Bret Bailey
My wife Tatumn and I are Salem natives. We have three children, Keegan 12, Krew 7, and Kanyon 4. We’ve basically lived in Salem our whole lives and love our small community. I enjoy hunting, going on side-by-side rides, camping, and just spending time with family and being outdoors. I’ve been employed with the Doe Run Company for 16 years and have recently started managing Holloman Care Companies- Salem office. I would like to join others to help bring common sense solutions to our district. Our children are the future, and I believe it's very important to instill a strong work ethic and basic morals to our future leaders. Together, we can make it our goal that every student is on the path to graduate and lead successful lives.
What experience do you have with complicated budgets? When you are given a 400-page budget for the district, what will be your process to determine if it is a good budget for the system?
To be honest, I don’t have much experience with large, complicated budgets. Who does? My process to determine if the budget is good for the district would be to ask myself a few questions. Is it balanced? Meaning, are we positive or negative? Next would be, is it efficient? Are we having to cut corners or rob Peter to pay Paul? Lastly, would be, is it effective? Is the budget working properly, with all needs being met? If the answer to those questions is yes and then I would suppose the budget is good for the system.
In an era of more limited financial resources, how will you enlist support for bond issues or public school spending from taxpayers?
Taxes are always a touchy topic. But in my opinion, the great people who make up this district aren’t completely against raising taxes to benefit the schools. It’s the lack of honesty, communication, transparency, and community involvement that hinder the support from the community. I've watched our small community come together and raise money for a cause, when they know all the pros and cons, and are involved in the entire process.
What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
Competitive teacher salaries should be a big concern for our district. Raising base salaries and compensating new teachers is a fantastic move to attract quality teaching staff, I also believe in fairly compensating the senior teachers, this not only sends a message of appreciation but also incentivizes good teachers to stay.
There are several buildings throughout the district that need proper updating before it's too late. Preventive maintenance is essential to keeping our buildings safe and operational for many years.
What other single issue for your school district do you believe needs to be addressed, and how would you address it?
Team work!!!! I believe working together to have a unified body when it comes to the success and well being of our students is very important. As leaders, we should be able to set goals for our district and strengthen our ability to work together for the greater good of our students. This is very important to me. I hope to be joined by others who share similar ideas to strengthen our relationships, by increasing community involvement.
BRIAN MINK
I have been married to Candi Mink for 21 years. We have three kids together. Ashton, who attends State Tech Nursing program. Layton, who is a sophomore at Salem R-80, and Colton Mink who is a seventh grader at Salem R-80. I moved from Kentucky to Salem, 19 years ago. I have been a supporter of Salem R-80 since moving here. I’m not an educator, but I am a MSHSAA sports official, which keeps me in close contact with students and athletes. I enjoy interacting with kids and being a mentor to them when needed.
What experience do you have with complicated budgets? When you are given a 400- page budget for the district, what will be your process to determine if it is a good budget for the system?
I haven’t necessarily dealt with complicated budgets, but in the job position that I am in at my workplace, I have dealt with complicated situations every day. Never one being the same. I lay out the complication, assess the situation, then work to find the problem until I get it fixed. I may not get it fixed immediately, but with hard work and time I have always gotten the job done.
In an era of more limited financial resources, how will you enlist support for bond issues or public school spending from taxpayers?
I feel like we may need to be more responsible about where our money goes and be held accountable for money spent. As a tax payer myself, it is important to me to know that the money I am paying is going to the proper places in our school system to make sure my children are getting the best education possible with the limited amount of money that we have.
What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
One of the greatest needs our district has right now is needing competitive pay for our educators and support staff so that we can keep quality educators and workers in our school to make sure our children get a quality education. Along with that, I also believe we need to provide safe and quality facilities for our teachers and students for the best education experience possible.
What other single issue for your school district do you believe needs to be addressed, and how would you address it?
One issue that I would like to address is getting our children better prepared for future outside of school. I feel like if a student chooses college, we need to prepare them to succeed through their college years and have them better prepared. If they choose trade, we need to set them up to be successful in the trade that they choose. We need to make sure the means are there to make every student successful.
