Audio from Oct 12 Candidate Forum: USD 480

You can listen to archived audio from the October 12 Liberal Chamber of Commerce candidate forum with candidates for the USD 480 school board.   The presenting sponsor for the forum is Southwest Kansas Board of Realtors; additional sponsorship by KSCB radio and other area media outlets.

Candidates in attendance at the forum, in speaking order as drawn by number:  Sarah Thompson; Stewart Cauble; Amy Whitaker; Nick Hatcher; Alan Brown; Dr William Purdy.

Opening statements, in the speaking order of the candidates:

Question 1:  “As a school board member, what do you believe your role should be?”
Sarah Thompson; Stewart Cauble; Amy Whitaker; Nick Hatcher; Alan Brown; Dr William Purdy.

Q2: “Do you believe community partnerships are important; and if so, what ideas do you have to promote or create these partnerships?”
Cauble; Whitaker; Hatcher; Brown; Purdy; Thompson.

Q3: “If parents come to a school board meeting to discuss policy, do you think they should be allowed to speak; and if so, would you respond to their concerns?”
Whitaker; Hatcher; Brown; Purdy; Thompson; Cauble.

Q4: “How important is mental health to you; and how do you plan to tackle our crisis we face with students?”
Hatcher; Brown; Purdy; Thompson; Cauble; Whitaker; Brown.

Q5: “Would you vote to have turf or grass on the middle school football fields?”
Brown; Purdy; Thompson; Cauble; Whitaker; Hatcher.

Q6: “How would you defend public education to the legislature?”
Purdy; Thompson; Cauble; Whitaker; Hatcher; Brown.

Q7: “History education has come under attack by revisionists. As a board member, would you protect history education; or would you leave this up to the staff?”
Thompson; Cauble; Whitaker; Hatcher; Brown; Purdy.

Q8: “How do you plan to bring inclusivity and stay connected with immigrant needs within the school district; specifically the Guatemalan community, which faces a bigger language and education barrier?”
Cauble; Whitaker; Hatcher; Brown; Purdy; Thompson.

Q9: “What policies would you support when it comes to students identifying as alternate genders with regards to using restrooms and participating in sports?”
Whitaker; Hatcher; Brown; Purdy; Thompson; Cauble; Purdy.

Q10: “Are you for or against mandated Covid vaccinations of staff and students?”
Hatcher; Brown; Purdy; Thompson; Cauble; Whitaker.

Q11: “Do you support critical race theory; should the district have a policy on whether or not this is allowed in classrooms?”
Brown; Purdy; Thompson; Cauble; Whitaker; Hatcher.

Audio of closing statements: