Rebecca, Tell Me About a Week in the Life of a Board Chair.
November 8th, 2007
When I found out how HSD Board of Directors Chair Rebecca Lantz spent her latest week, I felt like a total slacker. Rebecca is a whirlwind of constructive activity that includes raising a bright and active family as well as serving the Hillsboro School District as a board member and chair this year.
Rebecca manages to fit family life and civic participation in with civic duty and still keep smiling. Even a little heat from a “prominent citizen” who would like to replace Rebecca (in 2009) because she has the integrity and grit to keep her word to the voters doesn’t slow Rebecca down (although citizens threatening elected officials over a single issue -- that has nothing to do with education -- irritates me a lot).
Here’s how Rebecca spent her week serving our school district patrons…
– Hugh O’Donnell
Hugh,
This week I’ve been to a boundary committee meeting, an agenda review with the superintendent, a City Council meeting, a meeting with the Director of Special Programs, a PTO meeting, an Open House at David Hill, a Rotary luncheon, and an RACC meeting to develop arts curriculum in our area. I volunteered three hours at the Glencoe Career Center making sure kids graduate. And I wrote an LTE to the Argus defending HSD. Including the emails and phone calls, I figure I’ve put in about 35 hours. With the OSBA convention taking up the weekend, I figure I’ve given everything I can to this district.
Yesterday, I had to be extremely clear with one of Hillsboro’s leading citizens: the HSD board has no plans to consider letting anyone do anything with the J.B. Thomas building. The board unanimously approved the demolition as part of the bond proposal in April 2006, which was then passed by the community by a narrow margin in Nov. 2006. We do not intend to reopen that decision.
People who do not agree with this decision are threatening to have board members replaced. Instead of focusing on what needs to be accomplished in terms of improving academic achievement in our district, this group would do anything to assure that a decrepit building remains standing.
I stand firm on Thomas with good cause, not because I enjoy tearing down old buildings. I enjoy being on school board. It really makes me smile. As a solid contributor here, I’m an asset to the community. I’m an imaginative, energetic, and indomitable advocate for learning of all types and do not deserve to have my integrity questioned by individuals with a single agenda not related to good school governance.
Making connections between the school board and the city is essential to continue forging partnerships in the areas of arts, science, languages, sports, and especially music. My leadership and collaboration skills are strong, so I will continue to do what I need to do to make HSD and Hillsboro the best place in the state to get an education.
Despite the threat of being in a contested election in 2009, I will continue being the same straightforward, positive individual I always am. I hope that together we can make Hillsboro an even better place to grow up.
Rebecca Lantz
