Fort Zumwalt School District Voters Elect Two New Board Members, One Incumbent

Editor's note: O'Fallon Patch was not able to reach Renee Porter or Jeffrey P. Kutterer. We will update this article as information becomes available. 

In a for , voters  re-elected Mike Price and welcomed newcomers Laure Schmidt and Renee Porter to fill the three open seats on the board. 

Mike Price, who served on the board from 2002-2007 then 2008-2011, took 5,054 votes or 20.50 percent to retain his seat. Price, who runs AmeriKids Christian Center, a Christian preschool, said he is pleased to be re-elected and appreciates those who supported him. 

"The next few years may be tough due to the economy," he said. " The board may be making some difficult decisions.  One thing I am able to say with confidence is that the board, administration, teachers and staff will always put the children first with what ever changes need to be made in the future."

Price added that he is also grateful to voters for approving the district's , an $18.5 million no-tax increase bond that will refinance existing leasehold bonds to help save money in the general operation fund. 

"The money to be saved by this passing will not completely solve that problem. It will, however, help the district come closer to balancing the budget in the future," he said. 

Price told O'Fallon Patch he is sorry that former board members  Mike Swaringim and Jeffrey Kutterer won't be serving on the board this term, but he looks forward to serving with Schmidt and Porter. 

Laure Schmidt drew 5,842 votes or 23.70 percent and Porter picked up 4,728 votes or 19.18 percent to beat incumbents Swaringim ( 4,607 votes, 18.69 percent), Kutterer (2270 votes, 9.21 percent) and challenger Terrill C. Herring (2,037 votes, 8.26 percent). 

Schmidt, a librarian at the South Middle School in the Wentzville R-IV School District, said she is anxious to see how the bond issue will help the district and added "fiscally responsibility" is near the top of her list of goals for her term on the school board.  

"I'm really anxious to take this job and look forward to hearing from parents, especially at the school board meetings," she said.

Schmidt said she enjoyed listening to the concerns of district parents and tax payers throughout the campaign process. 

"It's nice to hear that the things I would like to work on are what the parents would like to work on," she said. 

Schmidt said her goals include working on communication between the district and parents, maintaining enthusiastic teachers and local control of the classrooms. 

She said it is important that teachers take control of their classroom curriculum without the influence of the federal government. 

Despite his defeat, Herring said he is pleased to see two new faces on the school board and echoed Schmidt's concerns for emphasizing local control of the classrooms. 

"I strongly urge (the board) to work hard to defeat any moves to include the school district in the Race to the Top or the Core Curriculum efforts," he told O'Fallon Patch. "These programs are not in the interest of the students, the parents or the tax payers and only serve to further remove control of the schools from the local authorities." 

Swaringim, who was first elected to the school board in 1999 and has served as board president at various times throughout the past five years, said he is disappointed by his defeat, but it will not stop him from being involved with the district. 

He said he is most proud of his involvement with the creation of HOPE High School, the design of East High School, as well as the all-weather turf fields and implementation of a seven-period school days and full-day kindergarten program. 

"I plan to stay involved with the district by following the decision process by the new board, attending district events and running in next year's election," he said. "I will miss working with (Superintendent)  and my fellow Board members.  The administration, faculty and staff, the students and the patrons have given me an opportunity to serve and I thank them."