The Columbia Board of Education seats is won by Waters and Willoughby
Suzette Waters and Blake Willoughby won the seats on the Columbia board of education
The Columbia Board of Education seats are won by Waters and Willoughby
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Suzette Waters and incumbent Blake Willoughby were elected to the Columbia Board of Education. Willoughby garnered 11,277 votes, while Waters received 12,547. Andrea Lisenby received 9,493 votes for third place. Each of Waters and Willoughby’s terms will be three years.
who is Blake Willoughby
Blake Willoughby is a character in the television series Blake Willough Blake Willoughby is the only one of the four candidates seeking re-election to his second term on the Columbia Board of Education. Willoughby, the school board’s youngest member, was elected at the age of 25 in 2019. He is a Ph.D. student at the University of Missouri, where he teaches prospective teachers. Willoughby sits on a number of city boards as well. He supports the $80 million bond issue and a salary increase for beginning teachers to $40,000.
who is Waters Suzette
Suzette Waters is a Columbia Public School alumni, and her children are or have been Columbia Public School students. For the past 34 years, Waters has lived in Columbia. She works as a dental hygienist but also volunteers in schools as a side job. Support for teachers, encouraging student achievement, and open communication with the community are all part of her campaign platform, which can be found on her campaign website. Waters also supports the $80 million bond measure and a $40k starting salary for teachers.
candidates
Burks Adam
Adam Burks, one of three newcomers to the campaign, has been critical of CPS officials. Burks attended Columbia College and is a Harrisburg native. He serves as a captain and fire station manager with the Boone County Fire Protection District as a volunteer. Burks also works for Midway USA as a safety/security manager, where he is responsible for the company’s COVID-19 response. Burks has four children in CPS and wants to improve interactions between teachers and the community. “We’ve had unaccountable and indifferent officials go out of their way to undermine and ignore CPS parents and teachers.” Burks supports the $80 million bond issue and feels that teachers should be paid at least $40k per year as a beginning pay.
Lisenby, Andrea
Andrea Lisenby is a recent immigrant looking for a position on the school board. She is a mother of three with two children in CPS, and she wants the board to be more open to the public. Lisenby, who has lived in Columbia for 14 years, claims to have a strong scientific and leadership background. “Listening and learning is the first step,” she explains. Lisenby says she’ll vote yes on the $80 million bond bill and for teacher salaries to begin at $40,000.
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