Candidate Profiles: Board of Education candidates

​As the April 2nd municipal election draws close, Valley News reached out to the candidates running for the Grain Valley School Board to answer a series of questions to learn more about their background and priorities.

Four candidates have filed for two open seats on the Grain Valley Board of Education. Current board members Jared English and Eddie Saffell have filed for re-election. Aaron Scully and Paul Trusler have also filed.

Candidates are listed in alphabetical order, and other than minor spelling or grammatical corrections, the candidates' responses are provided as written. 
 
Jared English
 
Please tell us about yourself (work background, volunteer service, elected positions held, etc.). 
 
I’ve been a resident of Grain Valley for roughly 20 years.  My wife and I have two elementary-age children in the district. My work background is risk management.  I was on Grain Valley Park Board for roughly 9 years.  I also served as the treasurer for the Pathways of Honor, which is a Veterans group in Grain Valley.  I’ve been on the School Board in Grain Valley for 12 years.
 
Why do you want to serve on the Grain Valley School Board? 
 
I think that we have a great district, focused on the education of our children.  As an experienced board member with strong ties to the community, I think I’m well-suited to partner with leaders in our district to ensure we continue to keep education our focus. 
 
The levy proposal on the April ballot seeks to address teacher and staff pay in the district. Teacher pay is often cited as a reason why districts struggle to attract and retain teachers. What other factors, besides teacher pay, do you feel are critical to address in the district to retain quality teachers and staff? 
 
In a word:  Culture.  Employees, regardless of industry, typically stay with an employer because the culture of the organization aligns with their values.  I think the administration in Grain Valley has done an excellent job creating a culture that our staff value.  We may never pay more than some of our neighbors, even with the levy.  I think the key to successfully retaining employees (teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, facilities workers, etc.) is to maintain a culture of respect that employees value.

How would you assess the levels at which students are achieving academically in the district? What are areas of concern? 

The district has several methods of gauging success of our students. MAP tests are a good indicator of how the district performs compared to other Missouri schools.  As I reviewed the data provided to the board, one area that jumped out at me was the “Class of 2027 Math” results.  While there are several reasons for why the scores look low, this is area I’m concerned with and watching closely.  

Other tests provide additional insight as to how our overall school population is performing academically.  I think its also important to identify those who are falling behind.  Our board motto is, “every student, every day.”  We mean that.  We have a small percentage of students who struggle every day.  We need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to support those kids and give them the education they deserve. 

What are the top issues the board should focus on in the next 3-5 years? 
 
Education should remain our number one priority over the next 3-5 years.  The board approves a comprehensive plan every year.  That plan also includes other key initiatives, such as facilities, security and communications with our patrons.  I think all of these issues are important.  The board receives regular updates from the administration on progress in these key areas.
 
Another big issue is the continued growth of our community.  Grain Valley continues to expand.  This puts a great deal of stress on our district.  Continuing to monitor growth and ensure we’re allocating resources to accommodate growth across the district is key to a good education.
 
 
Eddie Saffell

Please tell us about yourself (work background, volunteer service, elected positions held, etc.). 
 
I spent 40 years in the fire service, 10 as a volunteer in Harrisonville and the last 30 with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJC), retiring as a deputy chief. During that time, I have served as the president of the Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce and a Grain Valley / Blue Springs advisory board member to Truman Heartland Community Foundation. I have also served on numerous community project committees such as the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast (Blue Springs) and the Truman Heartland Scholarship Committee. I am completing my 12th year as a member of the Grain Valley Board of Education. 
 
Why do you want to serve on the Grain Valley School Board? 
 
My commitment to the school board comes from two points: my belief that education is critical to our community's success. A strong school system brings families, which in turn brings business which strengthens our community and allows for better resources and programs for our families and business owners. I received my graduate degree later in life, so my belief that education is key  doesn't stop at high school, but continues throughout life. To instill that mindset in our children, we have to give them the best education we can from the beginning and I believe I have, and will continue to help Grain Valley Schools to build that success. 
 
Second is my dedication to public service. I have been in some form of public service my entire adult life and I have been interested in local government special districts (school, fire, library) the entire time.  I currently work for the City of Grain Valley so, even in retirement, I remained in community service in a different form. 
 
The levy proposal on the April ballot seeks to address teacher and staff pay in the district. Teacher pay is often cited as a reason why districts struggle to attract and retain teachers. What other factors, besides teacher pay, do you feel are critical to address in the district to retain quality teachers and staff? 
 
Finances are always the easiest to blame and sometimes the hardest to fix. The levy will allow us to make a large impact on the teacher salary and benefit issue, but we also have to think out of the box and find ways to entice teachers to come to Grain Valley and then stay. Ensuring a positive culture of respect and trust has little financial impact in comparison to other components, but can keep a teacher, or any other staff member, in our system. Wanting to go to work and enjoying where you work are critical to our success. If we give our staff members the support and resources they need daily, such as monitoring and maintaining class sizes, it can make their work less stressful. Open and honest 360 degree communication can improve morale. This starts at the top and moves through all levels of the organization. 
 
