Schools

Parkway Board of Education Candidates Q and A: Dee Mogerman and Bruce Major

Get to know the Parkway Board of Education candidates as Dee Mogerman and Bruce Major respond to several questions from Patch.

Editor's note: Patch sent the following questions to each of the four candidates for the Parkway School District Board of Education. We are running the candidates' responses in ballot order, two at a time. Check back Friday for the answers given by Chris Jacob and Patricia Adair.

Candidates are running for three open spots on the school board. Terms last three years. The election is April 5.

Dee Mogerman

Find out what's happening in Town And Country-Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • She has served on the board since June 2004, including two years as board president.
  • Office Administrator at Zerman Mogerman, LLC
  • Bachelor’s of arts in economics and computer information systems from Drake University in Des Moines, IA
  • Lived in the Parkway School District for 23 years, currently lives at 12641 Royal Manor Drive, Creve Coeur
  • Married to Cary; sons Jacob, Samuel and Benjamin graduated from Parkway North High School

Mogerman has been an active in the Parkway School District for many years. She currently serves as the board liaison to the Project Parkway Steering Committee. She has also been involved in the Parkway A+ Schools Advisory Board and the Parkway Government Relations Committee.

She worked on the Proposition R and Proposition S steering committees.Proposition R, a tax increase, passed in November 2006. Proposition S, a bond issue, passed in November 2008. Mogerman's served as a PTO president at Bellerive Elementary School and Northeast Middle School and PTO vice president at Parkway North. She also currently serves on the Cooperating School Districts Board of Directors.

Find out what's happening in Town And Country-Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Please provide a brief summary of your reasons for running.

This is a very exciting time for Parkway as there is so much to be accomplished for Parkway's students! I've been very active in Project Parkway, serving on the steering committee since its inception. This long range planning process was approved by the board when I was president. The board will be making critical decisions to implement phases of this strategic plan in the near future. I want to continue to be a part of this process and decided to run for reelection to the board. Please visit dee4parkway.blogspot.com for more information.

What role do you think the Parkway School Board should play in the Parkway community?

The board needs to encourage active participation in Parkway from all of our constituents including parents, students, taxpayers, businesses, municipalities, etc. Many have recently become involved as a result of Project Parkway and we need to keep up the momentum. We also need to encourage partnerships with other community entities to perhaps share services, which could save money for the taxpayers. 

What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing the district?

We need to be prepared for declining revenue, especially in the current state of our economy. State funding for education is not guaranteed and will probably be cut for next year. Local assessed values, from which Parkway is primarily funded, could also be declining. Parkway needs to continue to plan a budget accordingly, spending taxpayers’ dollars efficiently and effectively.

Assume you win the election. What single thing do you want to accomplish during your three years on the board? 

I want to see the work of Project Parkway continue, with commitment to Parkway’s mission and vision by all of our stakeholders.

There have been a couple of changes in the district recently (,  and ). As the district moves forward with implementing Project Parkway, what things do you think should stay the same?

Parkway’s commitment to Project Parkway should continue. I believe all current and future programs need to be evaluated to ensure they are meeting the needs of our students, fulfilling the district’s promise to them to uphold Parkway’s mission.

As the district moves forward with Project Parkway, what changes are you hoping to see sooner rather than later?

The district needs to reevaluate school boundary lines. We have schools in the district that are overcrowded, while other schools are underutilized. This will not be popular, but we owe it to our students to make changes for their benefit. I have confidence in the Project Parkway process to evaluate the situation and recommend the best solution possible for our students, their parents, and our taxpayers.

Bruce Major

  • He has served on the board since 2008 and is the current board president.
  • Self-employed attorney
  • Bachelor’s of arts in history from Vanderbilt University, Juris doctorate from Washington University School of Law
  • Lived in the Parkway School District for 12 years. Currently lives at 717 Juniper Glen Ct., Ballwin.
  • Married to Jennifer, a teacher at Wren Hollow. Daughter Jenna graduated from Parkway South High School. Daughter Madison attends Oak Brook Elementary. 

Major is also currently the vice chairman of the Special School District Governing Council. He has served on the council since 2009. He retired from the Navy Reserves in 2007 with the rank of Commander. He served in the U.S. Navy, both in the Reserves and on active duty, for 22 years.

Please provide a brief summary of your reasons for running.

I am the parent of a 2009 graduate of Parkway South High and a third grader at Oak Brook Elementary and the spouse of a kindergarten teacher in the district. My passion for education and public service fit perfectly with the requirements of school board duty. I look forward to the opportunity to work with our incoming superintendent, Dr. Keith Marty, to implement the strategic plan being developed by Project Parkway volunteers. To learn more about my positions please visit my campaign blog at major4parkway.com

What role do you think the Parkway School Board should play in the Parkway community?

Maintain oversight of district budget and operations to ensure efficiency and alignment to our mission and vision, while protecting the investment of the Parkway taxpayers. Continue the work of Project Parkway and implement our strategic plan. Maintain ongoing review of our mission to maximize efficiency.

What do you currently see as the biggest issue facing the district?

The biggest issue for the Parkway School District going forward is to maintain our record of excellence in student achievement at a time of shrinking school district budgets and changing demographics.

Assume you win the election. What single thing do you want to accomplish during your three years on the board?

Work to keep the focus of the board on supporting our superintendent and providing our staff the resources to make Parkway the lighthouse district our community expects it to be.

There have been a couple of changes in the district recently (,  and ). As the district moves forward with implementing Project Parkway, what things do you think should stay the same?

The Parkway School District should continue to provide the environment for our students to achieve academic success while protecting our taxpayers’ investment.

As the district moves forward with Project Parkway, what changes are you hoping to see sooner rather than later?

The most urgent change indicated by the work of Project Parkway is to address the overcrowding in our North attendance area.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Town And Country-Manchester