Since 2003, when Kathleen Sebelius was Governor, January has been declared School Board Member Recognition Month. School board members exemplify local control and decision making in our educational system. They volunteer hundreds of hours and an immeasurable amount of energy to assure that our schools are providing the best education possible for the children of this community. Your local school board members ALWAYS have the best interest of the student in mind. And being a school board member is a volunteer position.
Here are some reasons that January has been declared School Board Recognition Month:
* School board members are local citizens, your friends and neighbors, whose decisions while serving on the school board affect all our children - what they learn, who will teach them, and what kinds of facilities will house their classrooms.
* These are men and women elected to establish the policies that provide the framework for our schools. They represent YOU, and they take this responsibility seriously by attending lengthy meetings; attending conferences where they can broaden their knowledge about education and educational issues; and by attending to numerous conversations about our schools.
* Our school board is one of many such boards across the state. These boards enable the citizens of Kansas to have local control of our school, meaning that decisions on school programs are made by local people who understand the community’s unique problems, values, culture, and circumstances.
* With the advice and counsel of the educators they hire, our school board has an impact on virtually every aspect of our schools. It’s a huge responsibility and one that is not taken lightly by our members.
Too often we neglect to recognize the dedication and hard work of these men and women who represent all of us. The staff and students of Washington County Schools, USD #108 are asking all local citizens to take a moment to tell a school board member “thanks for caring for our kids.”
Thank you to the dedicated men and women who make it possible for our community to have a say about education. We salute the public servants of USD #108 whose dedication and civic responsibility make local control of public schools in our community possible.
Current USD #108 Board of Education members are:
- Rod Stewart – 24.5 years service - president
- Jill Hoover – 12.5 years service – vice president
- Kelsie Beikmann – 4 years service
- Kevin Elliott – 6 years service
- Barry Finlayson – 2 years service
- Rhonda Manley – 9 years service
- Keelie Welch – 4 years service
Our monthly board meetings are always the second Monday of the month, starting at 7:00 pm. We meet in the Board of Education room in the East building, first floor.