Christian groups release candidate list for Tuesday’s school board elections

The Missouri chapter of Concerned Women for America has issued a list of preferred school board candidates for Tuesday’s elections.

The list was compiled by various pro-family groups and consolidated last week ahead of the April 5 elections. The candidates were vetted based on their commitment to education and retaining a strong parental influence on school board decisions and actions.

According to CWA, the list was a challenge to create. There are two open seats in every school district in Missouri. Some school districts had special elections to fill a vacancy. In a press release, the organization stated, “some school districts only had one candidate who was recommended as a school board member who would be an advocate for the parent/teacher/student/taxpayer (and not rubber stamp for the superintendent/DESE).”

CWA says that, in those school districts, voters should only vote for that one candidate. “The math works,” CWA stated.

In some school districts, there were more than two candidates who would be an advocate for the parent/teacher/student/taxpayer and not rubber stamp for unelected superintendents or the Department of Education. In those instances, the list includes those candidates who have the best shot at winning.

Polls show that parents are dissatisfied with how school districts handled Covid, including masking policies, lockdowns, virtual learning and the insertion of liberal ideology from national activist groups into school curriculum. Another issue is that of gender with some districts using their Covid funding to create gender-free bathroom facilities in school facilities.

Bev Ehlen, state director of CWA Missouri state director, encouraged candidates saying, “I love to help good candidates in their campaigns. That is easy. To be the candidate, or a member of the candidate’s immediate family, is really tough! Thank you to each one of you who did the hard thing and entered the race to become a school board member.”

Below is the list of candidtates that concerned voters should support.

School Board Candidate List:

Blair Oaks – Glenn Reynolds, Adam Mietzner

Blue Springs – Rhonda Gilstrap, Bobby Hawk

Branson – Carolyn Boss, Michael Porter

Camdenton R3-Matt Burns, John Seward

Center – Gayla Smith

Clinton – Rhonda Cox, Cody Westendorff

Cole County – Glen Reynolds, Adam Mietzner

Columbia – Adam Burke, Andrea Lisenby

Farmington – Derek Gollaher

Festus – Josh Martin

Fort Osage – Kress Cambers, Tim Brown

Fort Zumwalt – Mark Pratte

Fox C6 – Kenneth Woolsey, Brandon Williams

Fox C6 (1 year term) – Travis Lintner

Francis Howell – Adam Bertrand, Randy Cook

Grain Valley R5 – Jeffrey Porter, Jason Williams

Grandview C4 – Joshua Hill

Grandview R2 – Timothy Brown

Hickman Mills – Cecil Wattree, Beth Boerger

Hillsboro – Chris Borgerson

Independence – Jill Esry, Greg Gilliam

Jackson R2 – Mac Robison, Kristen Lewis

Jefferson City – Adam Gresham, Marc Ellinger

Kearney – Leonard Broughton, Stacy Rule

Kirkwood – Matt Losse, Jeff Mintzlaff

Ladue – Sheldon Johnson

Lee’s Summit R7 – Heather Eslick, Jennifer Foley

Liberty – Dan Currence, Kyle Bryant

Lindbergh – David Randelman, Carrie Clay

Lone Jack C6 – Ryan Brown

Maryville R2 – Isaiah Korthanke

North Kansas City -Duane Bartsch, Josiah Bechthold

Mehlville-Ben Droney

Meramec Valley – Tom Kent

Monett (one 1-year term) – Jared Wormington

Monett – Brian Hunter, Matt Batson

Nell Holcomb R4 – Chad Fisher

Nevada R5 – Adam Dean, Morgan Barker

Nixa – Mike Miller, Bridget Bidinger

North Kansas City – Duane Bartsch, Josiah Bechthold

Northwest – Janice Karsten

Oakridge R2 – Damon Dillard

Ozark – Mark Jenkins, Randy Taylor

Pacific – Tom Kent

Parkhill – Tammy Stark Thompson, Cory Terrell

Parkway – Tony Spielberg (Hallie Baker-has dropped out, her name will still be on the ballot but only vote for Spielberg so the vote isn’t diluted)

Pattonville – Daniel Wentz, Mary Kay Campbell

Platte County R3 – Mike Claxton, Mike Matousek

Pleasant Hill – Jesse Schuman, Adam Kassel

RayPec – Janet Jones, Dillen Steeby

Raytown C2 – Natalie Johnson-Berry, Alexis Christopher

Ritenour – Linda Henning, Aimee Ratliff

Republic – Robin Davidson

Rittenour – Linda Henning, Aimee Ratliff

Rockwood – Izzy Imig, Jessica Clark

School of the Osage R2 – Kelly Frisella, Stacy Neal

Sedalia – Michelle Quattlebaum, Brian Smith

Smithville – Christopher Palmer, Whitney Carlisle

Smithton – James Trelow, Brian Conardy

Southern Boone R1 – Bradley Bartow

Springfield – Kelly Byrne, Steve Makoski

St. Charles – Brian O’Mara

Union XI – Dave Aguilar (Paige Shortal has dropped out. Her name will still be on the ballot but only vote for Aguilar so the vote isn’t diluted)

Valley Park – Kim Bellchamber, Phyllis Geary

Warren County R3 (to fill vacancy-1 year) – Rachel Besselman

Warren County R3 – Carolyn Spraggs, Sarah Janes

Washington – Trish Mitchell, Kelly Brinkmann

Webster Groves – Justin Hauke, Brian Middendorf

Webster Groves (to fill vacancy-1 year) – Barb Stang

Wentzville – Katie Lyczak, Sandy Garber

Windsor C1 – Charles Huey

Wright City R2 – Beth Dean, Frank Zykan

–Metro Voice