Official: St. Joseph School Board swears in new members
Newly inducted members: Kenneth Reeder, LaTonya Williams, and David Foster participate in their first school board meeting / Photo: Whitnee Ice
By WHITNEE ICE
St. Joseph Post
A changing of the guard took place as the St. Joseph School Board met last night to swear in the new school board members.
All three incumbents on the St. Joseph School Board: Lute Atieh, Larry Koch, and Rick Gehring lost their seats to Kenneth Reeder, David Foster, and LaTonya Williams in the election earlier this month.
Board Member LaTonya Williams says she was not expecting to get elected.
By WHITNEE ICE
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph voters rejected the 107 million dollar school bond issue that would have turned the American Family Insurance regional headquarters into a second high school and remodeled Central High school.
School Board President Tammi Pasley, in her statement on behalf of the school board, says something has to change.
“The voters have spoken and we the board respect that,” says Pasley to the St. Joseph Post. “What is clear is that status quo is not sustainable. While we are disappointed that this bond initiative was not successful, it is the beginning of a discussion with the community that our facilities are not up to 21 Century educational standards.”
(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) Eight candidates are vying for three seats on the St. Joseph school board Tuesday.
Each of the seats, which will be decided during Buchanan County’s April 6 general municipal election, carries a three-year term.
One of the first tasks for the newly-elected school board will be navigating the aftermath of voters rejecting or accepting the $107 million dollar school bond issue also up for a vote on April 6. Another area that will garner early attention from the board is the continued struggle of protecting in-person learning and the people who go to school every day.
The two candidates running for re-election are Lute Atieh and Larry Koch. The third current board member running, Richard Gehring, was appointed following the resignation of former board president Sam Wright.