Calvin Malone
I graduated from Salem High School in 1998. Later I received a Bachelor’s Degree from Southwest Baptist University in Business Administration. I married my wife, Julie in 2003. We have two boys, Cason and Colby. Cason is a Freshman at the High School and Colby is a 6th grader at the middle school. I am a member of First Baptist Church Salem where I am active in our youth programs. Currently, I work as a certified Epic Analyst for Phelps Health. Prior to my work as an Analyst I was a licensed insurance agent where I served Salem and the surrounding community for 15 plus years. For the last 3 years I have served as the 6th/7th grade middle school basketball coach at Salem R-80 and will continue that this year.
What experience do you have with complicated budgets? When you are given a 400-page budget for the district, what will be your process to determine if it is a good budget for the system?
Yes. I worked with a complicated budget as a business owner. The budget will tell me a lot about our current Superintendent’s priorities for the district. Taking a “high level” view of the budget will give an good idea if those priorities align with my goals for our district. Any budget that is not in line with competitive employee compensation, consistent facility improvement, and doesn’t aid in improving our children’s school experience will not be in line with my core values. I will question all large spending projects in regard to grant availability and will question why that project is a priority. A good budget for our school system will be transparent, goal centered, and accountable to our community.
In an era of more limited financial resources, how will you enlist support for bond issues or public school spending from taxpayers?
Our community is very supportive of our school district. Our district needs to feel involved in the decision making process. Being fully transparent on cost and time line for any bond initiative is key to gaining support. Presenting a clear plan and following through will improve trust in our community that we can get things done together. Our needs are obvious to those who enter William Lynch and that should be our primary focus moving forward.
What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
Our greatest capital need are facilities. We need approved for a FEMA grant and to pass a bond issue to build a new elementary school.
What other single issue for your school district do you believe needs to be addressed, and how would you address it?
Teachers and support staff need to be paid better. This is an ongoing issue and hard to tackle. Pay would help with some of the retention issue we are currently facing as well. Addressing this issue is difficult without seeing the budget. However, I would start with a conversation with administration and work from there.
Drusilla (Seay) Howard
I am a lifelong Salem resident and a 1999 graduate of Salem High School. I am married to Dustin Howard and have two children, Kash (16) and Josie (14) who both attend Salem R-80. I earned my BS in Accounting from Drury University in Springfield, and my MBA from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar. I have been employed with Town and Country Super Market, Inc. for the past 18 years in various roles in the accounting department, but I currently serve as the Chief Financial Officer.
I volunteer as a member of the Dent County/University of Missouri Extension Council where I serve on the budget and hiring committees, as well as being a member of the Salem Memorial Hospital Foundation Board. In addition to these activities, I co-chair the annual Back to School Fair and coordinate the Dent County Lunch Angels program.
I am running for school board because I am an enthusiastic supporter of rural, public education and giving our students the best opportunities to succeed before and after graduation. If elected, I look forward to advocating for students, teachers, and staff of the district.
What experience do you have with complicated budgets? When you are given a 400-page budget for the district, what will be your process to determine if it is a good budget for the system?
I have an extensive background in finance and accounting, as well as years of direct experience in compiling, analyzing, and understanding complex budgets in my current role with Town and Country Super Market. I also have additional experience in budgeting for non-profit entities in various volunteer roles I have had in the past.
It's important to recognize that every budget is different and Fund Accounting used for government entities and public school district budgets does differ from for-profit accounting. However, the basic structure and principals of budgeting are similar. I will spend ample time learning the nuances and specifics of the district budget to gain a solid understanding of the structure and purpose of the funds, income sources, and expenditures.
In order to know whether the budget is “good,” it must be analyzed in comparison to similar sized and funded districts, examined for trends, and scrutinized to determine if allocated funding and expenses will support the short-term and long-term goals of the district in varying financial scenarios. It will be vital to me to make sure funds are allocated toward projects and initiatives that will have the biggest impact on student success.
In an era of more limited financial resources, how will you enlist support for bond issues or public school spending from taxpayers?
