Voters to fill 2 seats on Neelyville R-IV board

Three Neelyville R-IV School District residents are vying for positions on the Board of Education in Tuesday’s election.

Two seats are up for election, which are currently held by Donna Akers and Jack Stull.

The incumbents are challenged by Jill McGruder.

The two elected will serve a three-year term.

Each candidate was asked the same series of questions and their profiles appear in order in which they are listed on the ballot.

DONNA AKERS

Being able to serve her community is what initially sparked Donna Akers desire to run for a Neelyville seat.

“I had people approach me because I was always so involved in my children’s activities and being in Booster Club,” she said. “It was brought to my attention that school board was a way I could serve the community in that aspect so I decided to first run in 2008.”

Looking ahead, if re-elected, Akers said she wants to take what she has learned during her time on the board to assist with a smooth transition in administration.

“Mrs. (Debra) Parish is going to be a wonderful leader and I have no doubt she will do great, but it’s a transition and any time there is a change it’s scary for everybody,” she said. “I want to bring what I’ve learned over the last nine years on how much a board member should be involved, the importance of their decision making and the importance of just focusing and bringing that into the next administration and keep that rolling.”

With Neelyville at the top of the mountain by scoring 100 percent on their APR, Akers hopes that will stick, but also understands there could be ups and downs.

“We are on an uphill climb and I don’t want that to go away,” she said. “As far as changes, I have no agenda except to see the Neelyville School District excel.”

Akers recognizes two challenges she believes the district is facing, the biggest being funds.

Since being on the board, Akers said she understands how funding can change from year to year making it important to be very disciplined in the way the board utilizes funds.

“I also think a challenge that faces the district is the wide spectrum of families that are in our district,” she said.

Teachers deal with everything from children who receive the only positive attention during the school day to students from stable homes, Akers added.

“We have to be flexible in dealing and have a big enough heart to look out for all the kids,” she said.

District growth is another goal Akers would like to see, which is headed in the right direction with enrollment increase.

Long-range goals include adding classrooms, new buildings and bettering facilities at both campuses, she added.

Hardworking and knowing what the district is facing and the challenges that are ahead are strengths Akers believes she brings to the board if re-elected.

Akers added she takes her role very seriously and goes to every meeting with the thought in mind that she is representing the entire community.

“I am very humbled by the fact that I have been given the three terms I have and I appreciate the community’s support of me for this time and just ask that they continue that,” Akers said. “Know I am for Neelyville, in Neelyville and here to stay. I’ll do the best job I can to the best of my ability and you will not find anyone more sincere. I’ll bring my whole heart.”

JACK STULL

Making a positive and better school environment is what pushes Jack Stull to once again run for re-election.

“I think since I’ve been on the board we have accomplished a lot,” he said. “We have good test scores, great teachers and administration and I would like to continue to make a change. There is always room for improvement.”

One improvement Stull believes would be an asset for the district is the establishment of more vocational technical classes for students.

“There are a lot of kids who are not going to go to college and I think we need more options as far as mechanics, welding and carpentry,” he said. “I think we need to see if we can possibly bring that back.”

Currently, students travel to Doniphan for vo-tech classes.

Stull added there is a demand in the field and everyone is looking for people to work with the shortage of vocational workers.

Keeping the budget where it currently is by not overspending is what Stull views as the biggest challenge for the Neelyville School District.

“So far, we are doing a good job at that,” he said.

Recognizing buildings will need to be repaired at both campuses is another challenge Stull sees for the district.

“We are on the ball of trying to get one done now,” he said referring to the principal’s office at the high school.

By giving attention to buildings at Neelyville and Hillview, Stull added he wants to make a better school for the students.

“I just want to try to keep the school running 100 percent,” Stull said. “We have good board members who make good decisions.”

JILL MCGRUDER

After being through the Neelyville School District almost three times, including with her children, Jill McGruder said there are a lot of really good and positive things about the district. She has also had some frustrations as well.

“I’m not the type of person to just sit around and complain about something because nothing ever changes if we just talk and complain about it,” she said.

Her professional role in dealing with business is what McGruder believes will help her communicate effectively and hopefully update or guide some new policies in the schools.

McGruder said some of the things she has seen the district do is “kind of inconsistent with policies set.”

“A pet peeve of mine is saying we have always done it that way,” she said. “Sometimes we need a little bit of change and look at things differently.”

One example McGruder pointed out was the cellphone policy, which states students can’t have phones at school.

McGruder is not against having cell phones in the school, but wants the practice to match the policy.

“I don’t want distractions for our kids or free reign and phones ringing in class,” she said. “But if students need to communicate with parents between class they should be able to do so.”

Another policy that McGruder would like to look into is the policy which states if students miss no days of school they are excused from taking finals. While she realizes this policy has helped the attendance rate, as a healthcare professional McGruder believes this encourages students to come to school when sick.

“There are some situations where you have to look at the whole situation,” she said adding a funeral should be an exception.

“Even though the polices are very good, we have to allow our administration some gray that says a situation is reasonable and it’s not going to effect long-term success,” she said.

If elected to the board, McGruder would like to see a life skills class established within the district.

“I think we as a whole school district need to not only focus on getting students ready for college, but also getting them ready for life,” she said. “I’m not sure how much preparation has gone into assisting kids with furthering their education on vocational realms.”

While McGruder added she is a big proponent of education, she also believes the district needs to make sure it’s marketing the needs of the entire student population and not make kids feel inferior if they choose to not attend college.

If elected to the board, McGruder said one of the biggest strengths she would bring is not being afraid to stand up for what she feels is right, even if in the minority.

She also added her good communication skills and ability to look at situations objectively and draw conclusions based on objective evidence is another strength.

“I hope to not only come in and be a breath of fresh air, but hope to make some positive differences for all our kids,” McGruder said.