by Alan McArthur
Landmark reporter
At a meeting held at a busy café Friday morning, a Park Hill subcommittee narrowed the field of applicants for the open school board seat from 18 to seven.
The seven candidates will be interviewed by the full board on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8 a.m.
The committee, made up of John Thomas, board president, Denise Schnell, board treasurer, and Bob Weidt met on Friday morning at the Corner Café in Riverside to discuss the candidates and narrow the field to around seven. The seven candidates chosen are Jean C. Allan, Janice Bolin, Mary Klaveetter Florence, Valerie S. McCaw, Dan Coronado, Norman Scott Bowman, and Susan Newburger.
John Thomas said that some of the candidates had withdrawn and others had not returned a follow-up questionnaire sent by the committee.
Don J. Breckon withdrew himself as a candidate for the board seat. Charles Franklin and James D. Brauer did not return the committee's questionnaire.
Others who had applied but did not make the cut were Mark A. Foltz, Jackie Dunn, William M. Super, Lathem A. Scott, Debra Sapp-Yarwood, Brent Lagergren, Ann L. Capps, and Donald E. Cole.
Each of the committee members expressed some concern over Bolin having not lived in the district for a full year. However, Dennis Fisher, superintendent, said the law says a candidate for the school board must only be a Missouri resident for one year, but does not specify being a resident of the district for one year.
At the end of the meeting, Thomas said they would send out letters to everyone who had applied to notify them of the committee's choice of candidates.
The new board member could begin serving as early as at the board's first meeting in September on Thursday, Sept. 11.
The open seat was vacated by Mike Otto after his resignation from the board in order to take a position as principal in the Raytown School District.
