Schools
Meet Dan E. Smith — Fox C-6 School Board Candidate
A questionnaire was sent to each of the seven candidates running for three, 3-year terms on the Fox C-6 School District Board of Education. The following, in their own words, are their responses.
Dan E. Smith, an incumbent member of the Fox C-6 Board of Education, has been married to Linda Smith of 38 years and has a grown daughter, herself a teacher in the Fox C-6 school district, and four grandchildren who are students in the district.
With more than 20 years experience in the financial, banking and insurance industries, Smith is a resident of the school district for more than 30 years and a High School Scholarship sponsor for more than 15 years.
A U.S. Air Force veteran from the Vietnam era, Smith has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Washington University, a Master of Arts in Human Resources Development from Webster University and a Master Certification from the Missouri School Boards' Association.
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Smith lists endorsements from Jim Chellew, Richard Simpson, Sr., Wes Griffith, Ruth Ann Newman, Dan Glore, David Palmer, Ron Lowry, Steve Smith of Steven's Photography, Steve Ott “and many other parents, teachers, bus drivers and taxpayers of our district.”
Smith said his pledge is “To work together with all concerned to promote positive experiences for our children.”
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How will the Fox C-6 School District deal with expected major cuts in state revenue?
“Fortunately, the previous and current Fox C-6 school board members and administrators have been very fiscally responsible. We have kept reserves (for emergencies) at a good level for times like we are experiencing now. With continued vigilance and careful planning, we will continue to be fiscally sound while still providing an excellent education for our children. Every current board of education member has achieved the “Advanced” or “Masters” board certification through The Missouri School Board Association (earned through many hours of study and classroom instruction) and has the knowledge and experience needed to get our school district through these difficult times.”
What programs need to be added or deleted?
“It would be difficult to add programs at the current time. However, we will continue to carefully evaluate our curriculum to determine which programs are working well and which need to be changed, updated, or deleted and make those decisions as needed. We will continue to look at the ever-changing field of technology to ensure our children are ready for those changes and educate them to our very best ability to prepare them for the future.”
Do you think a tax increase is needed to offset the dwindling resources of the school district?
“The short answer is NO! Our taxpayers are already overburdened. Many are out of work and struggling to make ends meet. Our experienced, well-trained Board of Education and administrators will continue to keep a close eye on our budget and continue to be fiscally responsible with our taxpayer’s dollars. Our children need and deserve the very best education we can provide and our taxpayers can rest assured that I will work closely and carefully with the other board members to make sure we are not wasting taxpayer’s dollars. In fact, we have kept out cost per student one of the lowest for school districts our size in the state. My goal is to keep our school district fiscally secure while at the same time continuing to provide an excellent education for our children.”