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BREAKING: Ozark R-6 to fill a controversial replacement now!

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From left, Ozark R-6 School Board: Guy Callaway, James Griffin, Amber Bryant, Sarah Adams-Orr, Christina Tonsing, Mark Jenkins, Dustin Kirkman

OZARK, MO — BREAKING NEWS: This afternoon at 4 p.m., Monday, January 27, 2025, the Ozark R-6 school board will decide who they want to fill a vacancy created when Guy Callaway moved out of the district.

Applicants list includes:

Mark Burton

Bubs Hohulin

Patrick Sullivan

Brian Rohlman

Laura Head Elliot

*Rae Ann Wade

Jeremiah Hembree

Ashleigh Jones

*Matt Growcock

*Rae Ann Wade and Matt Growcock are also seeking a bid for two regular 3-year positions up for election in April. The two 3-year positions are to fill expiring terms for Mark Jenkins (tired of being on the board and therefore NOT seeking re-election) and Sarah Adams-Orr, seeking re-election (NOT tired of being on the board). Wade Wheeler is also in the race for the 3-year position, but not the temporary appointment.

So, one more time: the board is filling a vacancy today left open by Guy Callaway. Meanwhile, an election for two 3-year positions will take place April 8. Four people are seeking those 2 open positions, so they have a 50/50 chance.

Click here for a CCT story about the ugly controversy surrounding the appointment.

Click here for a mainstream news article about the same controversy.

The controversial part about today’s appointment

The vacancy left by Callaway should have been to fill from now until the April 8 board election, but Callaway waited until after the filing period to formally resign. It was a strategy Board President Mark Jenkins and other board members knew well in advance but played along with carefully planned language to avoid getting busted.

But, like a kid passing notes in class in the old days, Jenkins got busted anyway.

Christian County Republican Central Committee gets involved

Don Carriker, a Republican Party leader in Christian County, sent a text message to Mark Jenkins on December 16, 2024, two days before the board formally read and approved Callaway’s resignation.

“Hi Mark, is Guy moving away sometime soon?” Carriker asks.

Three minutes later, Jenkins replies. “Last I knew he was moving to Florida soon. Waiting to resign until after the filing period. Board would then have to fill the spot with an appointment. I have not talked with him about it in a couple of months.”

BREAKING NEWS: One Ozark R-6 Board member is standing up to the pack. Christina Tonsing. Following is her article from her site, ChristinaTonsing.com:

Vacancies and How to Fill Them

The alerts came in December, the weekend before the board meeting on the 19th, asking what I knew about whether a member had moved and should resign.  I did not know, and I referred the callers to contacting the member himself or one of the officers of the board. As the calls continued, becoming more insistent, I did begin researching what the state statutes say about school board vacancies and elections.  I looked up the specific statutes about elections and vacancies and even about ballot choices for different lengths of terms.  I contacted election officials to see what were the duties of the Board, as well as to hear what options we would be able to pursue. I felt strongly that, as I had encouraged the board to include some version of the above draft* in the announcement about the application for appointment, our preference should be for the community to select their board representatives.

I was saddened to repeatedly hear that it appeared that the timing of this vacancy narrowly missed affording the community the opportunity to do so this time.  As I understood it, like Amber reiterated a few times during that special meeting on January 9*, the circumstances were beyond our control – namely, the time requirements for notification of the public about filing to run as a candidate for election to fill this vacancy’s remaining one-year term – so the only option left was for the Board to appoint someone to fill that vacancy until April 2026.  Our legal counsel advised us as a board that there were no other options, and our board president reminded us during the 12/19 meeting* that to disregard our attorney’s advice would be “legal suicide.”  Because I had been very recently informed of some other possible avenues prescribed by the law which differed from that route, however, I advocated for doing our own research or at least obtaining a second opinion on the matter. Below is a letter I sent my fellow board members yesterday after conducting some of that independent research, sharing what I had learned and hoping to give them some time to consider it in advance of Monday’s meeting.  

*video references are links from an area School District watchdog group which includes timestamps in the descriptions
of their video posts in order to more easily locate the desired clip

As always, I speak only for myself and do not at all intend to represent the Board to you.
I do, however, fully intend to do my job representing YOU to the Board!

Jenkins carefully dodges questions from Christian County Trumpet

Johnny Rooster

On December 19, at the regular school board public meeting, Jenkins and the board approved Callaway’s resignation, as if they hadn’t heard of it before.

On December 27, Johnny Rooster, Christian Country Trumpet publisher, text messaged Jenkins. “Hi Mark! Do you know the voters are supposed to vote in April on all 3 positions on the school board, not just Sarah’s and yours, but also Guy’s?”

Jenkins texted back: “You should contact the county clerk to get information on upcoming elections.”

Rooster continued: “Did you ask Matt Growcock to fill Guy Callaway’s open position until the 2026 election instead of 2025?”

“No, I didn’t,” Jenkins texted back.

On January 14, Rooster texted Jenkins: “When did you first learn Guy Callaway was going to move to Florida?”

No response.

On January 15, Rooster texted Jenkins: “So you aren’t answering so you don’t incriminate yourself?”

An hour and a half later, Jenkins replied: “There it is. That is why I don’t talk to you…. You insult me by making inflammatory statements assuming I am guilty of something. If you really knew me, you would know that my ethics and integrity are what I regard and protect the most.”

Rooster replied: “We need to talk in person.”