In order to gain support for bond issues and additional taxpayer funding for the district, the board has to be transparent about the needs and goals of the district, why those needs exist, and the potential solutions to meeting those needs.
Effective communication and community “buy in” is key. Taxpayers are stakeholders of the district and want to understand and trust that the current resources of the district are being utilized as efficiently as possible before they would vote in favor of a bond issue.
What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
Based on the aging infrastructure and extensive repairs and maintenance that would be required to upgrade the existing structure, the need for a new building to replace William Lynch Elementary is the greatest capital need in the district currently. For the safety and security of our youngest learners, as well as the teachers and staff in the building, it’s becoming an increasingly urgent issue.
A project of this magnitude would most likely require a bond issue to fund the project (at least in part), which is addressed in my answer to the prior question. None of this happens without community support.
What other single issue for your school district do you believe needs to be addressed, and how would you address it?
An issue facing Salem R-80, as well as many rural districts around the state, is the ability to attract and retain high quality educators and staff. In order to provide students with the best possible opportunities for successful outcomes in the classroom and after graduation, having educators who feel valued for their professional contributions is essential. I have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for teachers and staff, and our district certainly has many phenomenal educators. However, it’s not uncommon for teachers and administrators to seek opportunities outside of our district for varying reasons, including higher pay.
Although no one person can change the current funding sources or structure, it is important to ensure our current budget and spending is in line with our priorities as a district and we are utilizing the existing resources to their fullest potential. As a board member, my top priority will be on improving student outcomes and supporting our students, teachers, and staff.
Greg Moravec
I grew up in Belvidere, Illinois, and graduated from the Belvidere High School. Upon graduating, I attended Western Illinois University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. I obtained my minor in Emergency Management. I graduated from college December 2009 and started my career with the Missouri State Highway Patrol on February 1, 2010. Upon graduation, I was assigned to Dent County. On August 1, 2019, I was promoted to Corporal (Supervisor) and am still assigned to Dent County. My wife is the pre-school teacher at Dent-Phelps R-III School here in Dent County. I have a nine-year-old son that is in third grade and a six-year-old daughter that is in kindergarten. We reside in Salem, so both children attend school within the Salem R-80 School District. I am already involved within the schools by teaching children drug education during Red Ribbon week, Stranger Danger, Halloween safety, firearms safety, and career days.
I decided to run for the School Board because it frustrates me when I watch the news and see politics infiltrating the school system. We need to get back to the basics where school is a place to learn and not focus on a political agenda. As a supervisor with the Highway Patrol, I make well informed decisions. Decisions can’t be made without first obtaining all the facts, which I believe need to come from the students, parents, and faculty, not just administrators. I want our children to go to school and feel safe. I want parents to be able to send their children to school and know they are safe. Schools are typically ‘soft’ targets, and with some policies being implemented, we can turn them into a ‘hard’ target. I’d like to explore a firearms policy allowing certain qualified staff, with approval, the ability to possess a firearm inside the schools. I believe in public service, open communication, fact gathering, and believe that I can contribute to the students, teachers, and parents by serving on the Salem R-80 School District School Board.
What experience do you have with complicated budgets? When you are given a 400- page budget for the district, what will be your process to determine if it is a good budget for the system?
I’ll be honest, I don’t really have any experience with complex budgets. My employment doesn’t require me to be responsible for or review budgets; however, I am very knowledgeable of my personal and family budget / investments. I have a good understanding of my employer’s deferred comp program, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, 529 accounts, and standard brokerage accounts. While this does not translate into complex budget proficiency, it gives me a starting point. If presented with a 400-page budget like the scenario that was given, I’d first see if there was any type of summary associated with it with the hope it would explain what the overall objectives were. Once I get a big picture of what I’m looking for, I’d review it to the best of my ability. If there is something I need explained, I’d simply ask or utilize other board members for discussion in order to make sure I understood. In determining if it is a good budget, I’d first want to see the consequences, whether positive or negative, that it would have on the students and teachers. I’d also like to get feedback from the School District administrators on what their thoughts of the budget are. I’d like to inquire if there are any areas of concern and how those concerns can be addressed. At the end of the day, I’m not an accountant, but I will make a well-informed decision based on all relevant information to do what’s best for the students.
