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(AUDIO): Good crowd expected for tonight’s CPS school board debate

March 20, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

All seven Columbia school board candidates are expected to participate in tonight’s debate at Mizzou’s Cornell Hall, near the Newman Center.

The seven candidates are, in ballot order, Paul Harper, John Potter, CPS vice president Christopher Horn, James Edward Gordon, John Lyman, April Ferrao and former State Rep. Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport).

The debate begins at 6:30 and will be moderated by ComoBuz.com publisher Mike Murphy, who has more than 40 years of experience in the newspaper business. Murphy tells 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable” that the quality of the candidate forums has declined in recent years.

“Many of them are simply to go get the endorsement. It could be Sierra Club, it could be a labor union, it could be (the Columbia) police officers association. So they’re there for a specific reason. So we recognize the need for a good forum,” Murphy tells listeners.

One of the issues Mr. Murphy plans to ask about tonight is academic performance and the recent annual performance review from DESE. Murphy says CPS’ academic performance is a crisis that must be addressed. CPS Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood has told 939 the Eagle that attendance issues contributed to Columbia Public Schools (CPS) scoring just 70 percent on the DESE review. Dr. Yearwood says attendance is down since COVID. He says the district is increasing homes visits and has increased notifications and calling to try to boost those numbers.

Murphy expects a good crowd tonight, citing increased interest from the public.

“I think Chuck Basye’s entrance into the race and the controversy around it and now the comments that are going on social media and elsewhere, there’s plenty of now, it’s in the news (media). I think it’s called a lot of attention to something’s going on,” Murphy says.

Mr. Murphy tells listeners that he’s busy preparing questions and admits he’s nervous about tonight.

Click here to listen to host Fred Parry’s full interview with Comobuz.com publisher Mike Murphy.

(AUDIO): Comobuz.com publisher Mike Murphy discusses CPS, CPS candidates forum and trash on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable”

March 19, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Comobuz.com publisher Mike Murphy will moderate Monday night’s Columbia school board candidate debate inside Mizzou’s Cornell Hall. He expects a good crowd for the event, which begins at 6:30 at Bush auditorium, inside Cornell. The seven candidates on the CPS ballot are expected to be there. They are, in ballot order, Paul Harper, John Potter, incumbent Christopher Horn, James Edward Gordon, John Lyman, April Ferrao and former State Representative Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport). During Saturday’s interview, host Fred Parry and Murphy criticized the questions being asked at other forums, saying nothing is being asked about CPS academic performance. Mr. Murphy plans to ask about CPS’ 70 percent score on the DESE annual performance review. Murphy tells listeners that 80 percent of Missouri schools ranked higher than CPS. Mr. Parry and Mr. Murphy also discussed CPS superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood, the Wayne Sells CPS case, Columbia’s trash issue and Columbia city council races:

(AUDIO): Former Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee chair Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport) appears on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable”

February 19, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Boone County Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs ruled in late January that Columbia Public Schools (CPS) violated state statute in former State Rep. Chuck Basye’s CPS school board filing case. Judge Jacobs ordered Boone County’s clerk to add Basye’s name to the April school board ballot, which she’s done. The former Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee chair is one of seven candidates on the April 4th ballot. The Rocheport Republican joined host Fred Parry in-studio for the hour Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable,” telling listeners there is no political diversity on the Columbia school board. Basye also says Judge Jacobs’ ruling was major:

UPDATE: Basye to appear on April CPS school board ballot

February 1, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Then-State Rep. Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport) speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on April 21, 2021 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

A former Missouri lawmaker’s name will appear on April’s Columbia school board ballot, under an order from Boone County Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs.

The judge issued a two-page ruling late Tuesday afternoon, directing Boone County clerk Brianna Lennon to add former State Rep. Chuck Basye’s (R-Rocheport) name to the April 4^th ballot.

Columbia Public Schools (CPS) spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark tells 939 the Eagle that CPS will not appeal Judge Jacobs’ decision.

The judge ruled Monday that CPS violated state statute in Basye’s school board filing case. Judge Jacobs issued his decision after a two-hour bench trial.

Basye, a former Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee chair, filed a 16-page lawsuit against CPS and the board, saying they broke state law when they didn’t accept his candidate filing on December 27. The district says Basye didn’t follow CPS rules about making an appointment by December 22. Judge Jacobs ruled that requiring an appointment violated state law.

Basye expressed confidence he would appear on the April ballot, during a Tuesday interview on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri.”

(AUDIO): Former State Rep. Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport) appears on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”

January 31, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Boone County Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs ruled Monday that CPS violated state statute in former State Rep. Chuck Basye’s Columbia school board filing case. The Rocheport Republican tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that he’s confident and hopeful that his name will appear on the April school board ballot. Mr. Basye wants CPS to pay for his legal expenses, which he says are substantial. He also blasts the district, saying they don’t want any diversity of thought on the board. The district has said that Basye didn’t follow their filing instructions. Judge Jacobs says CPS’ requirement for Basye to have made an appointment by December 22 violates state law: