My service doesn't end when my term expires

Letter to the Editor:

“When did you lose your mind?”  That, or a similar comment, was the most frequent response I received from friends and acquaintances when I filed for school board six years ago.  As my second (and final) term winds down, I would like to share a few reflections on the experience.

So, do you have to be crazy to run for school board?  No, but a thick skin helps.  To serve well is demanding; it is far more than a monthly board meeting. There are many committee and special meetings, and learning the specifics of school law, finance and policy is an education in itself.

First and foremost it requires a total belief in and commitment to education, and making our schools the very best they can be.  If your goal is to pursue some private agenda, you might better put your efforts somewhere else in the community.

I have had the privilege of serving with some dedicated trustees and we have made significant strides in these past six years: We consolidated into two primary campuses with savings in administration and maintenance, hired a new Middle/High School Principal, Superintendent and Curriculum/Special Services Director, built a state-of-the-art kitchen to serve the district with emphasis on improved diet and inncreased participation in extra-curricular activities including sports, music, speech and drama. We have also raised student performance in most areas thanks to dedicated teachers and many grants like Striving Readers, developed a technology program that is the envy of many more prosperous districts and are in the process of developing a new county-wide vocational training program.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Visitors to the district frequently comment on the quality and commitment of our teachers that is due, in part, to the superb quality of our administrative team.

But a trustee is not a rubber stamp. While the board is unanimous in 95 percent of action items, there are times when the board has been divided and where one vote has made a difference.

No problems? I wish I could say that but in the real world there are always new challenges. One facing us now is that our buildings are 48 to 80 years old, built to outmoded standards. Our buildings have nearly nine acres of flat roofs in an area that gets lots of snow. Add to that buckling sidewalks, outdated and inefficient heating, cooling and ventilation, parking lot potholes and infrastructure that can’t support modern technology. Louis and his crew have done a yeoman’s job of keeping it together but the time has come to step up to the plate financially.

We have not passed a levy in this community for 14 years and are out of reserves. The folks who paid for my education are long buried; the way I can thank them is by providing quality education and opportunities for today’s youth.

I have considered it a challenge, an honor and privilege to serve on the School Board of this truly great district.  My term is expiring but my commitment to education is not.

Les Nelson,

Libby