SJSD school board election preview: New Candidates

Coverage of the st.

Joseph school board election.

Last night we re-introduced you to the three members running for relection.

Now we introduce you to some of the new faces hoping to unseat them.

Kq2's madeline mcclain has more.

<<the race to take one of the three st.

Joseph school board seats is on.

With just days to go.here are three of the five new faces vying for your vote.colby oyerly describes himself as a father, blue-collar, and runs a restaurant.he thinks the biggest problems facing the district...colby oyerly: "i think the mental health of our students with everything that they have gone through over the last year//early childhood development and special education, you know, that hits home for me.

My son is in the special education program.

Latonya williams is a local business owner.she believes current district problems are communication, diversity... latonya williams, school board candidate: "i know that i'm going to give thousands of people a chance and an opportunity and a voice that they've never-ever had before."

And as a mom of two kids in the district...latonya williams, school board candidate: there's a lot of kids broken by our choices as adults."david jordan is a former st.

Joseph school district teacher and missouri western professor concerns right now is equity.

David jordan, school board candidate: i do know that the courses were able to offer at central were about double what we could offer at benton and lafayette and that was just merely because of numbers and statistics.with a background teaching financial, economic, and business subjects.he's in favor of the school bond issue.

David jordan, school board candidate: "our enrollment has decreased and declined over the last few years to where we have far more buildings than what we actually need and what that causes is with lower enrollment, that means we have lower income but our expenses haven't changed so anyone in business knows that when the expenses remain the same and income goes down it's not a good situation."oyerly is against the bond -- saying the district needs to find a way to keep the three high schools.

Colby oyerly: "adding more students to a building can cause more problems especially when we are suffering with these mental health issues and people, children being left behind and stuff like that.//"i think there are other options that we can have to utilize buildings better like 6th-grade centers or even putting sixth grade back into elementary."williams is in the middle.saying she wished the district had done a better job at communicating.williams: it's life-changing these are our kids' lives.

I don't like how the choice was made to do a or b and nobody looked at c.//there's a lot of little steps.

I think were much needed and they were overlooked but on the other hand, our kids need equal educational opportunities.she says if she's elected to the board -- she vows to look at option c -- and represent those without a voice.latonya williams, school board candidate: "unless you are a mom having your kids on your own, you won't understand that particular perspective those are the reasons that i want to run on the board and plus, i just think at times things need a little bit of shaking up and i know i can do that."

Oyerly says if he is elected -- and the bond passes -- he'll fight those changes anyway he can.and...colby oyerly: "i went to hillyard's.

I think we need to focus on technical programs. you know a lot of kids don't, they have the opportunity go to but they don't think that college is for them and you know i don't blame them so giving them the skills that they need."jordan also want's to increase vocational opportunities.and... david jordan, school board candidate: "also expand our at-risk programs that ties right into that vocational area.

And finally its a very hard subject to address and that's addressing the generational poverty that we have in our community and how that ties into the school district as well."reporting madeline mcclain, kq2 news.

You can find out more about these candidates on our website.

For our final two candidates -- tune into kq2 news tomorrow night at six.

Overnight, several