Four compete for school board seats

Four candidates will be on the Tuesday, April 4 ballot vying for three seats on the Southern Boone School Board. Three incumbents – Kevin Schupp, George Carney and Price Nichols – will compete with political newcomer Dawn Sapp.

Each of the candidates said dealing with growth in the district was the No. 1 challenge for SoBoCo schools. From the candidates:

Price Nichols – the incumbent has served one term and has had two children go through the district and is a graduate of SoBoCo. “I just love being on the board,” Nichols said. Nichols emphasized the need for the district to stay competitive in the salary race for excellent teachers. “I don’t blame good teachers when they move for better pay,” Nichols said.

“I don’t want a tax increase, but hope that (Larry) Potterfield will build something to help us.” Nichols also emphasized the need to keep up with maintenance on existing facilities.

Dawn Sapp has three children, one at SoBoCo Primary and another starting school next year. “I want to be involved,” Sapp said of her candidacy. Sapp says that she thinks there are a few budget issues she could work with, including the lunch room collection and increased pay for longtime teachers.

Sapp says she would listen to the community if it came to a discussion of increasing taxes.

“Our community has been behind the district,” Sapp said, “I don’t see that it would be something the community would not consider.” Sapp said she backs district initiatives to improve facilities such as the high school library.

Kevin Schupp has had three children in the district and is completing his first term.

“I want to see through a few projects the board is completing,” Schupp said of his candidacy. “It takes about a year-and-a-half to figure out what you’re doing. I’m a much more effective board member now than I was when I started,” Schupp said. A few “good problems to have” is how Schupp terms the district’s difficult budget.

“We need to work to stay ahead of the game,” Schupp said, “it’s not just ‘solving a problem’ – it’s constantly looking at the next jump in growth.”

Incumbent George Carney has served four years on the board. Carney, who serves now as the board president, says he wants to see the completion of the current building projects and said the key to the district’s budget is working as a community to gain commercial development near the airport. “We need development to help provide those funds,” Carney said. Carney added that he believed he served the district best when it came to finances and budget.