Sangamon Sun

Springfield School District 186 school board candidate Tom Shafer left little mystery about where he stands in the debate over in-person learning during a recent forum hosted by the Faith Coalition for the Common Good and League of Women Voters.

"Children do not seem to spread this disease," Shafer said. 

The former firefighter has also previously ran for the board and the city council. This time around Shafer is one of seven candidates vying for two seats, including three candidates in the Subdistrict 6 Shafer is now in the mix for. 

During the forum, Shafer also reasserted his position that kids should be back in school

With just under half of students having returned to in-person learning part-time under the hybrid plan enacted several months ago, Shafer used the forum to reassert his position that all students should return to school as soon as possible under safe conditions.

Another burning issue in the Subdistrict 6 race has been the matter of recruitment and retention of diverse teachers. Though the vast majority of students in the district are black, data shows that less than 10% of all teachers are black.

While maintaining that there is a "scarcity of minority graduates" that choose education degrees, Shafer said the district may want to consider the prospect of "a contract clause that would give an incentive to minority teachers to begin their teaching career in Springfield."

Voters go to the polls on April 6.