Schools

Meet Fox School Board Candidate Steve Holloway

Holloway is one of six candidates running for two open seats on the Fox School District's Board of Education in the April 2 election.

Patch sent all local candidates for office identical questionnaires in order to compile candidate profiles prior to the April election. Each candidate who returned the survey will be featured on the site.

Steve Holloway, 41 (Candidate for the Fox School Board)

  • Address: 2118 Seven Trails Dr., Arnold MO 63010
  • Occupation: Technical Architect, Edward Jones. 17 years at this position.
  • Education
    • B.S. Computer Science, University of Missouri St. Louis 
    • B.A. Management Science, University of Missouri St. Louis 
    • Math Minor, University of Missouri St. Louis
  • Family
    • Jill, teacher at Antonia Elementary
    • Emily, 8th grade at Antonia Middle School
    • Ryan, 5th grade at Antonia Elementary
  • Years lived in the Fox School District: 32 years.
  • Please provide a brief summary of your background, highlighting community involvement if applicable. I have worked in the Information Technology industry at a financial services firm for 17 years managing multi-million dollar projects and hiring highly talented qualified team members. I have also had the opportunity to gain detailed knowledge from the perspective of a teacher by learning from my father who taught 33 years and my wife who has been teaching 17 years. This knowledge and understanding from the point of view of a teacher gives me the ability to ensure that the teachers of the district have the best resources and solutions to ensure student success.
  • Please provide a brief summary of your reasons for running: I am running for the school board because I believe that the community needs a group of boardmembers that will work together to stand up for what is right and provide checks and balances for the school administrators. Improving the community perception of the school board is another primary reason I am running. If elected I will:
    • Bring New Ideas and Fresh Perspectives
    • Strengthen Policies Related to Nepotism
    • Promote Fiscal Responsibility
    • Promote Greater Community Involvement
    • Increase Transparency and Accountability
    • Foster Teamwork and Collaboration
    • Be Trustworthy, Responsible and Fair.

Questions

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1.  What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing the Fox School District? The biggest issue facing the district is the lack of checks and balances for the decisions being made and policies being written. The school board is in place to challenge all the proposals that come before them to ensure they are fair and in the best interest of the students, teachers, school staff and community. Writing policies in vague terms leaves them open for interpretation and prevents them from being enforced. Stronger, more concise language, should be used in policies going forward so that better checks and balances are in place. School board members are an extension of the community when it comes to voting. As a member of the board I will not blindly vote for proposals. I will be diligent and thorough in gaining knowledge on each topic and will apply common sense principles to each decision.

2. How would you address the continuing uncertainty over state funding for schools? Reducing costs and improving processes will ensure the viability of the district for the future. Ensuring a great school district for the future is the foundation for a prosperous community and city. I would address the uncertainty and lack of funding in the following ways:

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  • I would evaluate all the expenses that come before the board in an effort to reduce costs. Existing expenses should be examined for cost reduction measures and new expenses should be challenged to maintain a stringent budget.
  • I would work with teachers and administrators to look for opportunities to bring funds into the district with grants. This would include collaborating with other districts that are successfully applying for grants to build a set of expertise in the Fox district. Using this expertise, the district would increase the number of grants being applied for, allowing for innovative approaches to fund new projects.
  • I would encourage school board members to partner with other area school boards, our state senators and our state representatives to make our concerns and ideas heard regarding state funding.

3. In what area does the Fox School District need to improve? Are you satisfied with the way the district has been operating? Throughout the district there are many caring individuals that work hard every day to build a creative learning environment for the students allowing them to be proud of the school they attend. The district has great teachers, staff and administrators that constantly give of themselves, putting in extra time to help students achieve their goals. As in all organizations, though, honestly evaluating the areas where improvements can be made is critical to making continued progress. As a school board member I will work in the following areas:

  • Curriculum As industries change, the knowledge that students must obtain to enter the job market change with them.  The district must continually evaluate our curriculum and partner with industry consultants and college admissions counselors to stay ahead of the curve on adapting curriculum so that students can be prepared for college.
  • Technology The district must continue to improve the utilization of technology in the classroom to benefit students. The younger generations are more familiar with using tablets and smart phones and the district must adapt to how future generations will learn.
  • Facilities Buildings in the district are continuing to grow older.  Focusing on improving district facilities will help maintain a beneficial environment for learning. These range from minor improvements such as a fresh coat of paint to larger ones such as re-paving parking lots.

4. Assume you win the election. What single thing do you want to accomplish during your three years on the board? The single thing that I want to accomplish during my three years on the board is to leave the school district in a better state than how I found it at the beginning of my three year term. I want to do this by:

  • Listening first and acting on decisions only after careful thought and consideration.
  • Challenging those around me on the board and in administration to have a humble attitude and a strong work ethic.
  • Reducing expenses, but not at the cost of losing good employees.
  • Making common sense decisions, giving honest answers and treating everyone with respect.
  • Remembering that our cooks, nurses, custodians and bus drivers are a vital part of our students’ educational experience because they keep them healthy and safe.
  • Reaching out to parents and members of the community by making myself accessible to those that elected me to the board.
  • Always remembering that my decisions affect the success of our students and their ability to positively affect our future.

5. There has been some opposition regarding the hiring of relatives within the district. How do you plan to address this moving forward? I plan to address opposition to the hiring of relatives in the following ways:

  • I would propose changes to the hiring policy by including new regulations that restrict immediate family members of Board of Education directors from being hired by the district while the director is actively serving on the board. 
    • This regulation would not affect immediate family members that are already employed by the district. 
    • This regulation would not restrict individuals that wish to be employed by the district after their immediate family member is no longer a Board of Education director.
    • Examples of immediate family members include spouses, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
  • I would propose that the current hiring policy be adapted to include specific wording for a defined set of individuals to be part of an interview team. Principals, teachers, cooks, nurses, and board members should be part of the team based on the position being applied for. These hiring teams would have the authority to select and recommend the most highly qualified candidate for the position and partner with human resources to bring the selection to the board for voting.


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