School Board deserves recognition

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. Here are some reasons we are taking this opportunity to show them our appreciation during School Board Recognition 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.

These are men and women elected to establish the policies that provide the framework for our public schools. They represent you, and they take this responsibility seriously by attending lengthy – sometimes challenging – meetings, conferences and institutes where they broaden their knowledge about education; during numerous conversations about the school; and sessions before the Ohio General Assembly.

Our school board is one of 781 such boards across the state. These boards enable us to have local control of public schools, meaning that decisions on school programming are made by local, elected representatives who understand the community’s unique problems, values, culture and circumstances.

It’s a tradition that began nearly 300 years ago. With the advice and counsel of the educational professionals they hire, our school board has an impact on virtually every aspect of our schools. It’s a huge responsibility and one that should not be taken lightly.

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.”

So, hats off to the dedicated men and women who make it possible for local citizens to have a say about education in our communities. We salute the public servants of Lincolnview Local Schools 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. Thank you to the members of the Lincolnview Local School Board: President – Eric Germann, 3 years; Vice President – Cindy Miller, 15 years; Sally Snyder, 23 years; Michelle Gorman, 1 year; and Kirk Berryman, 1 year.

Student council is very busy planning for this year’s homecoming. The theme this year is “A Night in Paris under the Stars.” The ceremony will be held Friday, Feb. 8, during the Paulding game and the dance will be held Saturday, Feb. 9, from 7-10:30 pm.