Hal Robertson endorses Jeff Koch for R-8 Board

Hal Robertson, who originally intended to run for the Joplin R-8 Board of Education, but was unable to do so, has endorsed Jeff Koch.

On the Facebook page that had originally been set up for his campaign, Robertson wrote the following on January 21:

I spent some time today getting to know one of the candidates for the upcoming Joplin Board of Education election - Jeff Koch.

I believe Jeff to be a genuine, principled man who favors a no-nonsense approach to the administration of our school system. Jeff believes, as I do, that our education system should run efficiently, transparently and must always provide our students with a solid educational foundation.

Jeff’s background in business and finance will be a valuable resource on the school board as we reach the end of the rebuilding phase and look to the future.


I’m happy to endorse Jeff Koch for Joplin School Board. He has my support and I hope he will have yours too.

Robertson had withdrawn his candidacy the previous day, sharing the following message on his Facebook page and with the Turner Report:

I’ve struggled with this since the day I announced my candidacy, assuming all the pieces would come together for everything to work - and most of it did. The truth is that I’ve run the numbers and right now, I simply can’t steal any more time from my family and our business. They always come first and politics will always take a back seat.

Many thanks to all of you who joined the Facebook page and offered your support with nothing more than an announcement. Your faith in me as a candidate was amazing and I may call on you in the future to take another stab at this.

Since I never got to officially build a campaign, let me give you an overview of what I would have said…

#1: In May of 2011, we needed leaders to come forward and take a stand. We needed all of the damn-the-torpedoes and screw-the-red-tape people we could find… for a time. That was the only way we could get to where we are now and it had to be done. But if we allow our officials to continue to operate with that Wild West attitude, we are as much to blame for the consequences as they are.

#2: Finances: Why were the constructions costs for Joplin High School allowed to go $8 million over budget? Why was the school board allowed to authorize a $45 million loan to cover the budget? How is this paid for? When, why and how?

#3: Why, with all our modern technology and fancy education concepts, hasn’t the Joplin School System been “Accredited with Disctinction” even once under the current administration? Or, to put it another way, why were Joplin Schools were ranked 373 out of 504 in Missouri last year?

#4: Why do Joplin Schools go through teachers faster than McDonalds goes through high school students?

#5: I believe we should re-evaluate our affiliation with the Missouri School Board Association.

#6: I believe in term limits for every elected official; local, state and national.

I will happily support any of the candidates who hold similar views and hope that you will too.

Thanks again for all your support. If all goes well, you may see me next election cycle!

Koch is running for a three-year seat on the board, along with current Board President Anne Sharp and former Joplin Police Chief Lane Roberts. Two candidates will be elected.