementary during his tenure, Meine said this experience gives him an edge over the other candidates. "The part of being on the school board is you're not there to run the school, but oversee the schools," Meine said. "We are there to set policies and make the administration follow the policies." Hawley, 46, is employed as chief financial officer for GPS Healthcare Consultants in Chesterfield and believes his career gives him the necessary knowledge to make decisions for the district. "I want to give the time I have to the school and help navigate it through the current economic climate," Hawley said. Housewright, 37, has been active in the school district by serving as vice president of Daniel Boone Elementary's Parent Teacher Organization. The stay-at-home dad said he spends time at the school weekly, which has given him some extra familiarity with challenges facing the district. "I would like to see decisions made that put the right policies and right people in place," Housewright said. All three candidates emphasized increasing teachers' salaries as a main priority. Meine was a board member when the district implemented a three-year plan to increase pay. He wants to continue with the final phase, but also is aware recurring costs will affect future budgets. "We can't make hasty decisions that long term will hurt the school," Meine said. Hawley, whose wife teaches at the middle school, acknowledged the district is losing quality teachers to better-paying districts nearby. "We need to do whatever we can to be competitive with our neighboring districts, but you have to be realistic too," he said. "You can't bankrupt the school." Housewright noted that some areas in the budget could be trimmed to allow for more funding for salaries. "We have to find a way to give (teachers) the money to stay," he said. "We have some really good teachers doing a very good job. I think they deserve all the credit." With two daughters age 9 and under, Housewright wants to be more involved in the decision-making process throughout the district. Meine wants to use a second term to improve student morale and increase attendance. Hawley, meanwhile, wants the district to concentrate on teaching students real life skills rather than focus on end-of-year exams. The top two vote getters will take the place of John Nordwald and David Wilmsmeyer, who did not seek re-election.