Centre voters to elect four board members
Four positions are up for election on the Centre USD 397 Board of Education, with two contested races.
Clark M. Davis, Lutheran pastor at Tampa, is running for a third four-year term as representative of the first district. He is unopposed.
Clark said a cohesive board in the past four years has made strides in producing reasonable budgeting. He sees challenges in school financing and in coming into compliance with new QPA/No Child Left Behind school improvement mandates.
Clark continues to be frustrated by state and federal mandates that don't mandate funding.
"That hasn't been adequately addressed," he said.
Clark said his continued involvement on the board will bring continuity and contribute to a strong board.
He also serves on the Marion County Special Education board and currently is president.
His wife, Kathy, is a paraprofessional. Daughter Rebecca attends Benedictine College at Atchison. Daughter Rachel is a freshman at Centre High School.
Mark A. Heiser, Ramona, is running for the second district seat. He will replace Steve Jirak, who did not re-file.
Heiser is a farmer/cattleman. He said he decided to run because nobody else stepped forward.
"I'm hoping I can work with the rest of the board members to maintain a quality education for our students," he said.
Adjustments in spending will be one of the big challenges facing the district, Heiser said. "We need to try to keep it together, to keep it solid, and provide a good education. We need to stay away from a merger with another district.
"I don't want to raise taxes if we can make some compromises," he continued, "but we may have to. It's kind of like farming, like family, you have to make the money reach."
He said the board needs to continue to monitor and address the drug problem.
Heiser and his wife, Kathy, have two children attending school in the district: Stephanie, a senior, and Krista, a freshman.
Heiser serves on the board of Marion County Fire District #3 (Colfax township). He helped bring about a new fire station.
"It's rewarding to do a community service," he said.
Contested positions
Two candidates are running for the third district position.
Leona Hajek, Lost Springs, is running for a third term.
She is a cosmetologist and owns a beauty shop at the farm in rural Lost Springs. She and her husband, Ron, have three sons: Brett, 21; Darrin, 19; and Trent, 16, a sophomore at Centre.
Hajek has taken an active interest in her sons lives from birth. She coached T-ball, went on field trips with classes, and continues to help high school class sponsors with money making projects. She conducted parent visitations every year while her sons were in K-6 grades.
She has been involved in CYO, teaching religion, and many school-related functions. She is a volunteer fire-fighter for Marion County First District #6 and assists Ron in his duties as fire chief.
She first ran for the school board in 1995. As a board member, she has been involved in TEEN, special education, staff negotiations, and QPA visitation and accreditation. She has attended in-service meetings and special seminars for board members.
She believes Centre has a staff and personnel that care about children: "Everyone works very hard to make successful graduates of the students."
She said staff members have a good working relationship, and teachers are willing to go the extra mile to help students.
She noted that excellent ag, woods, and music programs have augmented students' accomplishments.
"I decided to go the third term because I felt that, with the state financial situation, as someone already having a working knowledge of the school district, it would help in making decisions for the years ahead," she said. "We will have to become creative with our finances, especially if the economy doesn't start turning around."
She is eager to see the roof project at the high school finished. She also wants to help the district find ways to lower escalating insurance premiums.
Steven Seifert, Lost Springs, is running as a first-term candidate in the third district.
When asked why he is running, he said he grew up in a family where his father encouraged service to the community: "My father was opinionated and, although he never ran for public office, it was instilled in me to become involved in the community."
Seifert was born at Clifton in north central Kansas. He married Angie Alvarez in 1987 at Pilsen.
He attended Baker University for one year, then Cloud County Community College for two years, where he obtained a degree in business.
For 10 years, he worked as a John Deere parts man at various dealerships. He then decided to go back to school. The family moved to Lost Springs.
Seifert attended Kansas State University with the intent of obtaining a degree in elementary education. He graduated in August 1997 with a degree in mass communications.
Seifert said one of the reasons the family decided to move to Lost Springs was because the couple's two girls were not doing well in school. They were living at Greeley, Colo., at the time, a city with a mushrooming population. The Seiferts believed a small school district would provide a better education. Selena, 14, is an eighth grader, and Samantha, 11, is in fifth grade.
Seifert said Centre school district has a good support base of parents, grandparents, and friends:
"That tells me it is a strong family-driven community and school district."
He said the district has good teachers for the most part and good students.
"To me, serving on the school board would be a challenge," he said. "I like a challenge and I like politics."
He said he doesn't see the budget crunch as a panic situation: "Let's use our tax dollars wisely. We've got a good tax base."
Seifert is concerned about what he sees as a lack in teaching living skills to high school students. He also wants to see that quality teachers are retained.
Seifert is accredited to coach. He coached Babe Ruth baseball as a young man and always has been involved in his children's sports activities.
"I enjoy being around kids," he said, "I want to be there for them.
He said his real love is broadcasting. For several years, he announced area high school games for the Herington radio station.
Two candidates are vying for the district seven at-large position being vacated by Ronnie Carlson.
Brent Methvin is a rancher from the southeast part of the district. He and his wife, Briana, have three boys: Shane, 9, Kyle, 7, and Cole, 4. They are expecting another child soon.
Methvin graduated from Centre High School in 1985. He studied agriculture at Kansas State University and Northwestern State University in Louisiana. He also spent two years on a church mission to Korea.
Methvin said he feels strongly that Centre Elementary School has good teachers. He appreciates his children being able to attend a small country school with small class sizes. He also likes the people in the district.
"I probably wouldn't run except I have children in the system," he said. "I want to make sure they get the best education. If you want to make a difference, you have to be involved."
Methvin sees the budget as the major issue facing the district.
He said it is not always the shape of things that make the difference. It is important that teachers can teach and provide discipline so the children can learn.
"Parents are the biggest help," he said. "If they're involved, their children might not necessarily excel, but they will be successful."
Jesse Brunner also is running for the at-large position. He is a businessman at Tampa. He owns and manages Performance Products, which provides packaging materials and metal finishing. Brunner also warehouses and sells packaging supplies. He travels extensively, servicing what he sells. He also does contract welding.
Brunner is married to the former Rita Jirak. They have four children: Melissa, 30, Tampa; Travis, 26, Kearney, Neb.; Aminda, 21, senior at Ft. Hays State University; and Nathan, 15, a high school sophomore.
Brunner graduated from Centre High School in 1970 and lived and worked in Missouri until the summer of 1996, when the family moved to Tampa.
He has been involved in the community in various ways ever since he returned to his hometown. He coaches biddy basketball, is a substitute bus driver, and is an FFA supporter. He also is fire chief and an EMT at Tampa.
Brunner is well aware of the benefits a smaller school provides. His two oldest children graduated from 4A schools. He said a smaller school provides more of a personal touch. Students can get to know the teachers and teachers take a personal interest in them.
He said Centre offers some things, such as FFA and an activity bus, which are not provided at larger schools.
Brunner sees a need to be involved.
"If you sit back and do nothing, you shouldn't complain," he said.
He noted that people from throughout the district often talk to him about issues. He is especially concerned about what is seen as a growing drug and alcohol problem. He believes the district needs to have a tougher policy concerning drug use.
"I've been trying to bring it to their attention for three years," he said.
Funding also is a concern. He said some programs need to be reviewed and policies need to be enforced.
