January is School Board Recognition Month and Lamb County is celebrating its trustees for their dedication and commitment to the district and its students.
The theme of this year’s School Board Recognition Month is “Locally Elected, Community Connected”, which highlights the connection between school trust-ees and their communities. School board members are the largest group of locally-elected officials in the state.
Our board members are vital. Their dedication, vision, and commitment shape the future of our schools and students.
Every local school district is governed by a school board. These school board members (or trustees) are guardians of the public trust; they put the interests of their community’s youth first. Through the policies they make, school board members are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of local public education.
This is a difficult job; trustees face hard choices, self-sacrifice, and exposure to public criticism. However, it also brings a great deal of personal satisfaction in sharing with parents, staff, and students their academic successes. This crucial responsibility and the closeness of trustees to the voters make the local school board the purest example of democracy our society presents.
Dan Troxell, executive director of the Texas Association of School Boards, applauded the efforts of volunteer trustees in providing leadership and good governance so that school districts can focus on educating the 5.4 million public schoolchildren in their care.
“Texas school boards are so important because they bring a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of their local communities to their role,” Troxell said. “Boards lead their districts by providing oversight, setting goals, overseeing the budget, and selecting and evaluating the superintendent. These volunteers serve for the betterment of their communities.”
Learn more about school board service at tasb.org.