Districts give school board members their heartfelt thanks
November 15, 2013 has been designated as School Board Members Day in Illinois, and Lake Bluff School District 65 is joining other districts across the state to thank these community volunteers for their commitment and contributions to public schools.
“School board members serve their communities without monetary compensation to make public education the best it can be for every child,” said Dr. Jean Sophie, District 65 Superintendent. “Their policies and oversight guide the District through tough decisions on complex educational and social issues that affect the entire community and the lives of individual students.”
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More than any other public servant, school board members must listen to the voices of the community and then craft a vision, mission and goals for their district to accurately reflect those voices in the design. They must guard two of the community’s most precious resources — their children and their tax dollars — while they create the best educational environment possible with the resources available.
As community trustees for the schools, school board members have oversight in District 65 for an annual budget of $16 million; 830 students in grades K to 8; 138 employees; and 2 schools.
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“Each year, the demands become greater for school board members to set policy for our schools as they prepare students to be productive citizens and the leaders in a new 21st century global economy. Without the efforts of school board members, local citizens would have less input into the way schools operate. Their contributions are an excellent example of grassroots governance,” Dr. Sophie said.
“On School Board Member Day, our community reaches out to say ‘thank you’ to these volunteers,” she continued. “Their service ensures that decisions about local public schools are made locally by those most familiar with the needs of our Lake Bluff community and the District’s mission to provide a premier educational foundation that enables each student to thrive.”
The men and women serving Lake Bluff School District 65 on the Board of Education are: President, Mark Barry; Vice President, John Marozsan; Secretary, Christine Letchinger; and Members Leigh Ann Charlot, Julie Gottshall, Richard Hegg, and Susan Rider.