How would you assess the levels at which students are achieving academically in the district? What are areas of concern? 

In general, our students perform well at all levels. When we look at high school graduations, scholarships, college applications and so on, Grain Valley continues to perform at a very high level. In all elementary and middle school grades, Grain Valley continues to perform above others, especially across the state. My main concerns will always be in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) components because these are the keys to today's business world. We have identified, through standardized testing, some areas we could improve on and are always working on programming and instruction to address those areas. 
 
What are the top issues the board should focus on in the next 3-5 years? 
 
As always finances will be a topic of concern. As Grain Valley grows and our student population increases, we will need additional, or expanded, facilities and staff to continue to offer programs to continue to provide our students and families the best educational experience we can.  School safety and security is a priority. The world we live in dictates we continually adjust our security for buildings and events to ensure everyone's safety. This has many levels and requires open-minded and forward thinking to accomplish. Staff recruitment and retention is key. As mentioned, finding ways to not only compensate our staff, but also give them a work environment they can be happy to be a part of and proud of. 
 
 
Aaron Scully

Please tell us about yourself (work background, volunteer service, elected positions held, etc.). 
 
I am an RN and work full time at the Kansas City VA. I am also a member of the Missouri Air National Guard as a critical care air transport team nurse. I have not held any elected positions. My wife and I volunteer within our church in a variety of areas: medical team, security team, and membership class. We also have 5 children, and currently have foster children in our home. We have been foster parents for almost 4 years.
 
Why do you want to serve on the Grain Valley School Board? 
 
I want to serve on the school board, because I have a vested interest in the education of my children. I desire to see the overall success of children, to see them succeed in whatever path they choose, and to see them become productive members of this community and our society.
 
The levy proposal on the April ballot seeks to address teacher and staff pay in the district. Teacher pay is often cited as a reason why districts struggle to attract and retain teachers. What other factors, besides teacher pay, do you feel are critical to address in the district to retain quality teachers and staff? 
 
I got an opportunity to hear a presentation at a board meeting from a couple of teachers, and during their presentation, another point was mentioned which was their days off (sick days, personal days). They would like to see a PTO (paid time off) time of leave system in place, and I could see the benefit of moving to that type of system, if it were to be a desired benefit of the educators and staff. 
 
How would you assess the levels at which students are achieving academically in the district? What are areas of concern? 

I believe the district is tracking the academic success levels to a degree, and I recall seeing some of the results at a board meeting several months ago. I would reiterate that the goal of the district should be to see each child succeed in whatever chosen path, and become productive members of our community. An upcoming concern that I have will be the use of AI (artificial intelligence), and how it will impact education. 
 
What are the top issues the board should focus on in the next 3-5 years? 
 
Top issues for the next 3-5 years: continued improvement of safety for staff and students; budget deficits and finding a way to eliminate them; that the district continues to maintain the priority of school is, an education; and that teachers will want to stay in the district.
 

Paul Trusler
 
Please tell us about yourself (work background, volunteer service, elected positions held, etc.). 
 
I'm a devoted husband to I believe the most beautiful, loving and intelligent women I know. I'm a father of 7 kids (4 boys, 3 girls.) Grandfather to one boy. All of which are either currently in or have graduated from GVSD. I've been a member of the ironworker local union 10 for over 25 yrs. I'm a member of First Baptist Church of Grain Valley where I've served in many aspects of the church and have served as property chair for over 5 yrs. 
 
Why do you want to serve on the Grain Valley School Board? 
 
To be more active in my community. To better serve in the school system in which my children and grandchild attend. To be a voice for teachers and students. 
 
The levy proposal on the April ballot seeks to address teacher and staff pay in the district. Teacher pay is often cited as a reason why districts struggle to attract and retain teachers. What other factors, besides teacher pay, do you feel are critical to address in the district to retain quality teachers and staff? 
 
Pay may be one of the leading factors for teachers leaving, but they are also one of the highest stressed professions. One way to help this would be for the schools to be consistent in the rules and punishment they have. Another way is to recognize teachers constant struggles. Teachers are the backbone of the school system. We should empower them to do their job to the best of their abilities. I've found most teachers are self-driven individuals. We need more people like them. 
 
How would you assess the levels at which students are achieving academically in the district? What are areas of concern? 
​
For the most part I believe the district to be doing well academically. I would like to explore better ways of instructing kids who learn with their hands (kinesthetic learners) or who are visual learners. 
 
What are the top issues the board should focus on in the next 3-5 years? 
 
The board should focus on safety and success of the children and teachers.