Candidates hoping to serve community needs on Vilonia board

VILONIA Candidates running for the two positions on the Vilonia School Board of Education say they have one common denominator a desire to serve the needs of the children in the community.

Some said they are set apart from their opposition due to a vested interest they have children attending school in the district. Others stand on experience. Some stressed a time factor.

Scott Newell, Darrel "Butch" Money and Phillip C. Toll are vying for Position 3. Both Jerry W. Roberts and Kathy French are opting to serve in Position 7.

"I have a desire to serve the school and community in anyway I can," Newell said.

He has two years experience on the board and "several" hours of training under his belt.

Money said he is retired with plenty of available time and the energy to effectively serve.

"I'm excited at the opportunity. I've got the time and I'm willing," Money said.

He also has stepchildren attending the school district.

Toll said he "loves the community" and intends to be a part of the school system where his children attend.

"I have a passion for helping all of the children and our community," Toll said.

He currently serves as PTO president at the Vilonia Primary School. He doesn't see that serving as PTO president is a conflict of interest, but if he had to step down, he said, the board is strong.

With about 19 years on the board, Roberts said his experience counts. Retired, he also has the time to serve.

"I'm a positive force," he said. "I've been on the board a long time. I work well with the other board members already and I have a lot to contribute. I'm accessible."

A continuing bout with his health, Roberts said, "I'm feeling better. I enjoy serving and my doctor said it is good for me to stay busy. I don't think my health is a concern."

Retiring this year after 43 years of teaching 30 years in the Vilonia School District, French said, she now has the time to serve.

"I always said I would run when I retired," she said. "If you were a surgeon, you wouldn't go to a man on the street to ask him how to do surgery. Education is my profession. That, alone, qualifies me for the job of serving on the school board. Educators need to be the voice of education."

French, who also serves as a city council member, is running for that office again. She has a total of about 10 years under her belt, she said, as an alderman. She believes holding both positions would serve the community well.

"I think one will compliment the other," she said.

Both Newell and Roberts served on the board until resigning July leaving their perspective seats vacated. Newell had held Position 3 for about two years, and Roberts had served in Position 7 for about 19 years. Both said they vacated their seats to allow a family member to be considered for employment in the district. The state's school nepotism bill restricts the hiring of a school board member's family by local school districts. Following their resignations, Newell's wife, Christy, and Roberts' daughter, Kayla, were hired as teachers. The bill does not restrict a relative of a school employee from running for the board.

Each candidate has connections of sorts to the district.

In addition to his wife Christy, Newell has two children, Aaron and Austin attending school in the district. Aaron is a seventh-grader and Austin is a fifth-grader.

Money has two nephews and a niece attending the district. Also, his fianc Julie Huskey's children Josh, a first-grader and Mattie, a fifth-grader, are attending school in Vilonia.

Toll and his wife, April, have three children, Drake, Landon and Lila. Drake attends Vilonia Primary School. The other two are too young to attend school now but Toll anticipates they will follow in their brother's footsteps.

In addition to Roberts' daughter Kayla being a recent hire in district, she also graduated from VHS. His wife, Judy, is also a VHS graduate.

French and her husband, Tim, have two children, Chris and Missy. Also, three of their four grandchildren attend the Vilonia School District. Also, their daughter, Missy, is a first-grade teacher at Vilonia.