Supporters of a 65-cent tax-rate increase for the Lindbergh School District vastly outspent opponents in an effort to bring favorable voters to the polls earlier this week.
The A+ Education Committee spent $10,051 on postcards and signs seeking to persuade voters to approve Lindbergh’s tax-rate increase Tuesday — after the Call went to press — according to financial disclosure reports filed with the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners.
District administrators, Board of Education members and a contractor donated much of the committee’s campaign coffer.
Their adversaries, the Citizens’ Association for Responsible Ed-ucation, spent $1,946 on signs and newspaper inserts seeking to dissuade voters.
Led by Jim Smoot, president of the Green Park Chamber of Commerce, and his wife, Rose, the ongoing political action committee raised $2,435.
Of that amount, Smoot lent the committee $2,000, and Rick and Patricia Stirlen donated $200. The other $235 came from monetary contributions of $100 or less, which, under state law, do not have to be detailed.
The A+ Education Committee, meanwhile, raised $11,120.
The McCarthy Construction Co. donated the bulk of the cash — $5,000. The company contracts with the district to oversee the $14.1 million of capital improvement projects funded by Proposition 4, a voter-approved bond issue covered by a 10-cent tax-rate increase.
The capital upgrades, including a swimming pool and multipurpose athletic room at the high school and other improvements throughout the district, should be complete in the fall.
Other contributors included Superinten-dent Jim Sandfort and his wife, Mellanie, $200; Assistant Superintendent for Fi-nance and Chief Financial Officer Pat Lanane and his wife, Nancy, $200; Lind-bergh High School Principal Ron Helms and his wife, Karen, $200; Director of Com-munity Relations Mary Meyer and her husband, Michael, $200; Board of Educa-tion President Mark Rudoff and his wife, Melinda, $250; board Vice President Barry Cooper and his wife, Denise, $250; and board member Katie Wesselschmidt and her husband, Keith, $200.
The Sperreng Middle School Mothers’ Club donated $250. The Crestwood Ele-mentary Parent Teacher Organization do-nated $500, and the Lindbergh High School Mothers’ Club gave $300.
Other contributors included Ameritime Mortgage Co., $1,000; Century Business Services, $750; Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Inc., $500; and Automatic Controls Equip-ment Systems, $500.
None of the Lindbergh Board of Edu-cation candidates filed campaign finance disclosure reports with the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners. By law, candidates raising and spending less than $500 and not receiving more than $250 from any single contributor are not required to file campaign disclosure reports.
Four candidates sought three open seats on the board — Cooper, Bob Foerstel, Ru-doff and Wesselschmidt. The seats carry three-year terms.
The Call went to press before Tuesday’s election.
