Jackson School Board candidates address COVID, community growth

Four candidates — two incumbents and two challengers — are vying for a pair of three-year terms on the Jackson School Board in the district's April 6 board election.

Sheila King

Current board members Kelly Waller and Sheila King are being challenged for their seats by Richard "Rick" Murray and Charles "Charlie" Wallgren.

Richard Murray

Wallgren is a network and systems analyst at Washington University in St. Louis where he focuses on IT project management and implementation. He also has a consulting firm, Cape Aegis, that provides contracted services to the federal government and is head of network engineering at SmartLink Internet, an internet service provider in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Charles Wallgren

Murray was a municipal government employee, serving in various administrative positions in several Missouri communities. He was head of inspection services in Cape Girardeau from 1991 until December 1998, when he accepted a similar position in Fulton, Missouri. He retired in 2008 as the city administrator in Malden, Missouri, and eventually moved to Jackson.

King has been a licensed real estate agent with Realty Executive Edge for nearly 20 years. She and her husband also have ownership in Seis Amigos Mexican Restaurant in Cape Girardeau and United Land Title.

Waller, currently the board president, has been in the insurance industry for 24 years, the past 18 of which as owner/agent of the Kelly Waller Insurance Agency for American Family Insurance in Jackson.

The Southeast Missourian asked all four candidates to respond to a set of questions about themselves and their candidacy. Their answers appear in rotating order in the interest of fairness.

• Do you have children in the Jackson School District?

Murray: I have no children nor ever had any children in the Jackson School District.

King: I am a lifelong resident of Jackson, a graduate (of Jackson High School) and my two children and husband are all alumni of JHS.

Waller: I've been blessed to have all three of my children experience the Jackson R-2 School District. My son, Kelvin, is a JHS graduate of 2007. My oldest daughter, Karissa, is a proud member of the Class of 2019, and my youngest daughter, Katie, is a sophomore at Jackson High School (Class of 2023). I also have a granddaughter, Luna Louise, that I hope to see wearing the red and black someday.

Wallgren: My wife and I have one child. He is currently 3 years old and just completed his preschool screenings. He is a participant in the JR2 Parents as Teachers program and is on the wait list to attend preschool at Jackson.

• Why do you wish to serve (or continue serving) on the Jackson School Board?

King: I have completed two terms on the board and I have seen hands-on the amazing work that takes place in the district. My husband and I are business owners so I feel I am very invested in the community. I am proud of the teachers, students and staff that make up this district and I feel being a member of the school board is one way that I can give back to a community that I am very proud to be from.

Waller: I hope the Jackson community feels I've done a good job representing them over the last six years. In that period, we developed a strategic plan, completed "Proposition J," implemented the "One 4 One" initiative, completed phase one of the junior high expansion and focused on improved safety. We also hired our next superintendent, Dr. Scott Smith. But there is more to accomplish, and I believe I have the experience to get it done.

Wallgren: I am blessed to be at a point in my life where I am able to serve my community. I have been surrounded by educators my entire life. My parents were both teachers and my wife is currently a speech-language pathologist at a local school district. I believe that my project management background will be an asset to the Jackson R-2 school board, as well as my experience with bringing technology to rural areas.

Murray: My experience is needed more than ever. I have 38 years in public service -- planning, budgeting, evaluating, communicating (with staff, administration, public), and organizational skills. With a new superintendent, he will need a fresh set of eyes to help him through the first few years. I have fresh ideas and knowledge to back up my thoughts.

• What, in your opinion, are the continuing challenges posed by COVID-19 facing the district?

Waller: The pandemic has shown us the need for even more equipment and upgraded facilities to keep our students and staff safe. Over the past 12 months, our support services team has done an incredible job in meeting those challenges. This is a new normal. Our challenge will be to maintain that support while facing the constant threat of state and federal budget cuts to public education.

Wallgren: The main challenge currently facing Jackson is the constant balance between in-person and online instruction. Reopening of schools and our community, in general, is the ultimate objective, but we are faced with hard decisions along the way. Informed and responsible decision making will be the keys to success during this difficult time.

Murray: COVID-19 has proven we must be able to think outside the box. This pandemic showed the need for greater planning. During my career, city residents depended on us to plan for flooding, earthquakes, property protection, unforeseen events, and these are the talents I will bring to the board. (We need) additional funding for cleaning supplies, teachers, class reductions or alterations. We will not be able to return to business as usual; we must learn and adapt. Some things inside the buildings I hope won't go away (such as) one-way halls, staggered classes, etc.

King: I think the biggest challenge has been virtual learning. This was new to everyone and no one could just give a simple solution and tell us what to do and how to move forward. Together as a district we all pulled together and figured it out as best we could.

• Even after the pandemic ends, do you see remotely-delivered (virtual) education continuing in some form and has the landscape for teaching permanently changed as a result of COVID-19? If so, how?

Wallgren: I do not believe that schools will ever be able to fully pivot back to 100% in-person instruction. Our district will have to work to embrace the changing educational environment in order to provide the highest quality of instruction to our students, both in-person and online. Structure and management plans going forward will be essential to ensure consistency across all teaching methodologies.

Murray: I envision remotely-delivered (virtual) education to open up many new sources of educational opportunities for our students. We now know this technology can be incorporated in our daily schedules. We can harness knowledge from anywhere and not be limited by staffing or space. By using virtual learning, we can offer any class subject. Imagine our government classes getting to interact with the U.S. Secretary of Education or similar figure.

Waller: I believe there will always be a virtual learning component available in our district. Hopefully not for another pandemic, but for whatever circumstance presents itself. I've witnessed our teachers and staff meet every challenge thrown at them this year and become even stronger. But our students learn better when they are in the classroom and face-to-face with our teachers. I look forward to returning to in-person, face-to-face instruction next year.

King: We would hope, of course, all students could get back to the classroom, but virtual learning may now be a new "normal." It's really hard to say, as things keep changing, if virtual learning will ever end. It was amazing to see during this pandemic how everyone pulled together for the sake of our students. I feel the entire district, parents included, went above and beyond to make sure our students were taken care of.

• Aside from the challenges posed by the pandemic, what is the biggest challenge (or challenges) facing the Jackson School District?

Murray: Funding will always be one of the biggest challenges facing any school district. We, the voters and residents, cannot continue to carry the tax burden forever. My vision is to work with elected officials to create funding sources similar to TIFs or CIDs like those used in municipal improvement projects. Other areas of concern are communications with our parents, students and public. I will always explore ways to maintain avenues of communications.

Waller: The Jackson R-2 School District continues to see unprecedented student enrollment growth. That's a great sign of a successful district. But with that sustained growth comes the challenges of maintaining efficient class sizes and retaining our incredible teachers. The Jackson R-2 Board of Education is committed to giving our students the best possible learning environment with the best educators in the State of Missouri.

King: The community just keeps growing, so keeping up with growth in the school district and keeping the class sizes smaller could be one challenge. I think the district has done a great job evaluating student needs and hearing the teacher's voice. Another challenge would be just keeping up with technology as it is always changing.

Wallgren: Jackson is a vibrant and ever-changing community. We have enjoyed decades of success, both academically and athletically. One of the dangers of becoming complacent in success is the inability to embrace change where needed. The Jackson R-2 district needs to remain cognizant of the challenges that our students and educators face in order to provide solutions that ensure positive outcomes for all.