Northwest R-1 School Board Candidates: Third of Three Parts

Editor's note: A questionnaire was sent to each of the six candidates for the Northwest R-1 School District Board of Education. Here is the response from Sherrie L. Werner.

Candidates are running for three open spots on the school board. Terms last three years. The election is April 5.

SHERRIE L. WERNER

Age: 55

Address: 4264 Arrowhead Place, House Springs, MO  63051

Occupation: Staff Officer, Department of Defense

Education: Some college

Children: Chris and Scott; both graduates of Northwest (‘96 & ‘98)

Years lived in the Northwest District: 42+ ( I am a 1974 Northwest High School graduate.)

Background/Experience: My occupational background ranges from domestic goddess-secretary, graphic arts, business owner, newspaper reporter/editor, bank marketing, to government intelligence. My newspaper experience included reporting on the Northwest School District for the Meramec Journal. I served on the Northwest R-1 Board of Education from 1992-98 as board secretary and vice president; chaired the public relations committee for the bond issue to build the new high school and emceed town hall meetings. I’ve also served three years on the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Board of Directors and was a member of Experience! Jefferson County.

Reasons for running:

I left the school board when I moved out of the district in 1998. After several major life changes, I’m back home and ready to serve the district and community again. I’ve always been a proud alumnus of Northwest. My only agenda is to add my optimism and vision for the continuance of the impressive improvements made in recent years. I worked tirelessly during my previous board experience to improve morale among staff and the community. This time around, I hope to enjoy the benefits of a community that is more supportive of the district and retain their trust.

What do you see as the biggest issue facing the Northwest R-1 School District?

Concerns about “No Child Left Behind” standards and the number of our schools on the list of “Corrective Action, in Need of Improvement” are areas I need to learn more about. Are we doing all we can? If not, what steps is the district taking? Are we looking broadly enough outside the box to provide the best curriculum/delivery to students? Are we providing the best career development opportunities for staff? These questions are not criticisms. They are questions I need to answer for myself. I believe the best needs to be offered, but I also believe what a student gets out of education is equal to the level of effort the student puts into it.

How would you address the continuing uncertainty over state funding for schools?

While a board must be ever vigilant about state funding, we must trust in the superintendent and his financial staff to address state funding issues. It’s up to them to build relationships with local and state politicians and keep the board informed about current and changing trends. More important to me is the aspect of local funding through tax revenues. We are losing numbers of students and staff. When I served before, we had modular classrooms and bulging facilities. Reducing the amount of school buildings due to a decrease of 1000 students and 80 teachers through attrition (retirements, etc) is a big change to wrap my head around.

In what areas does the Northwest R-1 School District need to improve? Are you satisfied with the way the district has been operating?

I am satisfied with the way I see the district operating and hope it doesn’t change if I get a close-up view.

Assume you win the election. What single thing do you want to accomplish during your three years on the board?

I want the district to improve in the area of attracting students. Why do kids who live on my street and elsewhere in the district choose to attend private schools?  I want to identify the reason and work to make Northwest competitive – to make it hard for parents to select the private school over ours. That would be an accomplishment of board service that would be beneficial to all involved – the staff, students, the business community and patrons.

CHRIS DAVIS

Davis did not respond to the election questionnaire.