MVBT School Board Questionnaires -- Kevin Pruett

Name: Kevin Pruett
 
Length of time in district: I have lived in this district my entire life. 
 
Connections to the district: I am a graduate of Liberty High School. My two older children graduated from Liberty and my youngest son currently attends Liberty. My wife is a teacher at Liberty Middle School.
 
Brief personal bio: My family and I have lived in the Birch Tree area for the past thirty years. I have worked and owned businesses in the wood industry for most of my adult life.  I currently own a small family business and manage two local Subway restaurants. 
 
Why are you running for school board? As a graduate of Liberty High School and a citizen of Birch Tree, this is my way of giving back to the two communities that make up our district. I want these communities to continue to thrive and this will happen when our children are giving a quality education.
 
What do you believe is the role of a school board member in the Mountain View/Birch Tree district? The role of a school board member is to govern the school with the assistance of the superintendent and other administrators. 
 
Are you familiar with Missouri’s Sunshine Law? Yes, being a previous board member for this school district, I am familiar with the Sunshine Law. 
 
Do you have an existing relationship with any members of the school board or administration? Being a citizen of this community, I currently have or would like to build relationships with all individuals who are vested in our students.
 
How well do you think the district keeps the community and parents informed with the work of the school board? The district has a website the community can access for information.  I believe having our local papers covering the meetings would also be beneficial in keeping the community informed.
 
What is your opinion of the district’s academic performance? What can be done to achieve accreditation? I believe our school is in the same situation as most other schools in our area.  The aftermath of Covid has left schools struggling with various issues.  Therefore, we must all do our part to move forward in a positive direction.
 
Do you believe the district prepares graduating seniors for college? Our school has several programs in place to direct students to the career path that is best suited for them.  Some examples are dual credit courses and the Health Occupations and Vocational Agriculture programs.  Each of these opportunities are preparing our students for the next step of their lives.
 
For careers that do not require a college degree? Our students have the opportunity to attend trade school at SCCC in West Plains.  Upon completion of the Health Occupations program, students have earned their CNA license.  Our Vocational Agriculture program prepares students for agricultural content jobs, welding and much more.  These programs are preparing students to be productive citizens in the workforce.
What is your plan to evaluate the effectiveness or success of the four-day school week? I will evaluate this program with the superintendent and other board members. As with any new program, it will take time to see how things play out.  
 
What is your opinion of the district’s employee pay scale? It is something I hope to work toward improving. We have highly qualified teachers who deserve fair wages that are comparable to other school districts.  An increase in the  pay scale is something that will draw quality teachers to our district as they are needed.
 
On athletics, do you feel all sports programs are valued equally in the district? Would you be in favor of plans to add or subtract any programs? Every athletic program should be equally given the opportunity to thrive. If the desire arises and it is financially feasible for the district, I would not be opposed to adding programs.
 
Content Paywall Trunction: 
Free

Howell County News

110 W. Main St.,
Willow Springs, MO 65793
417-252-2123

Comment Here