The Mexico Public Schools Board of Education (BOE) met this week and discussed questions to be asked of the potential candidates with some controversial topics coming up.

After just replacing a school board member the BOE found itself in the same position this month after former board President Todd Yager resigned.

The BOE looked at 15 potential questions to ask the next round of candidates with two universally accepted as being on the list and paired the final list down to a total of five questions. A question that didn’t make the list got the most discussion. The question revolved around whether or not a potential candidate would support a four-day school week. Board President Keith Louder, who voted in favor of moving to a four-day week this past January, said he was against including the question.

“To me, that’s a question that asks somebody how they stand on a specific issue,” Louder said. “Right now it’s not pertinent to anything we have going on. Even if it were, I don't think it’s a fair question to ask a candidate.”

Board Member Jessica Ekern agreed with Louder. Ekern joined the board in April after being elected and said the question was asked of candidates during the general election.

“As the general public I think that’s fine,” Ekern said. “In my opinion, we shouldn’t be lobbying for people who think the same way as we do.”

Board Member Matt Pilger also joined the BOE in April after the election and took responsibility for submitting the question. Pilger said it’s something people want to know.

“I’ve had several community members say since we’re appointing people they want to know who we are appointing. I think that’s a top-of-mind question for a lot of community members at the moment,” Pilger said.

Louder said he believed the issue was dead, at least until the next election. Anyone who was appointed to fill a seat will have to run again this April including whoever takes over Yager’s seat. 

“I know it’s been on people’s minds but in my mind having gone through that and the vote of that, that’s something that’s behind us for at least a while,” Louder said. “Who knows what the future brings exactly but I don’t see that as something in the near future.”

Louder said if the issue comes up again it needs to be approached differently with public meetings and the collection of data. He said to do it correctly it would take a lot more than a few months.

Superintendent Melissa Chastain was asked by Louder what it would take to collect the data and go through the process. Chastain confirmed it would take a long time and require resources that can be better spent elsewhere. She said it’s not something her staff has discussed for a while.

“It was close to a year,” Chastain said about the data collection process the last time it was discussed. “Frankly we have other priorities that we need to focus on. That’s just my opinion. I haven’t talked to the staff but certainly, I think our process will look a little bit different this time and that would mean it would be a longer process.”

Board Member Scott Nichols, who voted against going to a four-day week schedule, agreed with Chastain the board should focus on other issues and also said it could take away from other questions.

“I’m not saying it’s not a valid question but is there another question we would get more out of,” Nichols said.

Louder also didn’t want to ask any questions about supporting the BOE and school district if the candidate is not chosen.

“To me, anybody who is putting themselves out there that genuinely wants to be on the board, no one is going to say that they’re not going to support the district,” Louder said. “I’m not sure what we learn from that.”

Pilger once again took responsibility for the question and defended his position. He said they have an example from this past election.

“We did have somebody that was a candidate and ran for school board last time who did get on social media and say directly after he lost that he was not going to support the district and encouraged everyone to take their kids out of Mexico School District,” Pilger said.

Board Vice President Nicole Jahn said she didn’t like a question about whether or not the candidate thinks the current board is effective.

“That’s not something you really know until you’re in,” Jahn said.

Louder said he doubts any candidate would give any answer that would sound negative.

“Regardless of how you truly feel, are you going to sit and look at the people whom you are hoping are going to select you to join and say I think you guys are doing a bad job?” Louder asked. “Most people are not going to go that route.”

The board voted 6-0 to the agreed questions which did not include asking about four-day weeks or support for the district.

The BOE is accepting applications to be on the board until Aug. 23. The BOE will hold a special meeting on Aug. 29 to interview candidates and select a new board member. So far only one person, Lennette Brown, has applied.