School Board candidates share views on tough decisions, transparency at MSTA forum  

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- The Missouri State Teachers Association hosted a forum for school board candidates ahead of the April election, where voters will look to fill two open board seats. 

Out of seven candidates in the race, four showed up to take part: Cassandra Veale, Reid Barnett, Jacob McMillan and Cindy Cook.  

Each candidate had three minutes to respond to unprepared questions from the MSTA team about the district and how they’d handle challenges or improve things if elected.  

Reid Barnett focused on patience, saying it’s essential when dealing with tough or unpopular decisions.  

He pointed out that not every board decision will make everyone happy, especially when it comes to complicated issues like consolidation.  

"There has been (a) humongous overpouring of support and also people against the decision, so I think just being patient and listening to everyone and just getting a feel for what’s going on in the room is a big deal,” Barnett added.  

For him, the key is listening carefully, reading the room and understanding both sides before moving forward.  

He also added how humility matters—he wouldn’t come into the role pretending to have all the answers.  

Cassandra Veale, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, said her job has already prepared her to make difficult calls.  

In healthcare, she explained, patients don’t always agree with her—even when her advice is based on evidence.  

“A lot of times people don’t necessarily know the 'what' or the 'why' that I am telling them, so I am a big educator on my role as a nurse practitioner, and when I am dealing with such situations, I make sure to give them some explanation and also give feedback,” Veale said.  

She believes that the same approach would help her on the board, especially when trying to build community support for things like new facilities or expansions.  

Cindy Cook, a retired nurse, said honesty would be her guiding principle—even when the message isn’t what people want to hear.  

“I will never lie to you ever, it may not be what you want to hear, but I will give you the reasons for the decisions that I made, which will be fact-based, not emotion-based, and that’s what we have to do as a board,” Cook said.  

She also stressed how important it is to be transparent with the community, adding that if people have questions, the board should make time to respond—whether that’s through email, a phone call or an in-person meeting.  

Jacob McMillan highlighted consistency and clear communication as his strengths. He said every decision should tie back to the district’s core mission: preparing students for a successful future.  

"When it comes to the board of education, the mission of our district is to provide a successful future for every student, so every decision we make as board members should be convictional and consistent to providing successful future to every student and empowering learning every day,” McMillan said.  

When faced with tough choices, he said he'd rely on simple but important questions—does this help students succeed and does it support learning?  

He also noted that while disagreements are inevitable, they should always be handled professionally and respectfully.