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.’
The seven individuals on our board of education are responsible for setting the vision for our local education program and partners with staff and other members of the community to provide the facilities and infrastructure to achieve that vision.
Their service to our school district is voluntary and they spend hundreds of hours serving 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.
Each board member is a strong advocate for the success of every child in our schools. 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.
Our board of education includes the following men and women and their years of service:
Brent Hemken, 2 years
Jade Meyer, 2 years
Vance Smith, 2 years
Michelle Koch, newly elected
Jessie Pleasant,5 years
Buddy Tabler, 6 years
Brian Carlton, 2 years
January 2022 marks the annual observance of School Board Recognition Month. The theme this year is “School Board Members Leading Success for Every Student.” This is a time to shine a light on how local boards prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders. Please join with others throughout our district and state to thank you the men and women who provide leadership for our public schools.