Paul Harper
For Columbia School Board
Working together for a better and brighter future
My goal is to work together to create caring policies that protect students, employees, and work to ensure that all students have the opportunity to meet or exceed their educational goals.
Campaign Updates
February 16, 2026
CMNEA Endorsement
I am proud to have earned the teachers' endorsement. As a candidate, I want to work with all stakeholders to ensure a better and brighter future for the district. We need to work so that our children have the opportunity to meet or exceed their educational goals. We cannot do that without our teachers. Our […]
February 2, 2026
Progress as Promised
When I first ran for the Board of Education, I promised to create caring, student-centered policies that protect both students and employees, while ensuring every child has the opportunity to meet, and exceed, their educational goals. I also committed to strengthening our district by making it a more competitive employer, meeting students where they are, […]
February 17, 2023
Parents as Partners
“Sweeping change isn’t possible without active parent support. This support will need to be earned though dialog and welcoming into the reform effort. The only an only smart process decision I made as superintendent was reaching out to parents of students with special needs and inviting them to be parents for progress. They, better than […]
About Paul Harper
I am the father of two daughters. Both of my daughters graduated from Rockbridge High School.
I have been on the Columbia Public Schools Board of Education for three years. During that time, we have made great progress toward a better school district for all.
When I first ran for the Board of Education, I promised to create caring, student-centered policies that protect both students and employees, while ensuring every child has the opportunity to meet, and exceed, their educational goals. I also committed to strengthening our district by making it a more competitive employer, meeting students
where they are, and increasing transparency and accountability in district operations.
I have been on the Columbia Public Schools Board of Education for three years. During that time, we have made great progress toward a better school district for all.
When I first ran for the Board of Education, I promised to create caring, student-centered policies that protect both students and employees, while ensuring every child has the opportunity to meet, and exceed, their educational goals. I also committed to strengthening our district by making it a more competitive employer, meeting students
where they are, and increasing transparency and accountability in district operations.
Over the past term, I’m proud that the district has made progress toward those goals, including:
Supporting Our Staff and Teachers
• Increased salaries for all district employees.
• Raised starting teacher pay by more than 9%, from $40,250 in 2022–23 to $44,200 in 2025–26, with an additional $1,000 increase planned for 2026–27, all while maintaining strong teacher benefits.
• Improved compensation for summer school and extra duty days, ensuring staff are fairly recognized for their time and dedication.
• Conducted a working conditions survey and report, ensuring that the district implements the findings to provide better working conditions for all employees.
Supporting Our Staff and Teachers
• Increased salaries for all district employees.
• Raised starting teacher pay by more than 9%, from $40,250 in 2022–23 to $44,200 in 2025–26, with an additional $1,000 increase planned for 2026–27, all while maintaining strong teacher benefits.
• Improved compensation for summer school and extra duty days, ensuring staff are fairly recognized for their time and dedication.
• Conducted a working conditions survey and report, ensuring that the district implements the findings to provide better working conditions for all employees.
Raising Student Achievement and District Performance
• Improved our district’s DESE Annual Performance Report rating dramatically:
• 2021–22: 70.0
• 2022–23: 70.1
• 2023–24: 86.5
• 2024–25: 88.7
Increasing Accountability and Community Engagement
• Ensured that bills now appear on the board agenda, enhancing transparency.
• Hired the district’s first full-time general counsel to provide in-house legal guidance and oversight.
• Established regular listening sessions with board members to hear directly from families, teachers, and community members.
• Reviewed or updated over 190 district policies (193 as of October 12, 2025).
• Appointed a Special Education Task Force to recommend improvements and support for students with unique learning needs.
• Implemented broadcasting and recording of all board and committee meetings to make district business accessible to everyone.
Together, we are working to build a stronger, more transparent, and student-focused district. I’m running for re-election to continue this important work — to protect our progress, listen to our community, and ensure every student can thrive.
• Improved our district’s DESE Annual Performance Report rating dramatically:
• 2021–22: 70.0
• 2022–23: 70.1
• 2023–24: 86.5
• 2024–25: 88.7
Increasing Accountability and Community Engagement
• Ensured that bills now appear on the board agenda, enhancing transparency.
• Hired the district’s first full-time general counsel to provide in-house legal guidance and oversight.
• Established regular listening sessions with board members to hear directly from families, teachers, and community members.
• Reviewed or updated over 190 district policies (193 as of October 12, 2025).
• Appointed a Special Education Task Force to recommend improvements and support for students with unique learning needs.
• Implemented broadcasting and recording of all board and committee meetings to make district business accessible to everyone.
Together, we are working to build a stronger, more transparent, and student-focused district. I’m running for re-election to continue this important work — to protect our progress, listen to our community, and ensure every student can thrive.
I am running for office again because I believe in good government. All school boards should be run based on sound principles and be transparent and accountable to the people. The people of the district, including teachers and parents, should have a legitimate say in how the district is run. I believe that I can help raise their voices to be heard.
I believe in public service. I have devoted most of my adult life to public service. I believe that those experiences make me a good fit for the school board.
I am currently a legal counsel for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, primarily doing work for the Office of Childhood.
From June 2015 to October 2022, I was the general counsel for Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway. I reviewed all audits before they were released and worked with the State Auditor’s Office to investigate and audit schools and other local political subdivisions. During this time, I worked to ensure transparency and accountability of state and local political subdivisions. And I put that experience to work serving the Columbia Public Schools.
Before going to law school, I taught in the Jefferson City Public School District as a special education teacher for two years in the middle school. Before teaching, I worked with youth in group home settings. Also, I spent the 1993-94 school year substitute teaching in the St. Louis area, predominantly in the Francis Howell District.
Other work experience includes:
Legislative Director, Missouri Department of Revenue
Deputy General Counsel of the Taxation Division, Missouri Department of Revenue
Assistant Attorney General, Attorney General’s Office
I believe in public service. I have devoted most of my adult life to public service. I believe that those experiences make me a good fit for the school board.
I am currently a legal counsel for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, primarily doing work for the Office of Childhood.
From June 2015 to October 2022, I was the general counsel for Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway. I reviewed all audits before they were released and worked with the State Auditor’s Office to investigate and audit schools and other local political subdivisions. During this time, I worked to ensure transparency and accountability of state and local political subdivisions. And I put that experience to work serving the Columbia Public Schools.
Before going to law school, I taught in the Jefferson City Public School District as a special education teacher for two years in the middle school. Before teaching, I worked with youth in group home settings. Also, I spent the 1993-94 school year substitute teaching in the St. Louis area, predominantly in the Francis Howell District.
Other work experience includes:
Legislative Director, Missouri Department of Revenue
Deputy General Counsel of the Taxation Division, Missouri Department of Revenue
Assistant Attorney General, Attorney General’s Office
What I am about?
Teachers
becoming a competitive employer
Students
meeting children where they are rather than where we expect them to be
Accountability
we need better communication and our budgets should reflect our priorities
People Come First
Our district has great teachers. Our focus should be in providing teachers with the policies and resources that aid them in ensuring student success. I have worked to ensure that teachers have these resources and to reduce bureaucratic impediments to successful learning. As the fourth-largest district in Missouri, we need to be a competitive employer, not just regionally but statewide.
Student Focus
Public education must prepare our children for success. And all students deserve a chance to succeed. I have worked to ensure that our school district has the resources and policies so that all students in the district can thrive.
Accountability & Transparency
All government entities belong to the people and should remember that they are accountable to the community. I have prioritized transparency and fiscal responsibility in our school district. I also believe that the district must do better at communication with our community.
