March 5, 2025
Five candidates are running to fill two three-year seats on the Lindbergh Schools Board of Education. Each candidate was invited to share information about who they are and why they are running. These responses have not been edited for accuracy, content or grammar. They are listed in the same order in which candidate names will appear on the ballot. Responses were collected on Jan. 31, 2025, and were limited to 300 words total.
District Data and Information
For questions about academics, student success, district finances, Board of Education meetings, Prop R construction, or day-to-day operations, we encourage community members to visit the Our Work section of our website or contact any member of our administrative cabinet directly. Our goal is for every voter to be well informed and have a clear understanding of our Why: Excellence in Learning. Designing the Future.
Julia Voss
I moved to the district so my children could attend Lindbergh Schools. My children started at Long, moved to Sappington, and are now at Truman and the high school. My husband graduated from Lindbergh, and we have multiple family members teaching in the district. I am proud of our deep roots in a district known for academic excellence, opportunities for students, dedicated teachers, engaged parents, and proactive leadership.
I am seeking reelection to the Board of Education to ensure all students thrive. Over the past three years, I have contributed to numerous board advisory committees and task forces, creating opportunities for students. I am proud to see the work started on the Embedded Credits Task Force turn into LindberghIMPACT – a new program at the high school offering unique cross disciplinary classes and student-directed learning. I am excited to watch the Farmers Club grow from work done at the Farmers Club Visioning Committee meetings. I appreciate that our district takes the time to seek out the diverse perspectives of stakeholders at these meetings, making our district stronger and our vision clearer.
As a board member, I support the district while asking essential questions to ensure a thoughtful and transparent process. I balance the needs of students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers with every issue put before the board. My 22 years as an attorney help me analyze complex issues, and my training as a mediator helps unite differing perspectives towards common goals.
If reelected, I am committed to maintaining fiscal responsibility, enhancing educational opportunities, supporting our teachers, and listening to community concerns. With a deep-rooted connection to this community and a proven track record, I am dedicated to ensuring our district's continued success.
For more information, visit www.vossforlindbergh.com or my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JuliaVossforLindberghBoardofEducation
Jennifer Miller
I am running for re-election to the Board of Education to ensure the implementation of Lindbergh’s new strategic plan, continue to work on safe and secure school buildings, attract and retain quality teachers and staff, and provide a challenging, rigorous curriculum for all students.
I have lived in the district for 20 years and my children attend Sperreng Middle School and LHS. I am an Early Intervention Therapist with Missouri First Steps working with children from birth to age three with developmental delays and disabilities. Previously, I was a special education teacher and wrote curricula for Parents as Teachers.
Lindbergh must remain a district of distinction, with academic excellence and sound fiscal practices. During my tenure on the board, I have advocated for learning programs that benefit all students, built collaborative relationships with teachers, staff, and the community, facilitated the creation of Board Advisory Committees to engage stakeholders, and encouraged the creation of workforce development programs at LHS. My years of experience on the board give me a unique perspective on Lindbergh’s past, present, and future.
I believe in serving the community I live in and over the years, I have volunteered on numerous Board Advisory Committees, task forces, and school PTOs. I continue to volunteer at my children’s schools regularly. This involvement in the Lindbergh community allows me to build relationships with community members and provides insight into parents' concerns that help guide my work on the board.
Having children in the district while serving on the Board of Education allows me to see first-hand how decisions affect students every day. Student success matters the most. I firmly believe all future district work should be driven by the question, “What is best for students?”.
I have been endorsed by Lindbergh teachers (LNEA). Learn more at MillerforLindbergh.com
Russell Dahmer
(1974 Lindbergh High School Graduate)
As a retired Civil Engineer, I know very well the importance of rigorous academics. Sadly, the current Board does not seem to share that understanding.
Student test scores are declining, and the percentages of students who are proficient in math, science, and English are shockingly low. Rather than facing up to this problem, the Board publicly maintains that all is well. Even worse, they are attempting to jettison the rigorous MAP testing as a basis for evaluation and replace it with a system called MSIP 6, which is based on “improvement.” While that may sound good, it is merely a smoke screen to cover for bad performance.
Worst still, the school board has ventured into areas that are inappropriate for a public-school such as social and emotional learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (more accurately: division, exclusion, and indoctrination). Not only are these areas inappropriate for the public school, they are expensive and time consuming. They take away valuable student time from serious subjects, divert teachers from academic instruction, intrude on parental prerogatives, and sidetrack funding. On top of all that, there is a lack of transparency, notably with certain “personal” issues, where students are counseled without the parents’ knowledge or consent.
I am running for the school board to refocus the Board on serious academics. Lindbergh Schools are well funded and well supported by the community and the students are well supported at home. The Board must respect the community, the parents, the taxpayers, and the future by discarding inappropriate, unnecessary, and controversial programs and focus on serious academics. Lindbergh was once number 1 in the state, it can be again, but only with a change in the Board.
David Randelman
Dear Lindbergh Community,
I am running for the school board to advocate for students, parents, and taxpayers. Over the last four years, I have personally canvassed over 4,000 homes (an additional 10,000 with volunteers), learning what works and what needs improvement in our district. With over a decade of involvement in Lindbergh, including twenty-eight years of student experience across my children's education, I have gained a deep understanding of K-12 education, fiscal responsibility, and leadership.
Like many of you, I have an unrelenting appreciation for public education and our district. However, I was saddened to see the shift by our school board leadership since 2017. Our status as a top destination school district has declined, as our academic rankings have fallen, especially when compared to neighboring districts. Decisions like removing challenge classes, cutting math intervention programs for struggling students, and not requiring homework have contributed to a decline in academic achievement under our current board leadership.
Lindbergh Schools, like many districts, have allowed socio-political issues to become a priority. I believe this hurts our community unity. Our district must maintain neutral, objective teaching that respects all students and their family values.
It is time to bring back common-sense education, promote independent thinking, and return to our roots of reading, writing, and arithmetic. We should also focus on building good character traits, understanding the Constitution, and expanding vocational opportunities. We need to restore transparency and bring back community voices.
As we face a future of negative birth rates and stagnant enrollment, we must prepare our district to remain a compelling regional magnet of academic and educational excellence. We need wise spending and investments that directly improve student academic outcomes.
As a community, we need to unite for positive change on our board. Please vote on April 8.
Martin VerPlank
My name is Martin “Hank” VerPlank and I am running for Lindbergh School District Board of Education. I am a husband, father of two children and live in Crestwood. My purpose for running is to have a more balanced school board, fiscal responsibility and academic excellence. The current school board has voted unanimously over 90% of the time on issues. It is my hope that Lindbergh School District voters understand that a board with a diversity of thought will bring about a better representation of our community. Over the years, Lindbergh School District has been granted hundreds of millions of dollars by the voters. The board has an obligation to ensure these funds and ALL funds are managed with the utmost responsibility and accountability. For example, there was approximately a $12 million mistake in construction due to proper permits not being obtained before work had started. This mismanagement of funds is unacceptable. Lindbergh District citizens have seen their taxes increase dramatically over the years. Mine have tripled in the last 20 years of living in Crestwood. Ten years ago, Lindbergh was ranked the number one district in the state. Since then, the ranking has slipped and test scores and academic proficiency has declined. The fundamentals of academic excellence, fiscal responsibility and a diverse minded balanced board are essential to improve the already amazing Lindbergh School District. Please vote for Martin “Hank” VerPlank for Lindbergh School Board!
