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Meet the candidates for PCR3 School Board

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Misty Wilson House

My name is Misty Wilson House. I was born and raised in Edgar Springs where I attended kindergarten to eighth grade. I was fortunate enough to experience what I consider some of the benefits of attending a small school.

I am devoted to my community and feel its children, teachers and townspeople deserve the best opportunities available.

During the time I have served on the board, I have demonstrated a deep commitment to education and enthusiasm for being the best board member that I can be. When attending the Missouri Association of Rural Education conference, I always make sure everyone knows PCR-III is the best little rural school in Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is continually making changes and keeping schools on their toes and board members need to be diligent about staying informed. I will continually drive for excellence; ask the tough questions others will not, and push for clear and defined answers for all parties involved. I have never been accused of being a “yes” woman or blindly going along with the crowd, and never intend to. When I was elected, I took that position very seriously and understand the faith that has been put in board members.

We, as a board, are tasked with creating an environment where an organizational structure can be followed and the vision for generations to come should be radiant.

I have been on the school board since 2005 and this is the first time I have been asked to participate in a “meet the candidate” article. I am glad to get to share my information and look forward to reading about the other candidates.

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Richard Kemper

My name is Richard Kemper and I have been on the Phelps County R-III school board for three years. I have been a resident of Phelps County for 32 years and in the Phelps County R-III school district for about 17 years.

I am married and have two grown children. I am an HVAC Mechanic at Fort Leonard Wood.

I am rerunning for another term to continue to support the students, parents, faculty/staff and the taxpayers.

My main objectives for being on the school board are:

  • The education and safety of the students.
  • The rights for the parents’ involvement in their children’s education.
  • Support for the faculty/staff, that they have all the resources and tools they need.
  • To be a good steward for the taxpayers’ money invested in the school district.
  • That the Pledge of Allegiance and everything it stands for should stay in the school.

Thank you and I would appreciate your vote on April 4th.

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Scott L. Hamilton

I am the sole proprietor of www.techshepherd.org, where I share insight into what is commonly know as STEAM, science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. However, there is an extra twist to my work – where most STEAM programs focus primarily on inventing and creating, I add a taste of history and religion.

I live just outside Edgar Springs on 46 acres of woodlands with my wife, Angela, my two sons, Noah and Obadiah, and my three grandchildren. Angela and I decided years ago to home-school our children to focus on faith, family and creativity. So now you may be asking why a home-school father is interested in running for school board and what he can bring to the table.

Home-schooling has been an adventure in learning for the family, parents included, and I have a desire to help parents become more involved in their child’s education. Having lived in the area since 2007 and having worked as a children and youth pastor as well as working at Missouri S&T from 2007-2017, I have gained much insight into the state education system. My primary focus is on STEAM within the schools. There is a real lack of access to a solid education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics statewide. I was shocked to learn that Missouri S&T is among the top five engineering schools in the nation, in our children’s backyard. Yet, very few students from our community go on to pursue degrees in engineering, science or technology.

I love our farming community and the tight bonds that are formed in families as they work to keep the family farm operating. Yet, I feel that there is room for improvement in preparing our children for careers of the future. More and more technology is sneaking into even farming and we need to expose students to technology earlier in life if they are to succeed. I will seek to reach out for corporate sponsorships in the school district to improve access to technology and offer insight into future technology job skills, while seeking additional funding for music and the arts.

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Chase Lambert

My name is Chase Lambert and I’m a dad of two kids who currently attend PCR-3.

I’m running for our PCR-3 School Board to serve our community and our kids. I began attending school board meetings when my children started at PCR-3, because being involved in our community and the education of our children is important to me. While attending the meetings, I learned information about the school budget, attendance and strategic planning that I was not aware of at the time. This is why one of my goals is to increase transparency and connection between our school community and our parents. I have been the only non-board member to consistently attend the meetings for the past year – I know that parents want to engage more, but can find it hard to do so with their schedules. I am up-to-date on the issues being addressed and I am ready to get to work for you, your kids and our school.

Another of my goals is for the school board to explore ways to increase access to healthy and affordable food for our families and students. I have talked to parents who are concerned – like me – about where some of our students can get quality food while school isn’t in session or during the summertime. We have all seen the cost of everyday groceries go up recently, and I want the school board to lead on this issue for our families. I believe we can build partnerships between our school and private and public organizations to provide more opportunity and food security for our local community and our kids.

I currently serve as the Treasurer of the Phelps County Extension Council and have a Ph.D. in the Biomedical Sciences. My skills include managing data and conducting detailed reviews of information, critical thinking and listening. I’m an aspiring small farmer and I want to strengthen our local food security by growing healthy, affordable food for our community.

I hope to earn your vote on April 4th and GO CARDINALS!

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James (Jim) Rector

I am extremely excited to serve as a member of the Phelps County R-III school board.

I’ve spent the previous 40 years in the military, with the last 26 as an active-duty Engineer Officer. I’ll be retiring from the military in August and looking forward to what lies ahead. I have an under-graduate degree in Construction Engineering and a master’s in Engineering Management with a second in Strategic Studies.

I’ve been married to my beautiful wife, Melinda, for 37 wonderful years. We have three daughters together: Megan, Madison, and Morgan. Between the three, we currently have six grandchildren, three of which attend Phelps County R-III. My wife also teaches junior high mathematics and has taught math and science at various other schools for over 17 years. Both give me a unique perspective, understanding parental and teacher issues concurrently.

Additionally, I’ve spent most of my commissioned officer career managing budgets, from small organizations (approximately $750,000) to large organizations (approximately $23 million). I fully understand the complexities of budget constraints and how to prioritize efforts within these constraints. I also fully understand infrastructure demands and maintenance. As the Command Engineer in Vicenza, Italy, from July 2019 thru December 2021, working closely with external stakeholders, I effectively managed the design, renovation, equipping and space allocation of over 17 facilities.

Finally, in my current position helping to develop future organizations and working closely within the Science and Technology community, I fully understand the future will be technology driven. This will require increased academic rigor within our curriculum focusing on the essentials of Math, Science, English and History. We must understand how we got to where we’re at (History); we must be able to understand how things work and why (Science); we must be able to solve the simplest of problems (Math); and we must be able to communicate effectively, both written and verbal (English). I am committed to these efforts. Not only will it make our teachers more effective, but it will also better prepare the students of Phelps County R-III to handle the future environment.

Editor’s Note: Incumbent Misti Brookshire Wilson is also running for re-election, however, she did not respond to our request for information.

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