School Board Appreciation Month | Letter

January is School Board Recognition Month. It’s a time to recognize our incredible elected community members who selflessly donate their time and energy in support of high-quality public schooling for our island’s children. School board members in San Juan Island School District are entrusted with responsibility for an annual budget of $17 million, 807 students, 132 employees and five schools.

School boards are tasked with adopting policies and procedures, hiring and supervising superintendents, overseeing school budgets and creating a vision for the future of our schools. Through collaboration as a team, and with school district staff, our board directors strive to create an educational environment where all students can thrive. Additionally, this year in particular our school board has been working with school employee associations and other island school boards to enact positive legislative changes in the state.

This January, we’re encouraging you to thank a board member. Please thank them for volunteering their time and playing a critical civic role that helps form the bedrock of our democracy — public education. As a crucial bridge between the local community and the school district, their efforts are instrumental in helping all of us realize the hopes and dreams we have for the children of our community.

The men and women serving San Juan Island School District are:

Melanie Hess

Barbara Bevens, Chair T.J. Heller

John Kurtz

Brian Moore, vice chair

For more information about the San Juan Island School District School Board, visit www.sjisd.wednet.edu/domain/331.

Sincerely,

Fred Woods, superintendent, San Juan Island School District