Five candidates vie for three seats on Ozark school board

Three incumbents are attempting to keep their seats on the Ozark school board. They are among five candidates running for three spots on April 7.

Candidates include Cindy Baker, Amber Bryant, Matthew Growcock, Patrick Sullivan and Christina Tonsing.

Bryant and Tonsing, first elected in 2023, are seeking a second term. Bryant is the board president.

In January 2025, Growcock was appointed to fill a seat vacated by Guy Callaway, who resigned and moved to Florida.

Sullivan was one of the nine applicants vying for the appointment that went to Growcock. He and Baker are new to the ballot.

Ozark is a rarity, one of the only large districts in the Springfield area required to have a board election in April. Under state statute, districts can forego a board election unless there are more candidates than open seats or they have a tax levy measure on the ballot.

According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, Baker and Sullivan recently formed campaign committees, and incumbents Bryant and Tonsing have existing ones. Growcock does not yet have a committee on file.

The committee for Bryant is the only one reporting funds. In a quarterly report due Jan. 15, she reported $2,750 in the account.

A look at the candidates:

Cindy Baker
Baker, a licensed professional counselor, owns multiple local businesses including Touchstone Consulting LLC. A child development specialist, she is a former teacher who serves as chair of the Missouri Board of Professional Counselors.

She is the parent of two Ozark graduates, and four of her grandchildren are enrolled.

Baker said she will focus on listening, transparency and responsible decision-making if elected. She said boards must support teachers, respect families, and maintain a focus on student outcomes and community trust.

“My top priority is to focus on building and growing services in our schools to support our children in their academic journey. Children cannot learn when they are stressed, hungry, depressed, bullied,” she said. “I believe our schools are the safety net for our students, and that when we meet their emergent needs, they can then build confidence, a greater self-esteem and a desire to be their best selves.”

Amber Bryant
Bryant, human resources director for the Christian County government, has two children enrolled in the district.

“I am running again because I believe deeply in the Ozark School District, its community, its students and the dedicated people who serve them every day,” she said.

Bryant said her top priority remains supporting and retaining quality staff and educators.

“When we take care of the people in our classrooms, the students and community thrive,” she said. “I also want to strengthen pride in Ozark schools by highlighting the good work happening in our district and ensuring the community feels connected, informed, and confident in our schools.”

Matthew Growcock
Growcock, president and general counsel of PMA Holdings LLC, has three children in the district. He moved to Ozark in 2004.

He said by serving for the past year, he has learned about how the school operate and the challenges they face.

“I am grateful for that opportunity, and I believe I am now even better suited to serve on the school board to help navigate the challenges that lie ahead,” he said. “I want our district to be the best school district in the state, and to get there, we need a well thought out and executed strategy. I believe my prior board and work experience gives me the tools to help develop that strategy.”

Growcock said his top priority is to provide the best programs and facilities for students and employees.

Patrick Sullivan
Sullivan, a professor of mathematics at Missouri State University, has spent his career as an educator and researcher. He has also been a high school teacher and administrator. He has one daughter in the district and one exchange student from Italy enrolled in the district.

“I am running because I believe my 30-plus years in education as a teacher and school leader can be an asset to the board,” he said.

“My top priority is... continuing to create school environments in which students are known, supported and inspired, and be a voice for teachers to ensure they are seen, heard and valued.”

Christina Tonsing
Tonsing, a legal assistant at a law firm in Springfield, spent 28 years teaching math at the secondary and college level. She has been a parent, volunteer and substitute teacher in the district.

“I would like to continue to represent the values and voices of the patrons of the district: the students, the parents, the employees and the taxpayers. My focus remains the issues I campaigned on when I was first elected: education, transparency, accountability,” she said.

“The top priority is to ensure Ozark keeps providing the best education possible for our students, something which comes only with accountability for the decisions made in running the district. And accountability for the decisions comes only with transparency into how the decisions are made.”