Community Corner

Rockwood School Board Candidate Says Personal Attacks are Off Track

Mike Geller wants to clear up others' statements about his personal life and interests in becoming a Rockwood School District board of director. His former spouse, Cynthia Geller, states her perspectives as well about children they share.

One Rockwood School Board candidate said he hopes voters reflect on policies and district issues, rather than "personal attacks" about where his children attend school. But some voters stated they believe where candidates want to send their children to school is relevant to the campaign and their decisions.

Rockwood school board candidate Mike Geller, of Wildwood, told Eureka-Wildwood Patch in a March 18 phone interview that he is dismayed about comments being rumored about him and his family, including some reader statements posted on Patch.

Issues started after the on March 8.  Geller is pursuing a custody modification case with his first spouse; some residents raised concerns that he wants to change the schools to which his children attend, from in Wildwood to Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis.

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"He is now fighting for custody of those children, with plans to send them to Westminster," wrote a Patch reader who commented under the name Paula Bailey on March 17.  "At least one of those 4 children attends a private boarding school for special needs children. If Mr. Geller is suddenly so concerned about the Rockwood School District, why doesn't he send his children there? Why doesn't he support the wonderful gifted and special needs programs of our district?"

Geller, who has five children total from two marriages, told Patch he had "no such intention" to change the schools related to his children.

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He has four children (one set of 15-year-old triplets) with his former wife, all of whom for which he states that he has the "majority custody." Two of the triplets attend Lafayette; the other goes to a boarding school in North Carolina. He also has a 13-year-old at and a 7-year-old daughter at Rossman School, which is located off Conway Road in St. Louis County.

Geller said he was planning to have all four of his oldest children in Lafayette next year. "It will be a gain of one for Rockwood, rather than a net loss of three, as rumored," he said.

Cynthia Geller, of Chesterfield, confirmed that she and Mike Geller are engaged in a "custody battle" over the four children. She said while they both currently have 50-50 legal custody, Mike Geller is trying to get full physical custody of the children they share.

At Wednesday's settlement conference with St. Louis County Judge John Essner, Cynthia said no decisions could be reached, so a trial date in August now will be set.

Mike said the current legal situation does not stem from him desiring to change the schools of his children, however. "I did look at Westminster at one point for my high schoolers, and decided it wasn't really the best option," he said.

One of the triplets attended a military school for a few months before the boarding school. He said the plans for his son are for him to return and attend Lafayette as well.

Cynthia, on the other hand, said their son is not transferring to Westminster because he was not accepted at the academy.  She also said her daughter, who currently attends school at Lafayette, is "vehemently opposed" to going to Westminster. 

Candidates for the Rockwood School District's board of directors are not required to have children attending school in the district currently, or in the past. They are required to be a U.S. citizen; a resident taxpayer in the district; a resident of Missouri for at least one year before the election; and at least 24 years old.

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