Bend-La Pine Schools mark School Board Appreciation Month

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Every January, School Board Appreciation Month is celebrated by school districts across the United States, including Bend-La Pine Schools, which will recognize the seven volunteer community members during a school board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 12.

“Our board members deserve our utmost thanks and appreciation for the tireless work they put in, this month and every month to ensure that our district is performing at a high level,” said Interim Superintendent Lora Nordquist. “In a year like 2020, we are especially thankful for these seven volunteers. Their commitment and dedication to seeing that our students and staff are well served during these challenging times is phenomenal.” 

The board members spend many hours reviewing budgets, education initiatives and policies as well as attending board meetings twice a month and attending numerous school events and activities throughout the year. The school board has governance responsibilities in four areas: vision, accountability, policy and advocacy.

In addition to their policy work, board member invest their time in support of multiple key district initiatives including equity, diversity and inclusion work, school boundary redesign and the current search for Bend-La Pine Schools’ next superintendent.

The Bend-La Pine Schools board members are: Julie Craig, Vice-Chair Melissa Barnes Dholakia, Chair Carrie Douglass, Shimiko Montgomery, Caroline Skidmore, Amy Tatom and Dr. Stuart Young. Read more about their backgrounds on the School Board Member webpage.