COLUMBIA — In a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Boone County, five candidates for two open Columbia School Board seats spoke Monday night about teacher salaries, race in public education and closing the achievement gap.
After the candidates spoke, district superintendent Peter Stiepleman answered questions about the proposed $30 million bond issue and 65-cent tax increase, which will be on the April 5 election ballot.
The candidates for the three-year term school board seats are:
  • Board member Jan Mees
  • Board President James Whitt
  • Paul Rainsberger, retired director of MU's Labor Education Program 
  • Sarah Dubbert, the vice president and treasury services manager for the Central Missouri Region at Commerce Bank
  • Retired military serviceman Joseph Toepke, who is also on the school board's finance committee
They were peppered with questions from moderator David Lile of KFRU, who relayed questions from the audience and the League of Women Voters. Incumbents Whitt and Mees were generally supportive of the school board's efforts over the years, while the three other candidates offered some criticism of the board's role in collective bargaining.
All candidates acknowledged that more work is needed to close the achievement gap, which is the academic performance disparity between students living in poverty and racial and ethnic minorities compared to the general student population.
On closing the achievement gap and race in public education
The achievement gap is measured mainly by standardized test scores. On the state's 2015 annual progress report — which uses test scores, graduation rates and other metrics to measure academic performance — Columbia Public Schools showed that its super subgroup students had performed better than in years past, but they still faced higher-than-average levels of poverty. The super subgroup comprises those who rely on free and reduced-price lunch, black and Hispanic students, English language learners and students with disabilities.
Whitt emphasized that the district has a long way to go.
“Unless we embrace it from a community standpoint, as well as a school, we’re gonna see little change," he said.
Dubbert said the schools need more diversity in the classroom, including more diverse teachers and faculty. 
Rainsberger said the school district needs to broaden the pool of teacher candidates so it can hire more diverse faculty.
Toepke said he thought the schools did a good job of meeting diversity needs, and he said a lot of the responsibility to close diversity gaps falls on the community.
Mees said poverty is one of the biggest contributing factors to the achievement gap, and he touted the district's efforts to close it.
On teacher unionization
The board is amid negotiations with the Columbia chapter of the Missouri National Educators Association, which is asking for improvements to working conditions for teachers, including more leave and increased time to plan classes.
Rainsberger criticized the school board's history of negotiating with the teachers unions, and Dubbert said the school board is stumbling when it comes to negotiating with teachers unions.
Whitt and Mees both said they thought the current teacher salary negotiation process is going well.
Toepke said he supported people's rights to unionize and be heard.
The tax levy and bond issue
After the candidate forum ended, Stiepleman answered questions about two upcoming school-related ballot issues.
If approved by voters, a 65-cent tax increase per $100 of assessed valuation would add $123.50 to the annual property tax bill of a house appraised at $100,000, according to school district documents.
What will an increase in the property tax levy mean for Columbia Public Schools?
Columbia residents will vote on a 65-cent property tax levy increase for Columbia Public Schools. Currently, the district’s total tax levy was $5.4656 per $100 of assessed valuation, the highest among six school districts in Boone County. If voters approve the increase, the tax levy will increase to $6.1156, bringing an estimated additional $14.7 million to the district. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported the above tax levy values on March 2, 2016.JINGHONG CHEN
A separate item is a $30 million bond issue, which would fund:
  • $4 million to purchase land for a new middle school in south Columbia and $2 million to design the school.
  • $11 million for elementary school additions.
  • $3 million for a kitchen expansion at Gentry Middle School.
  • $5 million for safety and security improvements, including building repair and renovation.
  • $2 million for roof repairs.
  • $1 million for outdoor athletic facility improvements at Gentry, Lange and Smithton middle schools.
  • $2 million for wireless network expansion and repair.
Stiepleman said the biggest challenge with financing the district comes from the state's continual decrease in funding. 
“When the state cuts taxes, they are essentially forcing local communities to pay for schools," he said.
He also said that if the foundation formula were fully funded, there would not be a need for the tax levy increase. Missouri uses the foundation formula to determine how much money each district receives. Columbia Public Schools hasn't received as much money from the state because the city has a relatively strong tax base. 
When asked how much of the tax levy would go toward teacher salaries, Stiepleman said that 31 cents of the 65-cent levy would fund all employee raises, not just the teacher salaries.