In an era of more limited financial resources, how will you enlist support for bond issues or public school spending from taxpayers?
You must be transparent and communicate why it’s needed and what the benefits are for the community, as well as the impact it will have on the students and faculty. It’s important to hear from parents and the community what their thoughts are, as well as address any questions or concerns they may have. Social media can be a valuable asset when it comes to disseminating information and assist in educating the public. It can also act as a point of communication to get feedback from the community.
What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
The William Lynch Elementary School is old and it’s only getting older. You can only put a band-aid on so many times. It would be beneficial for students and faculty to explore the options for a new facility. Safety of our students is also a top priority for me. As mentioned above, kids should feel safe at school and parents should feel at ease knowing their children are safe at school. Investing in tougher security measures and arming faculty within the school is a good step in the right direction. A firearm is something you never want to have to use, but it’s better to have one and not need it than need it and not have one.
What other single issue for your school district do you believe needs to be addressed, and how would you address it?
Like many other employers out there, the school district needs to focus on recruitment, but they also need to focus on retention. The employees we currently have are a valuable asset, and we need to explore ways to keep them motivated to want to teach. Is pay an issue, is poor leadership to blame, are they not receiving any feedback on how they are doing, do they not have the resources they need to be effective, or do they simply want to get closer to home? One thing I’d like to do as a board member is speak to an employee one on one and see what their reason is for leaving. I understand there is only so much we can do under certain circumstances, but if we don’t have an effective leader, those concerns can be addressed. Administrators need to lead by example, not by being a dictator with the thought process of ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ Leaders that aren’t communicating effectively, micromanaging, aren’t approachable, can’t make a decision, and aren’t involved with parents and teachers have no place as a leader. If you have effective leadership, you’ll motivate employees and have a better chance to retain them.
Marjorie (Wilber) Pyatt
I am a retired Salem R-80 high school English teacher, the mother of five, and grandmother of nine, three of whom are students in Salem R-80. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Literature in English from the University of the State of New York and a Bachelor of Science in Education from The University of Missouri-Rolla (now S & T). I am a lifelong Missourian, and I have been a resident of Salem for forty years. A passion for the solid, practical education of Salem R-80 students, equity in teacher salaries, teacher retention, and emphasis on academics motivates my bid for a position on the R-80 Board of Education. The make-up of the board could be more reflective of all members of the community. I believe that the district would benefit from the perspective of a retired Salem teacher, a taxpayer of many years, and of a Christian grandmother with strong roots in the Salem community.
What experience do you have with complicated budgets? When you are given a 400-page budget for the district, what will be your to process to determine if it is a good budget for the system?
The nuts and bolts of a large budget are not part of my direct experience. I have been honored to be a member of my church’s administrative board for several years. Though the UMC document is far from the four hundred pages confronting the school board, there are some ways the R-80 budget could be developed in the first place. Teamwork and respect for the skills of others, are my best take-aways from my experience.
Salaries are a big part of the development of the R-80 document, and I think that should be approached as a team project. Decisions should be made from actual data, not personal preferences. Hiring and keeping good teachers is a priority in this educational enterprise. Administrators and board members are part of the process, but not the only stakeholders. Teachers, and other employees should sit in on development of the budget. Members of the public should be a part of decisions that are made. After all, it is public money. There would be fewer troubles about the use of money if those involved are not left out of deliberations. It is a good budget if those involved are satisfied that this is our best use of funds.
In an era of more limited financial resources, how will you enlist support for bond issues or public school spending from taxpayers?
A bond issue should be approached using a communications team consisting of both district personnel and members of the community. The public must understand why this money is needed. I use the word “need,” not just “want.” Common sense and the culture of the community should be considered. Asking for money from a community that doesn’t have a lot of it should be very carefully considered, if it is to be successful.
