By HOLLY GASKILL
Three of four board candidates for Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan Schools were present for a forum Monday evening.
Of the three seats on the ballot, only one has a contested race — incumbent Trent White is challenged by Chris Koiner for District 3. White was unable to attend the forum and declined to send a written statement.
Preston Kaehr represented his unopposed At-Large seat, which he was appointed to in July. The seat was vacant after Angie Sheets was appointed to fill Bruce Holland’s District 1 seat when he moved out of the district.
Mike Murray, District 2, was also present and spoke about the continuation of his term after announcing he would not run for re-election. “I took my name out of consideration for running, thinking somebody might want to serve — nobody did,” he said. “So, it was up to me whether to continue (after) Dec. 31, and I’m going to continue because I don’t feel like I’m relieved of that responsibility because somebody didn’t come forward.”
Moderator Erin Prible, executive director of the Wells County Chamber of Commerce, asked the candidates six questions related to their perspectives on board leadership, goals for office and district-wide challenges.
Firstly, the candidates were asked how they would provide support to students and staff as the Bluffton-Harrison PTO, who organized the forum, strives to do so. This sentiment was mirrored in the following question, which also asked how their involvement in the school community had prepared the candidates for board leadership.
All three candidates felt a responsibility to participate in and support district organizations and events. Each, however, has had different experiences in participation.
Kaehr and Koiner have young children in the district, whereas Murray’s children have already graduated from the district. All three men have assisted in athletics and club activities, and Kaehr substitute taught for the district last year.
“I think it also has given me a good perspective of what’s happening, kind of at the ground level, that I didn’t really fully appreciate, especially being a substitute teacher for different days,” Kaehr said. “And that, I believe, gives me a really good base for being able to be an effective school board member.”
Later, the candidates were asked what being a supporter of public education meant to them. All three focused on the “public” lens with slightly different interpretations. Murray discussed advocating for the district with state legislation, while Kaehr and Koiner examined the local social aspect.
Kaehr stated he wants to represent multiple viewpoints, knowing there will be diverse backgrounds and experiences within his district. Koiner, however, criticized the district’s handling of bullying, saying he’s heard from multiple families who have reportedly not been taken seriously on bullying issues with their students.
Considering this, the candidates were then asked what they believed the board’s role in the district was and how they would make decisions. Murray, who has served on the board for eight years, followed the by-the-book definition — determine policies and hire a superintendent. He said he bases decisions on collecting facts and then following the chain of command through administration, working together as a board to make decisions.
Kaehr furthermore highlighted the position of an elected official, which requires the board members to represent the interests of their district.
“That’s a big part of how I’m going to be looking at my decision making … that the constituents that I represent are helping me understand what they are wanting to see, what they’re continuing to want to have their school system look like, while also, as (Murray) mentioned, making sure that we are using facts and information and allowing our administration to do their job, to get to the bottom of things, to provide us with good recommendations and using the resources that they’ve been given, so that we continue to do things at a high level, and we allow the staff to go do their job.”
Koiner, however, felt the board’s two largest roles are determining curriculum and keeping students safe. With a background in security, Koiner said he’s “willing to look into any safety measure possible … to make sure these kids feel safe because when these kids feel safe, they learn better.”
Koiner expanded on school safety in discussing the challenges the district faces. He wants to address concerns by adding school resource officers and cameras. “I know there’s been a couple of incidents recently,” he said. “Yes, they were handled, but I still think we can do more. We can be proactive instead of reactive.”
Murray echoed this, noting that the district had sought a referendum for additional school safety measures, like adding SROs, in 2023. The referendum failed, with 57.81% of district voters against the 9.63% property tax increase. Murray also highlighted concerns with building needs, teacher pay and the upcoming legislative session.
Kaehr also noted concerns with items at the state level, saying, “In my limited time of just being more involved with the board in this short-term appointment that I’ve had, I have realized that there are a lot of things that come from the state level.”
In closing, the board candidates shared their goals, as well as a three-minute closing statement.
Kaehr listed three priorities for his leadership — family values, good financial decisions and accountability. His four main motivations, however, are his children. “Like every other parent, I have a real desire to see my kids, receive a great education,” he said. “I want them to be trained and knowledgeable, but I also want them to develop really strong character traits as kids so that they can be productive adults.”
Koiner said his decisions would be based on helping students be the best they can be by providing safety and security. He also wants to challenge the school’s curriculum, which he feels meets Indiana academic standards but does not strive higher.
“Why are we comfortable with average?” he questioned. “It’s the same thing with security, though. Why are we comfortable with one (SRO)? Now, I know there’s some state stuff, but there’s still stuff we can help improve.” Koiner also believed the board needs to do a better job representing families.
Murray challenged the idea that the schools were “average,” saying, “We’re always improving the curriculum — looking at it, we’re doing above what the state requires. Yes, we can always improve, and we’re always looking for new ways to improve. But the curriculum paid for my daughter’s first year of college, which it has done for many.”
Murray then expressed thanks for the district he and his children graduated from. “I love supporting our staff, administration, and, most importantly, our students,” he said. “And I love the organizations that come alongside us, like the PTO, and all the organizations — I don’t want to start singling them all out, or I’ll forget somebody … We’re always looking for ways to improve.”
No questions were submitted by the public.
holly@news-banner.com
