Chamber coffee event gives voters a closer look at school board candidates  

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce recently hosted its public affairs coffee session featuring candidates running for the St. Joseph School District Board of Education for the 2026-2029 term.

Each candidate shared their vision for the district and discussed where they’d like to see the schools headed in the coming years.  

After the session, community members had the opportunity to ask questions and raise any concerns with the candidates directly.  

“I really did not know much about the candidates who were running and wanted to get to know more about their opinions and their views on the different struggles,” said Debbie Mahoney, a St. Joseph resident.

She explained how she hopes to hear positive, forward-thinking ideas about how to improve the district — both for students and the community as a whole.  

Mahoney also said she’s especially interested in how candidates plan to build on what’s already in place.  

“I would ask them how we can improve the structures that we already have, how we can make them better. We all have to work with what we got and I have seen other school districts do that, so I would like to see how they do it,” Mahoney said.  

Another attendee, Pat Dillon, said he believes it’s critical for people to show up and learn about school district issues.  

Dillon said it was great to see how well-versed each candidate is in the school district now.  

"I think when you step into that role its probably a little intimidating and you’re able to learn from each of these candidates how much knowledge they have going in and how much they have been involved in the past,” Dillon added.  

Dillon mentioned he’s had the chance to speak one-on-one with most of the candidates at other events, but emphasized that forums like this give voters a clearer picture of who they want to support.  

“I think the most important thing is everybody needs to get out there and vote because the school district is such an important piece of our community,” Dillon said.  

Patrick Brown, another community member, said even though he and his wife are retired, they still want to stay informed about what’s happening with the school board. 

Brown said, as taxpayers, he and his wife feel like they have some skin in the game, which makes them even more interested in knowing who’s running. 

"See if we can get some good people in there to take care of our children. I am hoping to hear some leadership from the candidates that will more or less challenge the hierarchy of the school board,” Brown said.  

Brown said he hopes to see strong leadership from the candidates — people willing to challenge the current hierarchy and bring thoughtful direction to the board.  

While he doesn’t plan to ask many questions himself, he’s focused on listening closely before making a decision.  

“Everybody pays taxes who lives in the city limits, so everybody, whether they are a line worker at a plant or a CEO at a company, should have a vested interest in what’s going on,” Brown said.  

The final candidate forum, hosted by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, will feature St. Joseph City Council candidates and finalists in the St. Joseph mayoral race. It’s scheduled to take place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25.