Thank a BOE Member
There are seven individuals in this community who are ordinary citizens – our friends and neighbors – but who display extraordinary dedication to our community and our children. They are our locally-elected board of education. Their service to our school district is done on a volunteer basis, and they deserve our appreciation and thanks. They are held accountable for the decisions they make that impact the future of not only our students, but our community.
Public education is the backbone of American society, and local school boards are deeply rooted in U.S. tradition. In fact, in 1966 the people of Kansas amended our state’s constitution to specifically call for local public schools that are ‘maintained, developed and operated by locally elected boards.’ Our local board of education is responsible for setting a vision our local education program and partners with staff and other members of the community to provide the facilities and infrastructure to achieve that vision.
Each board member is a strong advocate for the success of every child in our schools. They research, study and then discuss issues so that they can make informed decisions on countless complex challenges. Too often we forget about the personal sacrifices school board members make. They spend hours in meetings and on committees, and also advocate for our schools with elected politicians by speaking out against budget cuts or pushing for policy and program reforms.
The job of a school board member is tough, the hours long and the thanks few and far between. January 2019 marks the annual observance of School Board Recognition Month. The theme this year is “School Board Members Lead the Future.” This is a time to shine a light on how local boards prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders. In January, join with others throughout our district and state to salute the men and women who provide leadership for our public schools. They are advocates for our community, our children and our public schools, and are committed to providing an excellent education for every child in our community. We are grateful to have this opportunity to formally say ‘thank you’ to each of them,” said Superintendent Brent Garrison. USD 444 is very fortunate to have dedicated and committed board members that put students first.
The men and women serving USD 444 Little River-Windom and their years of service are:
Cory Dieball - 3 ½ years Andrew Porter - 3 ½ years Susan Zeller - 5 ½ years
Austin Neufeld - 1 year Jackie Schafer - 7 ½ years
Doug Peters - 5 ½ years Zane Zahradnik - 3 ½ years
USD 444 Little River/Windom encourages the entire community to thank a school board member, not only this month, but throughout the entire year.