By Derek Spellman

dspellman@joplinglobe.com

NEOSHO, Mo. — Guiding the school district through tough economic times has emerged as a key issue for candidates for the Neosho School Board.

Four candidates are seeking two seats on the board. Incumbents Bruce Mahr and Chris Parks are seeking re-election against challengers Kevin Butler and Mike Stauffer. Each seat carries a three-year term.

Mahr, 47, a vice president for Arvest Bank in Neosho, was first elected to the board to fill a one-year term in 2003. He was re-elected in 2004 and 2007.

“Primarily, there are a lot of things going on with the school district that I would like to see through and continue working to make the Neosho schools the best in the area,” Mahr said of why he is seeking another term. The district has been accredited with distinction for several consecutive years now, and Mahr said he would like to help it continue with that progress.

“We’re moving in the right direction, and I would like to continue to be a part of that,” he said.

Mahr identified the budget as the “No. 1 issue” the district faces. The school board last month reviewed proposed cuts from the state, which faces a budget crunch.

Mahr said the key issue for the district will be fiscal management so it does not have to increase its class sizes.

Parks, 48, the owner of Parks Insurance Agency and a marriage/family counselor, is seeking a second term on the board. He said his background both in small business and in counseling would be helpful to understanding not just the economic impact of the recession but also its psychological impact on students and their parents.

He said those issues are important because they affect when and how the district addresses overcrowding.

“We need another school. We most definitely need another a school,” Parks said.

During a December board meeting, Parks was among the board members who said the district should forgo an April bond issue to construct a new school. He said the timing was not right, and that holding off on a bond measure would signal that the school district is sensitive to people’s financial needs and that it takes those needs into account.

“I think our challenge is understanding when does that window open,” he said of posing a bond issue.

Parks also cited potential cuts in state funding as a key issue.

Butler, 43, is making a second run for school board after an unsuccessful bid in April 2009. In the race for two seats last year, Butler finished fourth in a field of four.

“Same reason as last year,” he said when asked why he was running again. “I believe I can make a positive change.”

He said he thought the board could use some “new blood” and “new ideas.”

Butler is retired after 21 years in the Navy as a corpsman, and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He now provides computer consulting, repair and installation services.

He thinks reducing the district’s dropout rate will be a central issue.

“We want to be sure that everyone that passes through high school graduates” or at least obtains a GED, Butler said. Although the goal might be unattainable, he said it was a worthy one to strive for given the need for a high-school degree in today’s world.

Butler also said the district will have to address overcrowding issues and ensure it maintains a good teacher-student ratio.

Stauffer, 44, is an account manager for a dairy company and vice president of the Neosho R-5 School District’s booster club. This is his first bid for elective office.

“I plan on being here all my life,” he said of Neosho, where he has lived since 1994, and of his reasons for running.

Stauffer said he thinks schools are the foundation of a community, and that “doing the right things for the school” strengthens the community as a whole.

“I would have to say the economic times,” he said when asked what he thought would be the district’s key issue, and added that he thought his corporate background would be helpful.



Background

Four people ran for two seats on the Neosho School Board in April 2009. Incumbent Shirley Cummins won with 2,196 votes, while incumbent Jon Harden and challenger Tim Lewis each tied at 1,363 votes, followed by Kevin Butler with 985 votes. Lewis would go on to defeat Harden in a special election.