COLUMBIA — Nine candidates are competing for two seats on the seven-member Columbia School Board, which are currently held by President Michelle Gadbois and Vice President Steve Calloway. Neither is running for re-election.
To prepare for the April 7 election, various organizations have scheduled three candidate forums to allow the voters to get to know the candidates better. Those candidates are Christine King, Sam Phillips, Marc Bledsoe, Greg Flippin, Bill Merideth, Adam Sorg, Dan Holt, Michelle Pruitt and Jeannine Craig.
The first of the three forums, organized by the Boone County Republican Women’s Club, will be held Monday at Jack's Gourmet Restaurant, 1903 Business Loop 70 E. The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. and will include three-minute speeches from the candidates followed by a question-and-answer session.
The League of Women Voters will hold the second forum on March 19 in the Friends Room of the Columbia Public Library, 100 W. Broadway. Refreshments will be available at 6 p.m., and the forum will start at 6:30 p.m.
The Columbia Community Parent-Teachers Association, the Columbia Missouri National Education Association, the Columbia Public Schools Employee Organization and the Columbia Parents for Public Schools will present a forum on March 16 at the District Administration Building, 1818 W. Worley St. Attendees will be able to speak with the candidates during a meet-and-greet session starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by the forum from 8 to 9 p.m.
The three forums are designed to cover various topics, including communication between the board and parents, the budget deficit, public trust and the math curriculum. Candidates will also discuss how they are campaigning.