January marks the celebration of School Board Recognition Month, a month dedicated to honoring the efforts of school board members and their impact on students.
The Texas Association of School Boards named this year’s recognition theme: “Our Future is Public.”
Recognizing the immense Texas student population, TASB’s theme aims to emphasize the opportunities school board trustees offer via public education, despite the recent proliferation of school vouchers and private education.
In Lamb County, this sentiment is widely recognized as a driving force for serving the county’s student population.
“The resources that public education has are really unmatched compared to homeschool or private school,” Gordon Martin, Sudan High School Principal, said. “So many opportunities are provided by the local districts … it’s a pathway to something bigger.” For Sudan High School, support from the school board meant students continued to receive adequate education throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, Martin said the school board’s investment in technology at that time continues to foster lasting results today.
“The biggest deal for us was the approval that came out of COVID to maintain the technology we put in the hands of our students,” Martin said. “We’re way ahead of the curve technologywise, and that’s because of the commitment and the money (the board) agreed to spend on our students.”
In May of 2025, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2, legislation authorizing a private school voucher program.
Senate Bill 2 allows families to apply to receive grants from public taxpayer dollars to fund their children’s education at a private school.
Despite the promised efforts of school choice, many argue that funds from the school voucher program only benefit wealthier families. Additionally, families are ineligible to receive grants if one child is enrolled in a private school while another attends public school simultaneously.
“Public education is important, especially for economically disadvantaged students who don’t have the privilege of private education,” April Garcia, HR and Payroll Advisor at Springlake-Earth ISD, said.
Accompanying the access to education, public schools offer athletics and various student organizations, all of which widely depend on support from school board decisions.
At the January Littlefield Independent School District’s Board of Trustees meeting, several Littlefield High School Organizations gifted items for a gift bag, thanking board members for their commitment to the district.
“Each of these gifts represents the appreciation of our students who recognize the time, care and dedication you give to Littlefield ISD,” Kevin Nachak, Littlefield Student Council President, said. “We are truly grateful for your leadership, support and your commitment to helping every student succeed. On behalf of LHS, thank you for your continued service, your hard work and your positive impacts on our community.”
Littlefield Elementary Principal Jerry Russell expressed the same gratitude after Nachak, echoing the immense support for the board members.
“You all make a lot of decisions for staff, the kids, community, all of the above,” Russell said. “It’s a lot of hours and lots of long nights, but a lot of people benefit from your decisions.”
“Our Future is Public” is a year-round campaign that TASB aspires to ignite districts and board members statewide to celebrate the successes created by public education. For more information about the campaign, visit the TASB’s School Board Recognition website.
“We really appreciate everything you do,” Littlefield ISD Superintendent Mitch McNeese said, addressing the board members. “It’s a tough job, and I know you hear a lot of things out in the community, and spend your time in here making decisions to help our kids to treat them right and do best by them. We are very honored to have you guys.”