BonnerSprings.com

The reverberating theme among six Bonner Springs-Edwardsville school board candidates at a forum in Edwardsville was school financing.

Well, the lack of state financing and the impact it will have on the school district.

About 50 people attended the forum Thursday, March 20, for the school board candidates, Edwardsville mayoral candidates and six City Council candidates.

The Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Chamber of Commerce sponsored the forum hosted at the Edwardsville Community Center. Acting chamber president Jeff Harrington moderated the event.

Incumbent school board members David Pierce, Gregg Gibson, Sandy Polley and Connie Hadley and challengers Melanie Jones and Brett Peterson were unanimous in their opinion that state legislators must be encouraged to live up to their responsibilities with respect to education funding.

However, when asked whether they would support lowering the school district's portion of the mill levy, especially because of recent increases in property valuations, the incumbents turned the issue back onto the state.

• Polley: She has been hit hard by reappraisal. But she said it lowering the mill levy was matter of changing the state formula for education funding, doing away with tax loopholes for corporations and have state and federal governments pay the percentage of funding they promised to pay for special education.
• Pierce: It's hard to find a happy medium. However, he didn't want to lose funding at the sake of losing teachers. "I don't have real answers, but we're going to find something."
• Jones and Peterson passed on the question.
• Hadley: Because of government mandates such as the No Child Left Behind Act, school districts are hard pressed to find additional funding for these mandates when the state is cutting funding.
• Gibson: The state finance structure for education needs to be fixed. Valuations help building funds, but school districts can't pay teachers with those funds, he said. He said it was more than just the mill levy, it's the entire structure of education funding that needs to be reevaluated.

Another topic was all-year-around school or what educators call balanced calendar: students attended school for nine or more weeks then have two to three weeks off. School district officials attended a conference on balanced calendar scheduling and it has been discussed by the school board. However, no decision has been made.

• Gibson: The idea has potential and he's open to discussing year-around school. Students tend to have a hard time retaining knowledge on the long summer break and there's evidence that shows all-year-around school helps children better retain what they learn, he said.
• Hadley: She said it's up to the students' parents. "We certainly won't make a decision without parent input."
• Jones: "I'm for it." She said it would give families more opportunities to be together throughout the entire year. It would also help student learning retention.
• Pierce: He still hasn't made up his mind. However, there is a split among teachers on the issue. He wouldn't want to institute something that would make good teachers leave the district. He also wants to look at the overall impact it would have on busing, sports and organizational activities.
• Polley: Hasn't made a decision yet. She wants to have community forums on the subject. However, she sees the positive impact it would have on learning retention.
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• Mayoral candidate Luther Pickell points to his 43 years in public service as one of the main reasons he should be elected for another term in office. He also points to the city's increasing economic prosperity while he's been in office. The city has $2 million in reserves. The most the city has had since Pickell's been involved with the city, he said.

Eickhoff also points to the city's current economic prosperity. She's been on the city council during that time and has made decisions that have benefited the city, she said. However, she says if the city is going to make it to the next level, increasing retail growth, bringing a grocery store to the city, there needs to be a change in mayors.

"I will not let you down. I will not need five to 10 years to accomplish this. I'll need two," she said.

Pickell was quick to point out that Eickhoff has been a member of the city's economic retail committee and she hasn't been able, along with the committee, to bring a new grocery store or retail development to the city in the last two years.

"There are plans in place, where on the right track, we will get there. It takes time," he said.

"I'm not going to offer you promises, I'm going to give you results," he later added.

Other highlights of what the mayor candidates said.

• Eickhoff: She wants to promote community togetherness by instituting community potluck dinners and a festival in the spring. She wants to institute a better Parks and Recreation program and make the city park a safer place for children play in and improve the playing fields. She supports building a public swimming pool and instituting policies that will improve city streets.
• Pickell: His main objective is to continue building the city's economic base. He also wants to roll back the mill levy and to make an overall effort to improve city streets. He's for the construction of a city swimming pool and wants to improve city parks. He will also continue his efforts to bring more retail businesses to the city.

All the city council candidates supported the construction of a public swimming pool. Some differed on where to located it, but said it was needed to improve the city's quality of life.

They also all agreed to support the improvement of city streets, which are in need of repair.

Here are some highlights of what the candidates said.

• Incumbent Ed Gillette: He would continue to make decisions that would bolster the city's economic good fortunes. He points to the city's reduction in debt and increase of cash reserves while he's been on the council. Another of his goals is to improve the city's parks and recreation programs, current parks and the construction of a park in the north section of town.
• Incumbent Tim Kelly: Wants to have stricter enforcement of city codes, cleaning up the city. Continue the city's economic development, but make a concerted effort to bring retail business to Edwardsville. However, it won't happen until the city improves the look of the community -- cleaning up the K-32 corridor, city parks, improving streets and cleaning up those residential properties in violation of city codes.
• Challenger Cyndi Marble: "My mission is to be your voice." She wants to institute programs for senior citizens, create a theater in the park and concentrate on developing and supporting family oriented businesses. "Along with responsibility, comes accountability." And she is willing to make herself accountable to the public if elected to the city council. She supports the city's police and fire departments.
• Challenger John Broman: Wants to roll back the city's mill levy to offset the increases in property valuations. Wants to improve the city's parks and recreation programs and the current city parks. He plans to look for ways to improve communications between the city and residents, which he said has been lacking in some areas. He also supports keeping the police and fire departments strong.
• Challenger Jennifer Burnett: Wants to the see the city institute a good road improvements program. "Let's fix it while it's a small problem and don't let it become a big problem." She wants to see stronger enforcement of the city's leash laws and wants to make improve the city's community park, making a safer place for children. She work to build a skateboard park and bring a grocery store to the city.
• Challenger Bryan Alldaffer: He will make a concentrated effort to bring a grocery store to the city. He doesn't like seeing the Edwardsville residents having to travel outside the city to buy groceries. "We need to keep the money here and not have it going somewhere else." He also wants to improve the city's parks and recreation program. He said current efforts haven't gone anywhere. There has been a lot promises, but now is the time to start implementing those promises.