T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
photo by Matt Cornelius
THE TEAM OF EIGHT BY FRED NORTON
“Who in their right mind would ever want to serve on a public school board?”
I was asked that question in 1997 when I first sought election to the Texarkana Independent School District Board of Trustees. Twenty-four years later, 14 of which I spent as a TISD Trustee (1997 to 2003 and 2013 to the present), I can happily report that I have never found a more rewarding experience. School board members (or trustees) are elected by voters in the school districts they serve to make important decisions about their local schools. Trustees are not paid, so school boards bring together people who
are passionate about quality education and willing to commit much of their time to this crucial public service. They provide local, citizen governance and oversight of education at a point close to the parent and child. Though ultimate responsibility for education rests with each state, both Arkansas and Texas have delegated much of that responsibility to the local school board. Within the framework of state and federal law and rules promulgated by state authorities (the Department of Education in Arkansas and the State Board
of Education in Texas and their respective commissioners), individual school districts have significant latitude in shaping the educational programs of their schools. It is the primary responsibility of each individual trustee to study issues facing the district, evaluate needs and resources, and, after due consideration, vote in the best interest of all students at a formal meeting of the board. This is neither an easy job nor an enviable task. Trustees regularly face hard choices, self-sacrifice and exposure to public criticism. However, it also brings
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B U S I N E S S & P O L I T I C S
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