Friday, January 21, 2011
Lawrence County School Board Showcase
School Board Members who govern our schools are helping to make a difference in the lives of our children.
The Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA), school systems, and communities across the state will recognize the work of boards of education January 23-29 during School Board Appreciation Week.
This special week is a chance for the community to thank these individuals for their commitment to our students and their education.
The primary duty of a school board is to provide the opportunity for the best and most appropriate education for all children entrusted in its care. The School Board Members of Lawrence County serve as advocates for every student and urge citizens to become aware of and more involved in education.
Businesses looking to locate in a community look closely at the strength of the local schools. Public Education is everyone’s business, and it holds the key to the success of every community.
Eligibility to be elected to a Tennessee school board includes being a citizen of Tennessee, at least 18 years old, a resident of the school district, a registered voter in the county, and a high school graduate or G.E.D. All county school boards must be popularly elected by district, in non-partisan elections, to staggered four year terms of office.
Basic premises of school board operations include serving as a corporate body and as a policy-making body. Every newly elected board member is required to attend a two-day training session along with completing seven hours of training provided through the School Board Academy Program.
Jerry Campbell currently serves as Chairman of our local Board of Education. He shares what inspired him to become a member as being, “To see to it that the children of Lawrence County has the opportunity to have the best education that we can provide with the greatest amount of diversity in curriculum that we can afford.”
When asked what improvements in our local system he would like to see happen Campbell states, “To have the safest environment that we can possibly have in every school in Lawrence County and to continually upgrade what we need to, so we can accomplish this goal.”
Newly elected board member, Nicky Hartsfield shares his idea of a short or long term goal for Lawrence County Schools that addresses some of our schools being over crowded in the following way.
“I feel in the future it will be necessary to build two or three middle schools. I feel this would eliminate our over crowdedness as well as our portable class rooms. Numbers of students will determine the number of middle schools.
I also feel this will help and improve the educating of our students. I feel like our teacher can better prepare our students with a K-5, 6 thru 8, 9 thru 12 grade education.
A short term goal shared by Mike (Killer) Kilburn who has served on our school board for several terms is to offer better options for students at risk.
While a long term goal of Kilburn is for local funding body to make a gradual increase in tax revenue. Killer explains, “We have as a board kept the same tax amount 6 – 7 years running and maintained a financially sound system.
We have been very responsible with our tax dollars. We have kept everyone paid and employed on the same tax amount and I by no means am blasting the funding body.
They have helped us a lot on capital projects but the day to day cost of being the largest employer in Lawrence County keeps us at a maintain level instead of an improve level.”
Those proving their dedication while attending countless meetings and events in order to represent districts of Lawrence County include Chairman, Jerry Campbell, Roberta Brazier, Jack Bryant, Brenda Jacobs, Duke Snider, Nicky Hartsfield, Jerry Brewer, Michael “Killer” Kilburn, and Kevin Caruso.
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