Three candidates for the Fayette Board of Education stated their views before a crowd of around 50 people during a moderated forum hosted by the Association of Women for Education (AWE), last Tuesday night. Interested voters packed the high school library, and an online stream of the forum was broadcast to 85 more people.

Lisa Shrum, Brian Gose, and Wes Friebe are vying for two open seats on the board. The election is Tuesday, April 2. Incumbents Matt Hudson and John Stroupe both declined to seek third terms.

While all three candidates echoed one another on basic tenets such as ensuring the district follows a budget, their diverse personal backgrounds are what separate the candidates the most. Friebe, a native of Licking, Mo., is a former narcotics detective and SWAT officer with degrees in psychology and criminal justice studies. He now works as an insurance claims adjuster, operates a small farm, and runs the Fayette youth basketball program with his wife, Julie. Gose, a 2003 FHS graduate, holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology manufacturing management and for the last 17 years has worked for Orscheln Products, now serving as a program manager. Shrum, also an FHS graduate (1998), now works for Veterans United Home Loans after an 18-year teaching career, eight of which were in Fayette.

The candidates were given time for opening and closing statements, and promulgated their personal attitudes regarding their prospective roles as members of the BOE and upon which areas the board should focus. 

The AWE submitted four prepared questions to each candidate. When asked about important priorities the district will face in the next two years, Shrum said establishing better communication was a primary concern. Friebe said ensuring a safe learning environment, both physically and mentally, as well as maintaining fiscal responsibility were paramount for the district. Gose stated financial responsibility as well as recruiting and retaining good teachers are most important.

With regard to the current environment for both teachers and students in the district, all three emphasized that teacher support is necessary.

Gose, whose wife Mallory is a paraprofessional at Daly Elementary and who has two daughters in the district, said he thinks things are going well and complimented teachers and administration.

Shrum, who of all three candidates has vast experience in the Fayette district both as a teacher and a student, and also as a parent of a recent FHS graduate, said the lack of respect for teachers by many students has become a major problem.

“It's harder than when I left in just three years,” she said. “And the reason it’s hard is because we’ve got a lot of students that don’t respect teachers. And I believe that that starts at home. And I think that we need to be, as a community, encouraging homes to do better.”

The candidates also fielded a handful of questions from the audience. One of those was regarding the four-day school week, which was implemented in the fall of 2020. All three said they were interested in seeing the data regarding test scores before entertaining a change. Shrum, who worked for the district in both four- and five-week schedules, said as a teacher she preferred the four-day. 

Friebe said he understands the frustration for parents who work five days a week and now must find childcare on Mondays, although the district has implemented Falcon Club, which is a program to help alleviate such problems. 

“I didn't face that challenge, but I recognize it’s there,” Friebe said. “I would want to see data. I understand the value of employee attraction and retention being out there. And that is important. But I would be very interested in seeing data regarding test scores, attendance, performance, all those things.”

One interesting question from the audience came from a parent who said that while his daughter gets good grades in school, college acceptance tests suggest she is underprepared for entering higher education. He said there seemed to be a lot of idle time during the school day and enquired if the curriculum is challenging enough.

Shrum said she had encountered a similar situation when her son entered community college last fall and education gaps were evident.

“I see opportunities where we need to challenge them more,” she said. “We’re not going to be able to hide it. We need to be challenging them.”

Gose said he thinks students should be challenged academically and suggests the question warrants further discussion with district administration.

“They need to be prepared for the next steps, whether that be trade school, college, or entering the workforce,” he said.

Friebe scrutinized the state’s use of standardized tests. “Unfortunately, when government entities dictate what test you must take, then you have no choice but to at least try to cover the material that’s going to be on it. I have my own personal opinions on the value of that. I don’t like teaching towards a test. But that’s not something my opinion is going to fix.”

Friebe also suggested that qualified students often have conflicting schedules that keep them out advanced classes. He also said he wants the district to emphasize ushering students into trade jobs such as welding.

Those who wish the view forum in its entirety may do so online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5fJK5YW9c.

Voters who reside in within the boundaries of the school district will be able to vote for two of the candidates on April 2. The two candidates with the most votes will be sworn in during the board’s reorganization meeting on April 15.

The Board of Education meets regularly at 6:30 p.m. in the high school library on the third Wednesday of every month except July. Meetings are open, agendas are published in advance, and the public is invited.