What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
I believe that the most pressing capital need is the William Lynch building. In this economy we should continue to make the building the safest and best facility possible.
What other single issue for your school district do you believe needs to be addressed, and how would you address it?
A single issue that I think should be addressed is that the business of the district should be done with absolute transparency, and the board meetings should have an open-door policy. Only matters involving legal issues should be handled in closed session, and that in keeping with the law. The public needs to feel welcome. The board meetings should be held in a place that can comfortably accommodate more people.
Andrew Wynn
I am a 2001 Salem High School graduate. I attended Southern Illinois University, and received my degree in 2005. My wife Catherine and I have two daughters, Eavie and Sadie, and they both attend school in the R-80 school district. In addition to having already served one term as a Board Member for the Salem R-80 School District, I also serve as Vice Chairperson for the Council for a Healthy Dent County and Chairperson for the Salem Memorial Hospital Foundation and try to be as active in the community as possible. I have been a loan officer at Town & Country Bank for 11 years and enjoy serving our community and surrounding areas. I thoroughly enjoy serving on our current school district’s board of directors and would love the opportunity to continue serving into the future.
What experience do you have with complicated budgets? When you are given a 400- page budget for the district, what will be your process to determine if it is a good budget for the system?
I am familiar with budgets in respect for each board/committee that I serve on. Budgets can range from simple, to very in depth and complex - which in a district of our size it weighs on the side of being complex. A sound practice, in my opinion, for initial assessment of a budget is looking at expenditures vs. revenue and making sure the school is in a stable financial standing and not going over budget. Then reviewing the content of funds/departments/etc. to see if there would be any reason for recommending that any certain area might need a more thorough review of money being spent. Moving beyond that, I feel that is where good communication with your superintendent and faith and trust in her/his ability to make responsible decisions with the district’s money is key for having confidence in the budget. It’s ultimately the board’s role to set the budget in respect for what is best for the students and the district as a whole.
In an era of more limited financial resources, how will you enlist support for bond issues or public school spending from taxpayers?
Every single person and entity right now is feeling the strain of limited financial resources. Open lines of communication and education of any probable bond issues would be key for getting the public’s support. If you only present a bond issue, or ask the taxpayers to support an increase in spending without also educating people, all you’re doing is telling your stakeholders that their cost in something (i.e. taxes, etc.) is going to increase. You have to be able to communicate to the public the features, advantages, and benefits that any such bond issue or increase in spending will bring to them, our community, students, and employees of our district.
What are the district’s greatest capital needs right now? How do you think those needs should be addressed?
The district’s greatest capital need right now is a new elementary school. This issue has been a long time coming, and needs addressed immediately. Granted, there are a lot of ins and outs that go into this. But, for the sake of our children’s education, success, and honestly health and well-being we must do better for our kids. Bonding capacity, increased costs of construction, and the need for a grant to fund a portion of this project are all pieces of this that will need to fall in place. In addition, a bond issue will have to be passed in order to make this a reality for our district and community. But, as mentioned in the question before, we as a school district have to be diligent about branding this project and educating the voters about the enormous benefits this will bring to our district, students, staff, and community. The benefits will greatly outweigh any costs associated with the voters making the decision to support this issue.
What other single issue for your school district do you believe needs to be addressed, and how would you address it?
In addition to the capital need of the district, I feel the other most important issue to face is finding a way to increase our teacher and staff’s pay. That sounds like a standard answer, but it’s something that we must accomplish as a school district. The disparity in what we’re currently able to pay compared to other area districts is real. We first have to make sure we’re doing everything we can with our current budget to be sure we’re managing our money properly. If we haven’t given it a thorough assessment and stay diligent, then we couldn’t rightfully go to the voters to ask for an operating levy to be passed. There are two avenues to take when talking about increasing pay: make adjustments to the budget in order to be able to distribute more pay, and/or go to the voters to pass a levy. But, we first have to accountable with the current budget before we could justify making a pitch for any sort of increase in spending from the voters. This issue ties straight to retaining our already great teachers/staff, recruiting quality teachers in the future, and improving the quality of life for those that are loyal to our community.
