Chamber holds Breakfast and Ballot Issues
Cassville R-IV School Board candidates answered questions during the Cassville Chamber of Commerce’s Breakfast and Ballot Issues event on Tuesday morning. Pictured above, from left to right: Jeremy Marple, Chad Yarnall and Gamon Sparkman. Candidate Damon Brown was unable to attend.
March 30, 2016
Charlea Estes
The Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted their Breakfast and Ballot Issues event on Tuesday, March 29, at 7:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Cassville. During the breakfast, chamber members were invited to listen to various candidates and representatives for other ballot issues on the April 5 General Municipal Election ballot speak.
The Chamber Board selected questions for Barry-Lawrence Library director Gina Milburn regarding the library’s proposed 7-cent property tax levy increase as well as the Cassville R-IV School Board candidates about their positions. Cassville Mayor Bill Shiveley also briefly detailed the Cassville city issue about the continuation of the use tax on out of state vehicle purchases.
There are four candidates for the Cassville R-IV School Board positions. Current school board members Greg Allan and Hal Smith are not seeking reelection. Candidates who filed for the positions are Chad Yarnall, Jeremy Marple, Gamon Sparkman and Damon Brown, all parents of students in the district. Yarnall, Marple and Sparkman were at the breakfast, but Brown was unable to attend.
The first question the candidates were asked was why they felt their position was as a school board member. All three agreed that the children were the most important part of the district. Marple said, “I feel like the primary role is to work with the board and to get things accomplished and the main objective is to have successful kids. You have to a have a successful board to get things headed in the right direction to keep your teachers happy to have successful children. The children are the most important thing.”
Yarnall said, “Well, I personally believe that my primary role as a school board member is not to micromanage but to make sure we’ve got the best people working to develop our children. As long as we have that going, we’ll have successful children and happy children. That way they’ll go on to be somebody and come home and grow our community.”
Sparkman said, “We need to do what we need to do as a school, not only to make this the best school in the area, but in the district of southwest Missouri. I’m very proud of the area and the school.”
He added, “We need to give the faculty and the staff whatever they need to be the best school in the region.”
They were asked about what improvements need to be made. Yarnall said, “I feel like by getting the children to respect their teachers and to respect the authorities and to treat our school system with respect, then all we’re going to do is grow.”
Sparkman said, “As far as overall improvements, I don’t know that I have any improvements that need to be made. Cassville School is on the right path. I just think we need to make sure we help in any way possible.”
He added, “If that means hiring a coach or adding a new program, we need to do whatever we can to get those kids involved and get them to be proud of the school and the community.”
Marple said, “I think you have to have good teachers and you have to have teachers who have been in the classroom a little while. As a board, we have to figure out how to keep teachers in the district, the good teachers in the district. When you have good teachers that are motivated properly, those teachers will help your children.”
They also were asked about their two goals for their Cassville School District. Sparkman said, “Two goals and basically end on the same thing, and that is to make Cassville Schools the best they can possibly be. I would absolutely like to provide those children with the best education they can possibly get and give them as much hands-on experience as they can possibly get.”
He added, “The second thing would be pride. I want them to have pride in their community and pride in their school. I want them to think fondly back about going to school here as I did.”
Yarnall said, “We want to make our school one of the best in the state. We need to have students who have respect and also pride in their community.”
Marple stated, “If I was elected to school board, I’m going to do what I can to make Cassville Schools a destination. I want people to want to move to the community and to be a part of the Cassville School system. I want it to be a destination for teachers that want to come to Cassville School because they hear, ‘Man, that is a great district to work for, I’ve got to go to Cassville.’ You’ve got to have good people.”
“Another would be to do what we can to make sure everyone graduates,” he added.
They were also asked about how to assist students in understanding the perils of social media and bullying and what they will base their decisions on as a board member.
The Cassville School Board candidates will be decided on the April 5 General Municipal Election ballot.
Charlea Estes
The Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted their Breakfast and Ballot Issues event on Tuesday, March 29, at 7:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Cassville. During the breakfast, chamber members were invited to listen to various candidates and representatives for other ballot issues on the April 5 General Municipal Election ballot speak.
The Chamber Board selected questions for Barry-Lawrence Library director Gina Milburn regarding the library’s proposed 7-cent property tax levy increase as well as the Cassville R-IV School Board candidates about their positions. Cassville Mayor Bill Shiveley also briefly detailed the Cassville city issue about the continuation of the use tax on out of state vehicle purchases.
There are four candidates for the Cassville R-IV School Board positions. Current school board members Greg Allan and Hal Smith are not seeking reelection. Candidates who filed for the positions are Chad Yarnall, Jeremy Marple, Gamon Sparkman and Damon Brown, all parents of students in the district. Yarnall, Marple and Sparkman were at the breakfast, but Brown was unable to attend.
The first question the candidates were asked was why they felt their position was as a school board member. All three agreed that the children were the most important part of the district. Marple said, “I feel like the primary role is to work with the board and to get things accomplished and the main objective is to have successful kids. You have to a have a successful board to get things headed in the right direction to keep your teachers happy to have successful children. The children are the most important thing.”
Yarnall said, “Well, I personally believe that my primary role as a school board member is not to micromanage but to make sure we’ve got the best people working to develop our children. As long as we have that going, we’ll have successful children and happy children. That way they’ll go on to be somebody and come home and grow our community.”
Sparkman said, “We need to do what we need to do as a school, not only to make this the best school in the area, but in the district of southwest Missouri. I’m very proud of the area and the school.”
He added, “We need to give the faculty and the staff whatever they need to be the best school in the region.”
They were asked about what improvements need to be made. Yarnall said, “I feel like by getting the children to respect their teachers and to respect the authorities and to treat our school system with respect, then all we’re going to do is grow.”
Sparkman said, “As far as overall improvements, I don’t know that I have any improvements that need to be made. Cassville School is on the right path. I just think we need to make sure we help in any way possible.”
He added, “If that means hiring a coach or adding a new program, we need to do whatever we can to get those kids involved and get them to be proud of the school and the community.”
Marple said, “I think you have to have good teachers and you have to have teachers who have been in the classroom a little while. As a board, we have to figure out how to keep teachers in the district, the good teachers in the district. When you have good teachers that are motivated properly, those teachers will help your children.”
They also were asked about their two goals for their Cassville School District. Sparkman said, “Two goals and basically end on the same thing, and that is to make Cassville Schools the best they can possibly be. I would absolutely like to provide those children with the best education they can possibly get and give them as much hands-on experience as they can possibly get.”
He added, “The second thing would be pride. I want them to have pride in their community and pride in their school. I want them to think fondly back about going to school here as I did.”
Yarnall said, “We want to make our school one of the best in the state. We need to have students who have respect and also pride in their community.”
Marple stated, “If I was elected to school board, I’m going to do what I can to make Cassville Schools a destination. I want people to want to move to the community and to be a part of the Cassville School system. I want it to be a destination for teachers that want to come to Cassville School because they hear, ‘Man, that is a great district to work for, I’ve got to go to Cassville.’ You’ve got to have good people.”
“Another would be to do what we can to make sure everyone graduates,” he added.
They were also asked about how to assist students in understanding the perils of social media and bullying and what they will base their decisions on as a board member.
The Cassville School Board candidates will be decided on the April 5 General Municipal Election ballot.
