Unlike many surrounding districts, the Mexico School District Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m.

Early discussions among Board of Education members about pushing the start time of the board meetings back to 6 p.m. began at the March 17 meeting.

According to board president Jessica Ekern, board treasurer Mathew Pilger asked for the topic to be added to the agenda.

“I bring this to the board because I have had several discussions with community members and board members about the 5:30 p.m. start time,” Pilger said. “It’s becoming somewhat of an issue for some folks who work until 5 o’clock.”

The meetings, originally held at 7 p.m., were moved to 5:30 p.m. on June 22, 2021, to en-
courage more people to come, according to Pilger. Ekern agreed that was part of the reason, and she doesn’t think that has happened. However, she added that the other reasons given were to give directors and administrators the opportunity to attend meetings and leave earlier.

Jon Calhoun, board member, agreed that the time shift is a reasonable compromise.

“As a coach in the community, I can tell you there’s not going to be any parents who can make the 5:30 time, and it’s nothing against those in the room, but if you look at what the purpose of this meeting is, it is meant to be for the public to see us — us to be accountable to the public," Calhoun said.

Pilger also said it can be difficult for him to make meetings.

“I do work in Jefferson City now,” he said, addressing the board. “It takes me 45 minutes for me to get here to Mexico, and a lot of times, my day is not done whenever I’m asking to leave early from my job that pays me to come and serve on the board that doesn’t.”

Michelle Stephens, vice president of the board, disagreed with the proposal and said while she understands Pilger’s plight, she has to consider the members of the gallery — community members as well as the administrators, teachers and coaches who show up to every board meeting after being at school since 6 a.m.

“They have children that they are needing to get home to,” Stephens said. “They have events that they are missing out on for their own children, and I think that we have to be very respectful of their time.”

Stephens added that she also works out of town and said while it’s difficult for her to get to the meetings on time some days, she knew what she was getting into when she signed up to become a member of the board of education.

Lennette Brown, board member, said she could go either way with the start time, but based on her experience as a parent-teacher organization member, she does agree with earlier start times for the sake of the staff — especially those who live out of town.

Ekern also seemed to be on the fence, but ultimately said she does not think the meeting times should change because, as Stephens said, she knew what she was getting into when she signed up for her seat on the Board of Education.

“I don’t think if we are at 5:30, 6 or 6:30, it’s really going to change who’s here and who’s not,” she said. “I serve on a number of boards at different times and I make it work. It’s not always ideal, it’s not what I want to do, but that’s the commitment I made and that’s how I serve the community. I’m not going to change it just because it’s difficult.”

Chris Williams, board member, was not in attendance at the March 17 meeting and Pilger pointed out that his absence was due to the early start time.

“He’s unable to make several of those meetings because of that 5:30 start time and I’m not speaking for him because he will be here at the next meeting and we can bring it back up then if we need to.”

The discussion was tabled until the next meeting when all board members could be in attendance.