Neosho R-5 voters give board president the heave ho; Haskins, Wiest win three-year terms

Neosho R-5 voters elected not to return Board of Education President Steve Douglas a third term today, electing Dan Haskins and Steffen Wiest to three-year terms.

Haskins was the top vote-getter with 751, according to unofficial final results from the Newton and McDonald county portions of the district, followed by Wiest with 670 and Douglas with 620.

Douglas offered congratulations to the winners in a Facebook statement:

Not the result I hoped for in the School Board race, but I appreciate the past six years of service to the people of Neosho. Dan Haskins and Steffen Wiest will do an awesome job to move Neosho forward. Neosho is a fantastic community. If we all work together, we can make it even better! It is a great day to be a Wildcat! Thank you to everyone who has believed in me the past six months. I appreciate your friendship and support. Congratulations to Mr. Haskins and Mr. Wiest, you have my full support and best wishes.#WildcatNation

The "six months" in Douglas' statement refers to the criticism he, fellow board member Brett Day and R-5 Administration has been under over an apparent lack of transparency about the junior high building project over that period of time that has been the focus of numerous recent Turner Report posts in recent weeks.