CANDIDATES SUPPORT NEW HIGH SCHOOL PLAN

The three candidates for school board emphasized the plan to build a
new high school as a way to improve the district, and the community,
at a forum Thursday.

All of the Sedalia school board candidates said they supported the
plan to build a new high school and shift grades at existing
buildings to provide more classroom space for students.

The candidates were divided on their views about random drug testing.

The three candidates, who are running to fill two seats, spoke at the
forum sponsored by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Mary Allee, 56, the first to speak, said: "Space issues are a real
concern for us," Mrs. Allee said. She supports the construction plan
to continue providing a high-quality education for students.

She stressed her experience on the board.

"I've become very familiar with the district, what its needs are,"
said Mrs. Allee, who is running for her third term.

With the district's accomplishments, such as getting a perfect score
on the annual performance review and receiving a District in
Performance award, Mrs. Allee said she still sees challenges.

She is a senior vice president of real estate at Third National Bank;
has a grandson in third-grade at Horace Mann Elementary School.

Mr. Perry said he supported the construction plan. "The school
district actually did their homework," he said.

District residents should vote for him because, "I care about the
future of our city and our school and I care about every kid in this
community E I want to move this city and school district ahead."

The district needs to improve teacher morale; one way to do that is
improving salaries, Mr. Perry said.

Although doing that will take time, "we need to go ahead and work on
teacher's salaries," he said.

The district also needs to improve security and add security guards, he said.

Mr. Perry, 33, is a truck driver with a fourth-grade daughter at Parkview.

Jeffrey Sharp spoke last. The incumbent, who is running for his third
term, said the construction plan includes money for replacing flat
roofs with sloped roofs, which should have longer life spans, and
other remodeling.

The proposal would provide a new high school that "would be a
flagship for our town."

Dr. Sharp said he wants to work with Superintendent Doug Ebersold to
continue to improved education and the curriculum. He said one goal
is to get more technology in the classroom, while not forgetting the
pen and paper skills that are important for test-taking.

The district has had successes with funding geothermal heating and
cooling systems in some buildings with a Department of Natural
Resources loan paid for by savings from the new system, Dr. Sharp
said. Dr. Sharp, 47, is a family practitioner with five children: a
senior at Smith-Cotton High School, an eighth-grader at Sedalia
Middle School, a fifth-grader and a second-grader at Heber Hunt
Elementary School and a child in preschool.

The candidates answered an audience question about whether they
supported random drug testing.

Dr. Sharp said he opposed random drug testing at the district; Mr.
Perry, after pausing to think, said he supported drug testing. Mrs.
Allee said drug testing "would be good thing to do," but it must be
done correctly to avoid lawsuits.

The candidates said they thought the district would make sure to
maintain its buildings to avoid the types of repairs that are
necessary in the buildings and would be done under the construction plan.

Chris Lamb, a fourth candidate, has dropped out of the race. Although
his name will still be on the ballot April 4, he has accepted a
promotion and will be moving out of town.