Jenkins: “Why would I talk with someone who does not respect me and so easily is willing to insult me in an attempt to sensationalize himself?”

Rooster: “Because it’s the right thing to do to iron out our differences.”

Rooster, again: “I’ve been holding back on detrimental and incriminating information. Contrary to your assumption, I want to protect you as someone I respect.

“However, because the public has a right to know, information from State Representative Jame Gragg and others will be released. I can give you time today, but it will come out (tomorrow).”

Jenkins: “All I can tell you is there is no grand conspiracy on the timing of Guys resignation as they alleged. The board is following to the letter all laws required under the circumstances we were given. We had no control or knowledge of when he planned to resign.”

Rooster: “Fair enough. I will include your comment. I believe a member of the Central Committee (Don Carriker) heard otherwise.”

Jenkins: “I don’t know what he heard or who from, but it was wrong.”

Later, Rooster texted Jenkins concerns from a citizen, suggesting the board blindly follows the MSBA (Missouri School Boards Association) adding: “I want you in the loop. Never will I withhold public comments from you regarding the important office you currently hold.” Rooster added, “By the way, I will always choose to be friendly and communicate openly with you in person.”

Jenkins responded: “Again, that (concern) obviously came from a person that does not know me, has never met, and is making accusations about things they know nothing about.”

Rooster: “Not true. This person has interacted with you. That’s the impression you leave many of us with.”

Jenkins: “I am sorry if you or anyone else has gotten that impression. Most everyone on the board is trying to follow all the laws and regulations that we have to follow as board members. The MSBA does not direct the board to do anything. I am not sure what is meant by “in the pocket” of the superintendent. The board has an attorney, it is not the superintendents’ attorney. Accusations that we are all “yes men” and have no accountability to the public is offensive. We are all volunteering massive amounts of time and energy into trying to make the best decisions possible,,,walk a mile in our shoes before you start throwing stones and making accusations.”

Jenkins then demanded to know who to person with concerns was. Rooster told him, adding: “Perhaps because the board seems to accept the word of the attorney when we realize an independent thinking board member would still question it. It is merely a legal opinion, not a mandate that you would be liable for.”

Jenkins: “I am sorry… he (the concerned citizen) knows of me. He does not know me. Be careful of who (you) gather information from and put your trust in. Use careful discernment. Things may not always be as they appear [sic]

“We question our attorney. We get proof of the statues.”

Jenkins urged to be transparent

Rooster: “…I think all open meetings should be live streamed, and that elected board members listen more closely to their patrons than to the attorney or administration. You are there to represent the public on behalf of the public, not the school on behalf of the school.”

Rooster added: “I appreciate your input. I realize it’s a difficult and dicey volunteer position. Thank you for being willing to serve!”

Jenkins: “We are trying to make sure we follow the law and keep the school district out of lawsuits. If the patrons are telling us not to follow the law, we are not going to follow their advice. I don’t care if they are a state representative or not.

“If we do not follow our attorney’s advice, why do we have an attorney? If we do not follow our attorney’s advice and do something to break the law, our attorney would drop us as a client. Good luck finding an attorney who would want to represent a board who willingly goes against sound legal advice.

“The relationship between the board and the superintendent is not an adversarial relationship. We are all on the same team, trying to provide the best school district we can for the community.”

Jenkins then stated something he was unhappy about regarding being an elected official but asked that that notion not be published.

Rooster: “I appreciate your willingness to be honest, but I still don’t think you are “going against the law” when, for example, you know a board member is moving and you allow the public to know that so they can vote on the position come election day,”

Jenkins: “We are still following the law. We are not responsible and cannot force a board member to resign. We knew he would eventually resign, but we could not take any action to fill a vacancy till there officially was a vacancy. He was considering dual residency; from what I understand he was not sure they were going to stay.”

Jenkins admits he knew Callaway was moving back in August!

“Prior to December 18th one day prior to the resignation, I had not talked to him since October. I had not talked to him about his possibly moving since August. (NOTE: SO, JENKINS KNEW IN AUGUST CALLAWAY WAS MOVING!)

“It was entirely his decision and responsibility to resign. It is very hurtful that people assume the worst and make up fictional stories (NOTE: WHAT FICTIONAL STORIES?) about what they think is going on.”

Rooster: “Guy Callaway is responsible for not informing voters. If you, on the other hand, go against legal advice and make your own call, you become a hero to the public that voted for you. Medical advice and legal advice are imagined by fees and money,”

Medical advice and legal advice are imagined by fees and money. —Johnny Rooster

Rooster then cited an incident where he was charged with multiple counts of harassment for exposing a Sparta, MO mayor for pressuring aldermen to use federal money to buy a bank building that Mark Jenkins’ dad was president of. The purchase would hurt the city because of excessive expenses to maintain it. Rooster was right. The building is now for sale, costing the taxpayers money each month. As for the harassment charges? Nothing came of it, Rooster reminded Jenkins.

Rooster added: “Donald Trump is another example of going against the legal system. It’s rigged, Mark. Your lawyer is a liar focused on money.”

CCT Publisher asks Jenkins to confess and resign

On Sunday, January 26, 2025, Johnny Rooster text messaged Mark Jenkins: “I have proof of your knowledge of Guy Callaway’s holding off on resigning until after the filing period.

That is highly unethical.

I ask you to resign immediately and explain why.”

41570cookie-checkBREAKING: Ozark R-6 to fill a controversial replacement now!

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