Voters will go to the polls to elect representatives for the Warsaw R-IX school board on April 4. There is one vacancy on the board and two additional seats up for reelection. Sally Yaeger and Tracey Spry are running for reelection this year while school board President James Miller is not running. Challengers Dr. Amie Breshears and Drew Burdick will also be on the ballot for the three-year terms.

Dr. Amie Breshears

     Dr. Amie Breshears is running for school board this year because she enjoys giving back.

  “I’m running for the board because I want to do my part to help make our school district the very best that it can be. I was raised to serve my community and I enjoy doing that; serving as a school board member is a way for me to give back to those who have given to me and to also pay it forward,” Breshears said.   

  Breshears has experience in many different aspects of the school district, as a student, teacher, administrator, substitute teacher, bus driver, volunteer and as a parent.

  “I believe that these experiences help me to have a good understanding of the district and how it operates,” she said.  “As a school board member, I can use both my knowledge and experience to see both sides of issues and work with the other board members, district employees, and student and families to make good decisions for the students and for our district.”

  Breshears is an educator and a farmer. A 1991 Warsaw High graduate, she earned her bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Drury University before starting as a business/computer teacher at Warsaw High in 2001. She earned a Specialist degree in superintendency before becoming Warsaw South Elementary principal and District Transportation Director in 2007. She also served as WHS assistant and then head principal until May 2013. She most recently earned a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from MU in 2015. Breshears founded the Warsaw Education Foundation in 2007 – an organization dedicated to raising money to grant back to Warsaw school classrooms.

  She feels that the school board can make a big impact on – not only the district -but also on the community.

  “The school district is the heart of our community and prepares our children for their future. It also receives the bulk of our local property tax dollars. It is important that we use all of our resources to give our students the best education possible and strengthen the relationships among the school district, students and families, and our community.” Breshears said.

   Breshears and her husband, David, have three sons in the school district – one at John Boise Middle School and two at South Elementary.

  “This is my home, my roots here run deep, and I’m dedicated to serving and helping the people of this community,” she said.

Drew Burdick

  Drew Burdick is running for the school board this year because he believes in a quality public education.

  “I firmly believe in a quality public education for each and every kid in the community. I want to see a school that every student in the Warsaw district will be proud to call their own,” Burdick said. “I believe that it would go a long way in achieving this goal if our facilities receive the upgrades and repairs that they need.”

 Burdick is the manager of the Department of Conservation’s Lost Valley Fish Hatchery. He has lived in the district for five years.

  Burdick feels like he can contribute to the district by providing fresh new ideas on issues.

  “I have a strong budget and personnel managing skills that I use on a daily in my job managing one of the largest fish hatcheries in the country. I find creative ways to overcome budget and other issues. I pride myself on ‘thinking outside the box’ on tough issues,” Burdick said.

  Burdick thinks that the school board creates an important part of the community because it ensures that students get the best education possible.

  “Partnerships between the community and our school system result in ensuring that students get the best education for the tax dollars spent,” Burdick said.

  Burdick wants to focus on school safety for students and teachers in the school district by prioritizing repairs and improvements in the buildings and creating an inviting environment for learning.

  “I want people to feel comfortable coming to me with ideas and concerns and then know I will do my best to advocate for them,” Burdick said.  

  Burdick is originally from Marshfield and attended Missouri State University for his degree in Wildlife Conservation and Management. He and his wife, Jessica, have two sons at North Elementary.

Tracey Spry

  Tracey Spry is running for reelection because she feels that the board is an important part of the district and the community and her financial knowledge could be an asset.

  “We need to do the best we can with the funding that we have available,” she said. “As a CPA, I can offer my knowledge and financial insight in areas of budgeting, finance, and audit. School funding seems to always get cut. I think it is important to know where the resources we have are being spent.”

  Spry is a Certified Public Accountant and business owner. She is a graduate of both Warsaw High School and Southwest Missouri State University (now MSU). She, and her husband, Jerry, have two daughters at John Boise Middle School. In addition to her community involvement, she serves on the Advocacy Committee and as Regional Executive for the Missouri School Board Association.

  Spry thinks that she can help contribute some of the experience that is needed on the board. As a board member, she must listen to concerns and voice them to the administration while making decisions that impact both the district and the community.

  “I can work as a liaison to help connect the community to the school and vice versa.  I firmly believe that better schools make better communities.  I want both, school and community to work together to achieve great things,” Spry said.

  Spry would like to see test scores improve as new curriculum is implemented. She also feels like there could be some physical changes to the district as well.

  “There is a need to improve our facilities in order to maintain a quality learning environment for our kids. For example, South school needs major kitchen improvements, the bathrooms at North schol need remodeled and the locker rooms in the high school need renovated,” she said.

Sally Yaeger

  Sally Yaeger is running for a second three-year term on the school board because she wants to continue to be an advocate and voice for children, parents, teachers, community and the school district.

  “I am running for re-election for the board of education because of the experience I have had the past three years. I take my duties a school board member very serious. I study policies, the budget and all the issues and come prepared before each board meeting. By doing this it helps to make informed decisions for our district.” Yaeger said.

  Yaeger, a retired teacher of 31 years, said her experience is what she thinks she can contribute to the school board in another term. Yaeger taught for 20 years in Osceola and moved to Warsaw in 1999. She taught at South Elementary for another 11 years and retired in May 2010.

  “My contribution to the school board is my experience. ” Yaeger said. “With my years of  teaching experience, I have walked the walk, talked the talk, cried the tears when overwhelmed, and have been in the shoes that all of our teachers and staff experience on a daily basis.”

  Yaeger said that the board must be “good stewards of our district’s finances.”

  “A plan needs to be made to prioritize financially what needs to be done,” Yaeger said.  That includes staying current with curriculum for all students PK-12 and making needed upgrades to facilities.

  “As a board member, I want to make sure we provide our students and all staff with safe schools. School is their home away from home and they need a safe environment to spend each day,” she said.  

   Yaeger is married to Warsaw High special education teacher Drake Yaeger. Their daughter, Dallas, is a 2013 Warsaw High graduate.