Linn R-2 incumbent and board president Sam Niederhelm, 48, is seeking reelection on April 6 so he can continue to improve the school, its facilities, staff, and student learning while maintaining tradition, integrity, and continuously improving education standards.
Niederhelm added the school district has recently taken great strides in staff and education standards. “The district has centralized the communication efforts with recent upgrades to the website, allowing administrators and staff to have a central location to post upcoming events, facility closures, and providing parents with access to their student's information via the parent portal,” he said.
Niederhelm and his wife of 19 years, Amy (Morfeld), grew up in Linn and graduated from Linn High School. He graduated from Linn Technical College, now known as State Technical College of Missouri, and then began working for Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, now known as the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), as a draftsman in the Bridge Division, and is still currently employed as an Estimator for construction projects with 28 years of experience with MoDOT.
Niederhelm was elected to the school board prior to the building of the new elementary school. “At that time, we were pursuing avenues to finance and provide a centralized campus to provide better facilities and eliminate maintenance on an old building that was deteriorating rapidly,” he said. “By having all staff and students at one campus, this also provided better security for all on the campus. When loading and unloading of buses, student drop-off, and pick-up could be accommodated for with a one campus facility.”
He added the funding is a concern for the school district. “I’m not sure if this is considered an improvement, but it is the elephant in the room, so to speak,” Niederhelm said. “What the district is currently providing is with no additional funding while maintaining staff at the minimum operating tax budget. At some point, the district will need to look at trying to satisfy the lack of funding by local, state, and federal leaders. This is not a pleasurable topic to have with the community, but it is a topic that must be addressed at some point. Unfortunately, this may become a topic sooner rather than later. Everyone wants to add this and provide this but if the funding is not there or is decreased for any reason, at some point, it becomes maintaining and not building.”
With that being said, Niederhelm was a board member when cuts had to be made. “I will assure you it was not easy looking at every inch of the school and every program to determine what needs to be done,” he said. “Not to use the cliché of ‘been there, done that,’ but with having that experience, if you near a situation you feel is similar, you begin to question things differently. Having been through that I believe, I can be rational with my decisions and see both sides. I don’t have an agenda for being a school board member. Anything presented to me by phone call, email, or in a meeting will be viewed and discussed as openly as I can, legally. I will provide my feedback regardless of my agreement or disagreement. I believe open dialogue can be had and should be, to resolve these types of situations.”
Niederhelm added that he would appreciate support in the upcoming election. “A vote for me will continue to get you the board vote of doing the right thing for the school district and ALL the students,” he said.
Sam and Amy have four children Daulton, 24, Peyten, 14, and twins Keaton and Kendall, 9.