Nine put out bid in Neelyville School Board race

The Neelyville R-IV school district is making good strides in the right direction, but school board candidates see more to do, primarily with facility improvements.

Nine candidates will appear on the ballot Tuesday for the school board. Of those nine, three will be elected to serve on the board. All three incumbents filed for re-election along with six newcomers. Terms are for three years.

They are listed in the order they’ll appear on the ballot.

Justin Beaird

Citizen Justin Beaird said he wanted to run for the board to help keep progressing and bring fresh ideas to the table that current members may not have thought of before.

While he has a son and daughter in the school district, Beaird said there aren’t any issues that need to be brought up on his account.

There is one thing he said he wants to work to maintain.

“I would like to make sure we maintain trust between the community and the school board and the students, faculty,” he said. “ ...Maintaining trust is really what I would like to be see more of.”

Bobby Burgett

Retired Navy Lt. Commander Bobby Burgett said he wants to bring things he learned in the military, such as problem solving, to the school board. He also said he wants to be a voice in the district for teachers and parents.

“I’ve seen with the current board members these guys have done an outstanding job,” he said. “I like everything that they’ve got in place and I just think I can help keep that moving forward.”

The district received a school bus grant several months ago, which Burgett said is part of things going in the right direction. He would like to help the administration look for more opportunities like that.

Shane Eaker

Incumbent Shane Eaker also said the district is doing well and heading in a good direction. There are still things he would like to see done.

“I would like to see our facilities be upgraded some. I don’t know financially how we can do that, but that’s probably one of the things that we need to address,” he said.

Derek Emmons

Citizen Derek Emmons did not provide comment on his bid for a seat after multiple attempts seeking comment.

Dean Fisher

Fellow incumbent Dean Fisher said he thinks the district is running a “pretty good ship” and wants to keep things going the way they have.

“Keep running in the same direction we’re going,” he said. “We’ve got really good test scores, really good attendance and I think we need to stay positive on all of that.”

Paul Petty

Incumbent Paul Petty agreed that things are overall doing well, but he said there are still some improvements he’d like to see made.

The board regularly works on procedures to improve things for students and teachers, especially for keeping them safe, he said. Part of that is improved facilities, but those come with a price tag.

“We have to stay in good financial shape, which I feel like we are. We’ve done a good job on that,” he said. “But still, there’s a need for more funds to do some of the things that we need to do. And hopefully it can be an effort in the future.”

Chuck Reinbott

The district needs to remain focused on academics, citizen Chuck Reinbott said. While Neelyville has some of the best test scores in the state, he continued, that isn’t a reason to let up or relax on the academic side.

He said, the district should look at the condition of the buildings, especially those students are in.

“We need to look at the condition of the buildings that house the students, and we need to not let them run down to a point where we don’t have a good building for our students to be housed in,” he said.

Zach Shipman

Citizen Zach Shipman did not provide comment on his bid for a seat despite multiple requests for comment.

Terry Wilkerson

Citizen Terry Wilkerson said he is running for a seat on the school board because he thinks it’s time for the community to be more involved in decisions being made.

“I see a major need in including the community in decisions that are being made for the school and students,” he said. “I think there has become a huge lack of communication with the community. A community should always be involved in decisions that not only the school makes but also the individuals who have a seat on the board make.

“I also feel as though the teachers’ voices should be heard and their opinions count. After all, they are who get our kids prepared for their future.”