Mitchell Kaminski
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The election for the Columbia Board of Education has been decided.
Board President Suzette Waters won her reelection bid, while Erica Dickson will join her on the board. The two ran in Tuesday’s election for two seats, while Ken Rice finished a distant third. Two-term board member Blake Willoughby did not seek reelection.
Waters totaled 17,698 votes in Tuesday’s election, while Dickson had 16,885 and Rice came up with 10,423, according to the unofficial results from the Boone County Clerk.
“One of the things that I’ve highlighted that I’m bringing into the space is the unique quality of having worked within the system in various capacities. I started in CPS as an attendant secretary. I’ve served as an instructional aide, a homeschool communicator, and most recently in an administrative capacity to serve all of the students in our district. So I’m bringing that into the space. I’m bringing up parental perspective in this space. As a mother of three children,” Dickson told ABC 17 News.
Dickson got emotional as she addressed the crowd of people at her election watch party at 50 Yard Line sports bar in downtown Columbia, saying that win or lose she it was nice to see people engaged in the political process. Dickson said that local government is “one of the things that affect us the most but people engage in the least.”
Dickson also said the lack of representation among certain student groups is concerning, something that she believes can help make the district a more welcoming place that people want to stay in long term. She received an endorsement from Boone County Democrats and spent the days leading up to the election canvassing. On Sunday, she hosted a block party and knocked on 399 doors.
Rice was endorsed by Ward 2 Councilwoman Lisa Meyer. On Tuesday, he posted a message in front of the district’s administrative building urging voters to vote for “integrity, transparency and accountability,” which have been his main talking points throughout the campaign.
Rice hosted an election watch party at Shakespeare’s Pizza South Location in Columbia, while Dickson hosted one at 50 Yard Line in Downtown Columbia. Waters stated that she would attend her daughter’s concert and would not be hosting a public viewing party, however, she posted a photo on Tuesday morning with nine current and former educators who have her support.
Waters ran for a second term. She said her passion for public education motivates her to continue serving.
During her tenure, Waters played a role in hiring Superintendent Jeff Klein and has praised the district’s state-recognized career center program, which focuses on workforce development and equipping students with competitive job skills.
She said she believes educating all students is essential for society’s success and has been committed to that mission during her time with Columbia Public Schools.
After serving as board president, Waters said she plans to focus on improving student attendance. She also aims to address achievement gaps, an issue she said has been a frequent topic on the campaign trail and a long-standing challenge in education.
Dickson began working for Columbia Public Schools in 2016 as an attendant secretary. She has since served as an instructional aide, homeschool director and, most recently, assistant director of student services.
She left that role in August to help establish what she calls an “Educational Doula Pilot,” a program designed to help families navigate the education system. However, after reviewing recent test scores, Dickson said she was motivated to run for the school board.
Dickson said her experience in multiple roles within the district gives her an advantage.
She briefly worked with Klein during her time with CPS and said she is excited about his hiring. However, she added that if elected, one of her priorities would be implementing innovative approaches to help students with unique needs succeed.
As a CPS parent, Dickson said she would bring multiple perspectives to the board.
Rice said his interest in the school board race was sparked by a message from a teacher.
Rice, who served as a director at the same Sunday school where the teacher worked, said he initially dismissed the idea when she suggested he run. After discussing it with his wife, he decided against it—until he received an email from the teacher.
After learning more about former Superintendent Brian Yearwood’s departure, Rice said he believed the district lacked integrity and transparency. Rice, who is the chief operating officer for Pickleman’s Franchising, said his leadership experience has prepared him for the role.
Improving transparency is one of his top priorities after hearing concerns from people on the campaign trail. He hopes to make meeting records more accessible and digestible for parents and stakeholders. He also wants more information to be made available about meetings held under closed executive sessions that do not involve personnel issues or contracts.
Rice also proposed creating a parental advisory committee made up of parents, teachers, students, staff, administrators, and taxpayers. Each school would have a group advising its principal, with one representative from each group serving on a superintendent advisory committee.
While members could volunteer for the committee, Rice said he wants to examine similar models in districts in California and Atlanta.
Watch ABC 17 News’ full interviews conducted with each candidate last month below:
Suzette Waters
Erica Dickson
Ken Rice
