‘Community should be viewed as a shareholder’: School Board candidate Cynthia Cook runs for open seat
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- Cynthia Cook, a candidate running for the St. Joseph School District Board of Education, said her community roots run deep.
A lifelong St. Joseph resident, Cook grew up on the south end of town and graduated from Benton High School. She later pursued a career in nursing and worked at Mosaic Life Care before retiring four years ago.
Now, she said, she hopes to bring that experience — and her commitment to the community — to the school board.
One of Cook’s top priorities is making sure the district stays on top of important deadlines.
“Making sure that we don’t miss any type of reimbursement that’s available from the state, from federal government, from any other types of grants. We have to show the community that we are using their tax dollars wisely,” Cook said.
She believes the community should be viewed as shareholders in the district.
Cook also stressed the importance of retaining quality staff. She said keeping class sizes small is one way to support teachers and improve student learning.
Creating a safe environment for staff is another priority.
“If there are any types of discipline issues that administration has their back and that it's not just a revolving door with our students that are having behavior issues,” Cook said.
Transportation is another key issue for Cook, particularly for students from low-income families.
She noted how many parents work irregular hours, making reliable and safe transportation critical for their children.
“We need to make sure that we continue to find those funds or grants, whatever it is, to help our children who are in trouble food-wise who come to school and eat breakfast,” Cook said.
Cook also suggested working more closely with the local business community to help cover costs such as field trip activity fees, so that all students have the opportunity to participate.
She said one change she’d really like to see next year is giving community members more of a chance to ask questions during the board meeting.
“Maybe people don’t ask them during the work session, but they submit them and those questions are answered during an actual school board meeting,” Cook said.
Cook also said she plans to make herself accessible to the community. She’ll respond to emails promptly, and anyone is welcome to call her.
She’s even open to holding an in-person, interactive meeting where people can talk through the issues that matter most to them.
Most of all, Cook said she’s committed to making sure students get the education they need to succeed. When kids are truly learning, she said, the test scores will rise right along with them.
