Schools

Candidates for the Northwest School District Board of Education

Meet the candidates seeking a seat on the Northwest school board.

There are three candidates for two available seats on the Northwest School District Board of Education - two incumbents (Nancy Bergfeld and Gary Bonacker) and a challenger (Scott E. Reed). Bonacker and Reed filled out a questionnaire provided by Patch to explain their candidacies. Patch was unable to contact Bergfeld despite repeated efforts. Her information was obtained from the district's website.

Here are the candidates:

Name: Gary Bonacker, 57, House Springs

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Occupation: Farmer

Education: Graduated from Northwest High with two years of college courses.

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Family: I have one son, Nick who is 25.

Years lived in the Northwest District: 

I have lived in the district all but one year at Mizzou and I lived in Eureka for four years. So its over 50 years.

Please provide a brief summary of your background, highlighting community involvement if applicable:

I have been a part of a long-time family farm since deciding to join the farm at age 20. I had worked there since I was old enough to handle the work. That pretty much kept me busy to where I had no real time for clubs and such. Once my son was born I enjoyed spending time with him and as he became interested in sports I always helped coach his various teams. I have since joined the High Ridge Rotary club about three years ago.

Please provide a brief summary of your reasons for running:

I have wanted to serve on the school board for years. I knew I did not want to become involved if I did not have the proper amount of time to devote to it. Three years ago I decided that I now have the time and jumped in. I am now at the end of my three-year term and will be very excited to serve again. I think that I have enough background in the business sense to make the decisions needed to do the job. The last three years have convinced me I am capable of representing John Q Public.

What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing the Northwest School District?

Revenues are down. Balancing the budget is a top priority along with assuring all students graduate ready for their next step.

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

Cutting costs to the bare bones helps minimize any impact of funding from the state. Planning ahead is a strong suit for this current administration and I can only compliment them for bringing to the board the forecast that seems to put the district in the best position to continue to improve.

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

Improvements are just that we always want to better prepare the students for the future. This district does not get the praise it deserves for the success it has had with preparing the kids. But we can always strive for a better “grade.” So I am satisfied with the district but know the push to the top doesn’t stop.

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

Simply to continue the positive trend we are on today. I believe the board has made some good decisions that will help with the future. I hope to be a part of that.

Scott E. Reed, 43, Catawissa

Occupation: Sales

Education: B.S. Management/Marketing Maryville University

Family: Wife, Carol, four kids, two at Cedar Springs Elementary School

Years lived in the Northwest District: 7

Please provide a brief summary of your background, highlighting community involvement if applicable.

I have been in educational sales for the last 10 years covering the Midwest

Please provide a brief summary of your reasons for running.

I am running for School Board because I think the board needs folks who currently have children in the district. I want to be the voice of the parents.

What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing the Northwest School District?

Student achievement is the biggest issue the district faces. We need to perform as the best district in Jefferson County. Almost all districts in the county are facing the similar issues as Northwest is so we need to make improving student achievement the highest priority so that my kids and your kids can go to college and be ready for the workforce.

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

I will not worry about things I can’t control. Most all other districts face this same issue. I will make sure that what funds we do have are spend wisely towards our main goal of improving student achievement. We can’t complain about the state because it will do no good.

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

The district needs to improve student achievement. We are going backwards while others are improving. This is not acceptable and the new Common Core Standards are even more rigorous. Students are not being pushed hard enough and we need to solve that so that we can attain the most from each and every student.

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

I want to be the voice of the parents and improve student achievement.

Nancy Bergfeld

Why did you choose to become a Board member?

I feel that every citizen should contribute to his/her community. My experiences have been in the field of education. Making sure each child gets the best education possible is a great gift to give. I hope that I can add to the positive environment that has been established in the Northwest community. The teachers, students, administrators, and staff are absolutely the best I have ever seen in 34 years of education.

Favorite memorable moment:

Every time a success is celebrated, it makes me happy. Whether it is having state and national awards such as Brennan Woods and Cedar Springs being named Blue Ribbon Schools, the Northwest Lions taking the state championship in cheerleading, Cathy Wittrock named as an American Star of Teaching, etc. or those celebrations we see each month at the Board of Education meetings – children and employees doing and giving their best – it is a beautiful thing to see. I love how Northwest recognizes those moments on a regular basis.

Most challenging part of serving on the Board: 

Making the tough decisions is not always so much fun. When the District does not have enough financial resources to provide everything we would like to give to students, it is challenging to determine the priority that each request should have. It is also tough to make hard choices for children who are in trouble. We strive as a Board to always do what is in the best interest of the student. Sometimes that is a difficult decision.

Current occupation:

I provide professional development to 31 school districts across Missouri as a Resource Teacher Enhancement Coordinator. I’m also a part-time teacher at Valley Park Middle School and I align NAEP items for DESE.


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