Linn R-2 board members Monday night voted 5-1 to appoint Sam Niederhelm to fill the seat vacated by the resignation in March of Neil Loethen. The decision came after an interview with three candidates — Niederhelm, Scotty Dudenhoeffer and Larry Hunt — selected at a special meeting Tuesday, June 9. Dr. Shawn Strong, who garnered 310 votes in the June 2 election, was sworn in prior to the decision and cast the lone nay vote.

“The appointment to any public board should be appointing the very best person, so I do have a bit of a concern for the process following this election,” he said.

Also reelected were incumbents Naomi Klouzek with 310 votes, and Lori Greer with 298, while Niederhelm lost his seat with 261 votes. There were 31 write-in votes, including five each for Dudenhoeffer and Carol Branson, two each for Hunt, Neil Loethen, Hope Gerdes and Lorie Winslow, and one each for Hannah Swann, Kurt Baker, Chris Bowser, John Klebba, Mark Brandt, Angela Heckman, Charlotte Bellsmith, Tracy Winslow, Elizabeth Reinkemeyer and Jeff Kruger, with three unresolved write-in votes.

After Dr. Strong was sworn in as the newest member of the board, Niederhelm, who had presided over the meeting until the reorganization, stepped away and took on the role of candidate for the open position.

Board Secretary Dennis Gravedoni thanked the applicants for their interest in the board seat, and encouraged all of them to run for the position next April.

The one question asked of the candidates was, “Please tell us why you should be selected to fill the vacancy on the board, and what experience you would bring to the board.”

“I’m not really good at patting myself on the back, but I have served on the board for nine years, and have served with Larry (Hunt),” said Niederhelm, noting a major accomplishment was passing the bond levy to get the new elementary school built. “I think with my years of experience, that’s going to help. I was also involved the first round of cuts we did because of budget constraints. Fortunately, the longer I was on the board, we were able to bring some, if not all, of those programs back. We added some additional activities. Other than what I’ve done so far, I will fight the good fight and say what’s on my mind. I won’t follow anyone else’s directive or anything like that.”

Niederhelm added that while he might not agree with other board members, he is willing to argue his case in the interest of serving the students of the district.

Hunt said he would like to see the continuation of the kind of education that has thus far been provided to students in the district. “I’ve been in the district for 44 years, and I taught here for 31 years, and retired from here,” he added. “While on the faculty, I was the LCTA president and worked with numerous principals and superintendents. I learned to give and take. We suffered together when we had to make cuts. I was here when we built the new high school, and on the board when we built the elementary school. We had to compromise a lot. I had to learn to work with superintendents that I didn’t particularly agree with at first. You learn to get along, and the absolute most important thing is the kids. What kind of education are we supplying them? What kind of future do they have? I’ll speak my mind and everybody knows where I stand. The hardest thing I was involved in, bar none, was when we had to make a million-dollar cut.”

Dudenhoeffer told the board that he has three children in the district, and said he would like to be more involved with the school.

“I now run a company, and I have management opportunities,” said Dudenhoeffer.

In making his motion to appoint Niederhelm to fill the vacant seat, board member Tye DeCramer said Niederhelm’s experience is a key factor.

“He’s been here, and nothing against the other two, and even you Hannah, you are great applicants, and I hope you do (run) for the next election,” said DeCramer. “In the situation we’re in right now, I think Sam has the best experience. With some of the issues going on at the school, he’s been here for it, and knows the background. I do applaud you for applying.”

After Niederhelm was sworn in to complete the remainder of the open seat, he was elected by his peers to continue serving as president of the board. Gravedoni was elected to serve as vice president, Mark Meyer was elected to be the secretary, and Naomi Klouzek is the board treasurer. Superintendent Dena Smith was appointed as the custodian of records.

During the public forum portion of the meeting, Cliff Thomeczek spoke in favor of Niederhelm.

