Nora Peters for LCHS School Board
Why I am running for LCHS school board

[March 31, 2023]   What do you know about school boards? Most of us know very little or nothing about them. When is the last time you heard about a school board election? Have you ever voted for school board candidates? I must admit this is an area of which I have been remiss.

Yet, the school board oversees what affects our most precious resource-OUR children. The school board makes the policies about what information is downloaded into our children’s minds. Those policies regulate not just facts, but values, work ethics, integrity, and beliefs.

I have recently given these things much thought.

First of all, shame on me for not even looking into who is on the local school boards or what’s happening within those boards. I used to attend school board meetings just to keep in the know. Board members seemed nice enough, though I often was not sure about what they were speaking. When I had to address the school board about an issue with my children, I was unsuccessful. I soon quit attending board meetings as meetings now were difficult. I have spoken with several other parents who had well-founded cases but went home without a solution as well.

The National School Board Website (nsba.org) states purposes for school boards, as follows:

The Importance of Local Governance in Public Schools

There are six key reasons why local governance is the best way to advance public education:

1 Education is not a line item in a school board’s budget—it is the only item.

2 The school board represents the community’s voice in public education, providing citizen governance and knowledge of the community’s resources and needs, and board members are the policy-makers closest to the student.

3 The school board sets the standard for achievement in the school district, incorporating the community’s view of what students should know and be able to accomplish at each grade level.

4 The school board is accessible to everyone in the community and is accountable for the performance of the schools in the district.

5 It is the community member’s right as a voter to select new board members who will work diligently to provide an opportunity for students to receive a high-quality education, which will enable them to succeed in their career, college, and life.

6 The school board is the community’s education watchdog, ensuring that taxpayers get the most for their tax dollars.

In reference to items two and four, the school board is supposed to be listening and interacting with us, the community. This is the only way to represent us. As a board member, I want to engage with families and be a resource to help them with unresolved problems while helping make policies that avoid potential problems.

I am running because I believe the students, parents, and community should be told what is happening in their school and actually have a say in it. I am a concerned parent. As a school board member, I may be able to help those that have questions or issues especially when they have been unsuccessful with school “chain of command”. I will listen, not dismiss the matter and even go with the parent/student back to administration if needed. It is important to hear all sides of a matter in order to find a solution to an issue.

I do believe in using a “chain of command” by starting at those nearest the parent or student, however, sometimes a link within that chain is the barrier to a solution. I want to help amicably repair that link. I believe listening to parents, students, and staff is key to helping resolve any problems they may have. Interaction and engagement are so important, and this starts with being accessible.

Transparency is good for the whole community. This is especially true as the school district is only accountable to their school board, and the school board is accountable to no one except the community. Elected officials need to be held accountable and that can only be done if the community is informed.

The current school board is not accessible to parents and students, and I would like to change that.

I can offer myself as someone who listens, tries to problem solve, and has experience in persistently dealing with school matters. I have quite a bit of experience in the area of special needs students. I enjoy people of all ages. I hope to help give students opportunities to transition into mature people able to live in a community and give back to that community.

Please exercise your voting rights on April 4th and vote

NORA PETERS