Gardner-Edgerton school board candidates pledge to smooth tensions after turmoil involving administrators

It’s been a bumpy year for the Gardner-Edgerton School District. One year ago, the district was awash in controversy. Bloggers complained about a lack of transparency. The superintendent and two female administrators were abruptly fired. Later, they filed suit in federal court claiming they were fired illegally. The two women claimed that demeaning treatment by certain board members amounted to sexual discrimination and harassment.

The candidates running to fill three soon-to-be-vacated seats on the board hope to put that strife in the past, so the district can regain the trust of parents, teachers and administrators and turn its attention to dealing with academics and the growth that is expected from the nearby intermodal freight facility that is under construction.

Three seats on the seven-member board are contested April 7. Voters will choose new representatives for Positions 1, 2 and 7, which is at-large. No incumbents are running in any of the contested races.

The field is dominated by newcomers to elective office. Kristen Schultz and Mindy Wymer are the candidates for Position 1, Karen Casey and Greg Chapman for Position 2 and Shaun Henderson and Robin Strentz for the at-large Position 7.

Schultz said the board could improve communication by welcoming teachers at the meetings. She said she felt teachers in the past have been afraid to speak at meetings for fear of repercussions, but the district should listen to them because they know the realities of the classroom.

Schultz said the school should improve students’ access to technology, as other districts have done. On growth, she supports building on to the existing high school rather than building a new one.

Wymer said she’d like to see the district bring back more of the basics of education, such as cursive penmanship. She is particularly concerned about increases in classroom size, saying that students need more chances for one-on-one dialog with teachers.

Technologically, the school is where it should be, she said, but added that the district should always look ahead and make sure there’s a budget for upgrading.

The district is on the way to healing past problems, she said. Officials should consider rearranging classrooms or renovating the current high school before deciding to build anew.

In the election for Position 2, Casey listed school funding and budget efficiency as her top issues. She said the school board must keep the community informed about the effects of the state funding measures on operations in the district.

Growth will affect the district’s resources as well, she said. Casey said she did not have enough information to offer an opinion on whether a new high school should be built. She said the board should examine at least two alternative proposals before coming to a decision.

To keep a good working relationship with district employees, the board should use active listening, respectful discourse and tolerance of other viewpoints, Casey said, adding that her experience in customer service will help her in those areas.

Chapman said he decided to run because he wants to be a voice for the citizens of Gardner. If elected, he hopes to encourage teamwork and civil discourse among board members and district employees.

The board’s relationship with its administrators seems to be improving, and as a result, teachers are slowly feeling more comfortable coming to the meetings, he said.

On growth, Chapman said the district should look carefully at population trends given the expected increase in jobs from the new freight facility. So far, he said, the idea of adding on to the current high school looks to be what the community wants.

For the at-large Position 7, Henderson said he’s been reaching out to teachers and citizens in an effort to improve relationships with the board. Bringing teachers into the dialog is important, he said. “I don’t have all the answers but I definitely want to focus on children and teachers,” he said.

Future problems can be avoided by keeping the district’s business as open and transparent as possible, he said.

Henderson said he’s particularly concerned about preserving quality education while dealing with the funding provisions recently approved by the Kansas Legislature.

He had yet to form an opinion about whether to add on to the high school or build another.

Strentz provided a few brief comments via email about her candidacy. She said, “It is important for the School Board to continue the success they have had in showing the citizens of USD 231, the administrators, teachers and staff, that they are listening to them and care about their concerns and to move USD 231 in a direction that will have the least effect on the children.”

She also pledged to consider “increasing our children’s academics or technology and will always do what is best for the children.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Gardner-Edgerton school board candidates pledge to smooth tensions after turmoil involving administrators."