“I know it’s not an easy position to fill,” said Thomeczek. “You’re subject to scrutiny over every decision you make. You end up being in charge of or responsible for people you don’t personally supervise. It’s a difficult position to be in. I support his placement back with the board. I think he has the experience, he has the knowledge, and I think he’s done a very good job. Until recently, I’ve heard very few complaints. People may not like some of the decisions that are made.”

Frances Boswell congratulated those who earned their seat in the June 2 election, but also voiced her support of Niederhelm being appointed to the vacant seat.

“With everything going on, with the budget year and the lawsuit, I think it’s good to have someone who has the knowledge of that situation, and the continuity, to stay on the board,” Boswell said. “As a parent and former member of the PTO, that continuity is a necessary thing, and I think him being voted back in would be a good thing.”

Barb Lehmen, who retired from the Linn R-2 school district, served as secretary to the school board.

“I have experience and knowledge of what an excellent board member Sam is,” said Lehmen. “He is dedicated to the school, the children, and has extensive knowledge and history with the board, and I think the board should take this opportunity to retain Sam on the board by appointing him to fill the vacant position.”

Cindy Sieg told the board she is the parent of a fifth-grader in Linn, and grew up here, which she said puts her in a unique position to offer support for Niederhelm.

“I want to encourage the school board to consider Sam filing the vacant position,” said Sieg. “He’s been on the board for the last nine years. He was involved in passing the bond issue that got our elementary school built. He’s active member of our community, and he’s had to make some hard decisions. Whether you agree with those personnel decisions or not, Sam didn’t make them on his own. He was one of a unanimous vote, and it seems like the people who are upset with the outcome of that vote are raging at Sam and Dena (Smith). I voted for Sam in the past and I would do it again.”

Sieg added that many people voted for Niederhelm, including her, and said it would be dishonorable to allow the opinions of the others who voted for Niederhelm to go by the wayside because he didn’t win.

“I like Sam as a board member because of my experience with him,” Sieg said. “When I call Sam with an issue, he calls me back. He acts like I’m the only thing going on in his world, and is focused on what I have to say. I appreciate that. In the coming months, there’s not going to be a school district in the state that won’t face a financial crisis, and I would appreciate having someone with Sam’s background and experience here on the board to shed some light on those things that arise.”

When making the choice between the four candidates at the June 9 meeting, Gravedoni provided his thoughts, noting first that Dudenhoeffer has run in previous elections, and has lived in Osage County for more than 37 years.

Hunt is a two-term board member, during which he served as president, after 43 years of teaching at R-2 before retiring.

Niederhelm is completing his third term, and has lived in the district for more than 20 years.

“Since this is a temporary position, whoever is appointed will have to run for reelection next year,” said Gravedoni. “It’s probably more important to have someone who has been through board training, because anybody that hasn’t won’t have time to get it.”

Gravedoni said the next training opportunity for new board members is in October at Lake of the Ozarks through the Missouri Association of Rural Education (MARE), but added there might be other training options through the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA).

He also said he would lean toward a candidate who has run for election to the board.

DeCramer, Lori Greer and Meyer agreed, and Klouzek said she reviewed 2017 election results, which included Niederhelm, Hunt and Dudenhoeffer.

Swann, a district resident for two years, has never run for a school board seat, Gravedoni noted.

At Monday’s meeting, Swann questioned the reasoning behind the decision not to consider her for the appointment.

“I was told there were other candidates who have lived in Linn longer and who have either served on the board or served on the school board at some point,” said Swann. “I wasn’t born in Linn or grew up in Linn. We actually made conscious decision to move here a couple years ago, knowing full well at the time we didn’t know anyone here, or have any family here. However, I don’t think those reasons alone should be sufficient for determining whether or not I’m qualified to be on the board.”

Swann said she understands there are a lot of difficult aspects to the board, including a difficult budget, but noted she worked for the state of Missouri for six years in various budget positions.

“I think there should have been other qualifications taken into account than how long I’ve lived here, or had an opportunity to run in the past,” Swann said. “If that truly was the only thing taken into consideration, it gives me a slight bit of concern. I know there have been people that have been hired in the school who haven’t lived here a long time.”