Kathleen Eardley Wants to Continue Transparency on the School Board

Kathleen Eardley said her children will be in Mehlville schools for the next two decades, and that’s why she is vying for a seat on the Mehlville School District Board of Education.

“I have kids in the district, my little guy is in preschool and we’ve got 18 years where we’re committed to having kids in school so I really want to see good things for the district and I own property here in the district,” Eardley said. “I really would like to make sure that whatever the school’s doing reflects well on the community because it effects me directly.”

In April, voters will choose to serve a three-year term on the Mehlville school board.

At age 26, Eardley has an MBA from Fontbonne University and will be receiving a masters in education in May. She attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned a degree in sociology after graduating from Ursuline Academy.

Eardley grew up in the district, moving to Ringer Road in 1993.

When she got married to her husband Garrett in 2008, the couple briefly moved to University City before coming back to Oakville.

The couple now has three children: Ely, 1; Lizzy, 2; and Toby, 3. Toby, who is on the autism spectrum, began school at in February.

Before having children, Eardley worked as a computer teacher for the Immaculate Heart of Mary School in South City. She is a certified teacher in high school business as well as middle school and high school social studies and completed her student teaching at .

Eardley said she wanted to continue the transparency of the current board, and make sure the public understands all decisions.

“I think there’s a public relations problem,” she said. “I think it’s really trying to get the community to rally around the schools; it doesn’t seem like there’s the support that there is in some of the other districts in the area.”

Although she feels the , Eardley is concerned about the funding uncertainties, namely the .

“It’s been a long time coming and there’s been a want for this for a very long time, but it’s kind of a really bad timing scenario especially since we don’t know what’s going to happen with St. Louis Public Schools,” she said. “We don’t know where those kids are all going to get shuffled. It might not be the choice timing, it could do some serious damage if we end up getting flooded with some kids from St. Louis Public Schools.”

The candidate has the same concern with tuition-free, full-day kindergarten, .

“If it's fundable then by all means we should do it, if it's not fundable and sustainable, then it’s not realistic,” she said. “Full day kindergarten is valuable, but it also needs to be sustainable.”

In the community, Eardley is involved in , the St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish and the local Republican township.

She said she’s talked to state legislators, the , the as well as two current board members to learn about service on the board.

“I don’t have an agenda, I would like to do with the money that’s already there the most we can do. I’m not eager to look for a tax increase,” she said. “I’d like to keep the district going in the right direction because there’s a lot of good things going on.”