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Debbie Wright appointed to CAMDENTON R-III school board after open interviews
Summary
After interviewing seven candidates in an open-session special meeting May 20, the CAMDENTON R-III Board of Education selected Debbie Wright to fill the District 3 vacancy; the board voted by show of hands and Wright was sworn in immediately.
The CAMDENTON R-III Board of Education on May 20 appointed Debbie Wright to fill a District 3 vacancy after interviewing seven candidates in an open special session.
Debbie Wright, a retired educator who said she taught for 31 years and has supervised student teachers, thanked the board after the vote. "I am so proud to be part of this group that stepped forward this day," Wright said during her interview. After board members signaled their support, Wright took the oath of office, saying in part, "I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Missouri and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties in and for District Number 3, County of Camden, State of Missouri, to the best of my ability."
The appointment followed the district's publicized interview process under board policy BBE-1, which the chair cited as the basis for conducting candidate interviews in open session. The chair also confirmed the vacancy posting met the policy's minimum two-week public notice before interviews began.
Board members praised the quality of the applicant pool during a round of short interviews and stated they would seek a candidate who could represent the community. The board heard brief statements from seven candidates who described local ties and experience in education, volunteer service and district-affiliated organizations, including:
- Brad Edson, who noted experience overseeing operations, volunteer coaching and work with the R-3 Education Foundation; - Kyle Kemp, who described himself as a parent and frequent volunteer in district activities; - Jeff Milliken, who cited 30 years in public service and family ties to the district; - Jeff Kitchen, a longtime horticulture and agriculture teacher who said he retired in 2022; and - Allison Martin, coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters and a current Education Foundation board member.
During nominations, Allison Martin formally nominated Wright; after a show-of-hands vote the chair reported, "So we got 5 for Debbie Wright." The board counted five in favor and selected Wright by majority. The board administered the oath immediately after the vote.
After the swearing-in, the board moved to adjourn to executive session; the motion carried on a roll-call vote of attending members.
The board did not take other formal policy actions on the open agenda items during the public portion of the meeting. Next procedural steps will be to record Wright's appointment in district minutes and update the board roster.
