03/18/2024
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Elizabethtown, NC – Have you thanked a school board member lately?

School board members exemplify local citizen control and decision making in education. 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 our community. That is why we are taking this opportunity to recognize them during National School Board Appreciation Month in January.

School board members are citizens whose decisions affect our children – what they learn, who will teach them, and what kinds of facilities house their classrooms.

Our school board is one of more than 100 such boards across the state.

With the advice and counsel of the educational professionals they hire, our school board has an impact on virtually every aspect of our schools.

This is a huge responsibility and one that should not be taken lightly. They represent you, and they take this responsibility seriously by attending meetings and conferences where they broaden their knowledge about education.

School board members come from all walks of life. They are farmers, secretaries, doctors, lawyers, homemakers, teachers, architects, truck drivers, professors, business owners and real estate agents, to name just a few. While they wear many hats in the workday world, school board members put on a collective hat when they get down to the business of leading their school districts. Board members must pull together as a team toward a common goal—helping students achieve. While they may individually disagree on certain issues, their role as a board is to consistently strive toward that goal.

Too often we neglect to recognize the dedication and hard work of these men and women who represent us. The staff and students of our school district are asking all local citizens to take a moment to tell a school board member “thanks for caring about our children’s education.”

Robert Taylor, superintendent of Bladen County Schools added, “Few people fully understand the scope and implications of school board service. When citizens elect a school board, they’ve given those few members the great responsibility of steering public education in the communities they represent.”

“Even though we are making a special effort during January to show appreciation to our school board members, we recognize their contributions reflect a year-round commitment on their part. They are dedicated individuals who are committed to the continuing success of our public schools and students,” said Taylor.

We salute the Bladen County Board of Education whose dedication and civic responsibility make local control of public schools in our community possible. We applaud them for their vision and voice to help shape a better tomorrow.

Ophelia Munn-Goins, Board Chair
Alan West, Board Vice-chair
Tim Benton
Roger Carroll
Dennis Edwards
Gary Rhoda
Vinston Rozier
Wilbur Smith
Bonnell Walker

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