ELECTION COVERAGE Board of Education

Andy Burress

My name is Andy Burress. I am running for the Trenton R-9 school board.

I am currently serving one term on the school board and am seeking re-election for one additional term. My wife, Shelly, and I have been married 22 years and we have two daughters, Rahel and Haven. Both daughtersgraduated from Trenton R-9 school.

I am currently a member of Life PointChurch. I have been a volunteer fireman for over 30 years, and have beenon the Grundy County Rural Protection Board for over 20 years. I have served on the Trenton fair board for more than 30 years. As a schoolboard member, I have three main priorities.

My first priority is for the safety of the students and staff of the Trenton R-9 district. My second priority is to see that the children of the R-9 district are offered the very best education available. My third priority is the atmosphere of the work environment of the R-9 staff.

I have an open-door policy and encourage anyone with concerns to communicate with me. I am pretty straightforward, which is not always what people want to hear. I feel I have the knowledge and common sense that is needed for this position.

Robin Chambers

Hi! My name is Robin Chambers. I have raised my family in Trenton for the past 15 years. I am a graduate of Grundy R-V and my husband, Jeremy, is a Trenton alum class of ‘99. I have been involved in the community for many years at different levels. I have served as a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, an active PTO member for multiple years at Rissler, an officer of the Quarterback club for 4 years, parent of a middle schooler and a high school senior. I work at CFM Insurance as the Farm Underwriting Supervisor. I believe that my experience acquired while serving different roles, both professionally and personally, would bring value to the school board.

I believe the most important part of being a member of the Trenton R-IX Board of Education starts with supporting our Superintendent. If elected as a board member, I will bring my views from a business perspective to be a good steward of our taxpayer dollars. I will find ways to ask challenging questions to ensure we are addressing the root of any issues that need to be resolved in the district.

In the world we live in today, every business is seeing the need to find new and creative ways to attract and retain qualified employees. I believe we need to work together as a community to ensure we support and provide a healthy environment for our staff and our students.

I would like our students to be aware of all of the opportunities available to them after High School with continuing education opportunities whether that be technical schools, community college, certificate programs or joining the workforce.

I would appreciate your vote, as I look forward to the opportunity to serve the community of Trenton as a Trenton R-IX School board member.

Brandon Gibler

My name is Brandon Gibler, and I am seeking re-election to the Trenton R-9 Board of Education. I have been an R-9 board member since 2014 and the board vice president since 2017. I have lived in this community my whole life and graduated from Trenton High School. My wife, Christy, and I have four children, two of which are THS graduates and two are currently students in the R-9 district. I have a sincere interest in the success of Trenton R-9.

I am seeking this position to represent the taxpayers and ensure the needs of all students are met. My utmost priority centers on students and their academic achievement and success. I believe providing a quality education for our students is the greatest way to improve our community as a whole.

My top priorities include:

• Providing the best education possible for students while staying fiscally responsible and maintaining adequate budget reserves.

• Focusing on student achievement and growth, not just relying on standardized test data.

• Making informed decisions based on the best interests of students and staff.

Important issues for the R-9 district:

• Continuing to work to close the student achievement gap driven by the pandemic.

• Retaining teachers for the Trenton R-9 school district.

• Recruiting qualified and certified teachers and staff.

I will make informed decisions with a student-first approach. I am passionate about making a difference in our community and look forward to the continued success of the Trenton R-9 School District.

Jason Hostetler

My name is Jason Hostetler, I am 37 years old. My wife and I and our 2 elementary daughters live on a small farm west of Trenton.

I have proudly served on the Trenton R9 Board of education for the past 2 years and my vision and goals for the district would continue with Teacher retention being a top priority I believe this can be accomplished by having competitive wages, making our teachers know that they are appreciated and valued, by supporting them through any challenges, and just to provide a great environment in a positive culture.

Diversity is important on a board, as it brings new ideas, and new discussions and ensures that all voices are heard. I believe I bring diversity to this board, being born and raised in (nearby Jamesport) in the Amish culture where I was taught that honesty, integrity, hard work, common sense, and mostly, serving God are the most important things in life. (disclaimer) I am no longer Amish and left when I was 15 years old.

I can pledge that I Have no personal agenda or bias and am only interested in representing every stakeholder equally and fairly and always having an open mind to every decision made by the Board Of Education, and ensuring that the decisions made, only align with what are the absolute best decisions concerning the best education for our children.

I will always be a good steward of the district's finances, as I feel an obligation to not promote unnecessary spending and put the debt on the backs of the hard-working taxpayers of our district.

Your vote is greatly appreciated, Thank you.

Ronda Lickteig

I can’t overstate the importance of the Trenton R-9 School District to the health and vitality of Grundy County: great schools attract people who want to live, work and invest in the community. I want to be a part of what makes our district great.

I’m not a native of Trenton or a THS Alum. You don’t know my parents or grandparents. You might not even know how to pronounce my last name. But I chose to make Trenton my home, raised my kids here and now enjoy following my grandkids as they rapidly make their way through Rissler Elementary School. I pay taxes to this district, attend events even when my little ones aren’t involved and I care deeply about what occurs within the walls of our classrooms and the walls of the boardroom.

I’m not running against any of the other candidates; I’m running because I believe what I have to offer is valuable. My highest priority is to ensure this district offers the best educational environment we can. That begins with attracting the very best educators -and that starts with compensation that reflects the expectations we have put on teachers and our support staff. It extends to listening to what our professionals are telling us they need to be successful in the classroom and responding to those concerns. It includes being available as a board, not just as individuals, to hearing the concerns of patrons. It shouldn’t take an act of Congress to be able to share a concern with your local school board. Transparency is key to building trust with the public and I am committed to it.

Now I’ll answer the question I keep getting asked: Yes, I’m definitely concerned that over $300,000 in taxpayer funds was paid to a superintendent to leave the district.

Josh Shuler

I am Josh Shuler, and I humbly request your vote for the Trenton R9 School Board. I am a graduate of NCMC and Northwest Missouri State. I have worked for Trimble Navigation, a Fortune 500 company, for almost 18 years. I am a Global Business manager and run a multi-million dollar agriculture business segment. I am married to Chris, a physical therapist, and have two children who attend Rissler Elementary. I enjoy spending time with my family, volunteering for my church, and volunteering as a flag football and baseball coach.

Having a vested interest in the success of the Trenton R9 District, I want to make it the best it can be. As a member of the global business world, I know how to build and foster a culture that attracts the best high-character talent. Together with the other school board members, we can use that knowledge to help recruit top talent and work to make sound decisions that will be the most advantageous for our district and our children. Our school board needs members to stand firmly for what’s right and make sound decisions. Decisions that include finance, personnel, policy, and especially the safety of the students and staff.

I am a strong proponent of board transparency and improving the safety of our students. Adding a school resource officer and making changes to the school buildings and policy as needed to increase the safety of the staff and students and provide the best educational opportunity for our children.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would appreciate your vote for Trenton R9 School Board on April 4th.

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