Four candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to represent the public on the Callaway Board of Education for the next four years. The two incumbents - Liana Hrupek and TR Anderson - are being challenged by Vincent Guthrie and write-in candidate Kay Fahnholz.

To help our readers make informed decisions at the poll on Nov. 8, we have been running a series of spotlights on some of the ballot issues of significance to Callaway residents. In this, our final segment before election day, we asked questions of each of the four school board candidates. Those questions and answers appear below in the order in which they were received.

LIANA HRUPEK 1.How many years have you currently been a member of the Callaway Board of Education, and how many years have you served as President?

“I’ve been on the board for eight years and this is my third as President.”

2.What made you initially want to serve on the Board, and why did you choose to run for re-election?

“I initially decided to run for school board when there were a few more open positions than usual and felt that it was important to understand more fully what goes into running the school that I not only got a fantastic education from but that was also educating my three children. I also felt that it was important to put the right administration in place so that teachers were supported and the district would continue to progress. I’m running for re-election in part because I feel that it takes at least a term to fully understand how board governance works and because I have been a part of so many changes in the last eight years that I feel vested in seeing how this group of kids and teachers continue to grow. I also would hate to leave the district short of board members and unfortunately, that has been a constant problem the last three elections.”

3.What do you see as the biggest challenge currently facing the Callaway school district? “I would say that the biggest challenge I see going forward will be to continue to be fiscally responsible while also allowing for growth in curriculum, teacher salaries to remain competitive and maintaining and continuing to improve an aging building with limited space. We’ve faced several challenges in my current term including Covid, teacher retirements and battling mis-information at the State level that was misconstrued to be affecting our district and students in a negative way. I feel that we’ve come out of the last few years stronger, within our budget without costing taxpayers unnecessarily, and most importantly with a staff and administration that puts our students first and that is showing in our test scores and teacher recruitment. I’m proud to be a part of Callaway Public Schools!”

4.Please share briefly about what skills you bring to the table that qualify you to be a good representative of the district patrons on the school board.

“I believe that I’m pretty middle of the road and can respect other people's opinions even when I don’t always agree. I’m accessible and willing to listen to patron and staff concerns and take the time to continue to educate myself on the role of board member and president. I have a vested interest in our school as a taxpayer, mom of three CPS students, and former graduate. I enjoy serving on the board and hope to continue to do so for another four years.

5.If you are comfortable doing so, please just share about your family: spouse, children, etc.

“I’ve been married to my husband, Jeff, for 22 years. We ranch east of town and raise red angus and Scottish Highland cattle. We have three kids; Garrett who is finishing his senior year through the University of Wyoming; Grant, a senior at CPS who will be attending the University of Montana next fall, and Greeley, our daughter who is a sophomore at CPS. We also have three dogs and two cats and several dust bunnies due to our crazy, busy lives.”

VINCENT GUTHRIE 1. I decided to run for the school board because I wanted our family’s voice to be heard.

2. I currently help with teammates as a Mentor at Callaway. I also help with youth boys football and basketball. I really enjoy helping our youth where I can.

3. Honestly I don’t really know major issues going on or any big issues I have concerns with. I love this town and the people here and I would like to do whatever is in my power to see Callaway’s youth not just do well, but thrive. Then they take the values they’ve learned in their youth into the world and maybe some will come back and raise their children here. I’m hoping by being on the School Board I’ll have more insight on the big issues facing Callaway.

4. I guess a skill I have is being able to communicate with people and come together to solve a problem in a diplomatic way. I do think I get pretty good into what our youth are dealing with on a day to day basis. I’m hoping this helps with the decisions we make. In my opinion the school board is there to represent our school well and everything we do needs to have our youth's best interest in mind to the best our resources allow.

5. My name is Vince Guthrie. My wife’s name is Desiree’ and we have three children: Jaxon, an eighth grader is 14 years old; Stetson, a sixth grader is 12 years old; and Georgia, a fifth grader who is 10 years old. I work for AgriBest Feeds as a Nebraska and Kansas Rep. My wife coaches high school volleyball for the South Loup Bobcats. We moved here in June of 2019.

I’ve really felt compelled to do this. I have a lot invested in this school having three children in it. I want to see my children and the children of Callaway thrive and be set up to really succeed in life. I have really been impressed how in the past it seems the community of Callaway has come together and made things happen. Callaway seems to support our youth very well and are always looking to improve our little town. Watching the South Loup fans travel and support our teams is really neat to see. I’ve been to many games that were hours away and we had more fans than our opponents at home. I would like to do my part and support Callaway by being on the school board to keep that passion and support in our school and community.

TR ANDERSON 1. How many years have you served on the Callaway School Board, and why did you decide to run in the first place?

I’ve served on the Callaway School Board just shy of four years. I did not run for school board in 2018, I was appointed.

2. What made you choose to seek re-election? I decided to run for re-election because I think it’s important to be involved in this community. I care about what is best for the students while at the same time doing what is right for the taxpayers of the district.

3. What do you see as the biggest challenge currently facing the Callaway school district?

There are many challenges currently facing the Callaway School District, but in my opinion, the most important is staying diligent in upholding our small town ethics involved in the decision making process of the district.

4. Please share briefly about what skills you bring to the table that qualify you to be a good representative of the district patrons on the school board. The skills I feel like I bring to the table are that I’m a blue collar guy who runs two very different businesses so I understand a budget. I’m also a father so I understand that children come first. I also feel that I am approachable when in the public so a lot of people seem to let me know their opinions and ideas. 5. If you are comfortable doing so, please just share about your family: spouse, children, etc. I’m married to my beautiful bride Cassie who helps me take care of our cattle and is also an amazing mother to our 14 year old son Braxton. I’m thankful that Cassie and Braxton are able to help out with the cattle as well as being involved with our other business. As a family we enjoy cattle and music, and the life we are building together. We also enjoy spending time with our friends when our schedules allow.