Consider serving on school board

Courier Editorial Board

July 23, 2008 10:40 pm

— Wanted: School board members. That was the headline in Wednesday’s Courier. How true it is. Every year, fewer and fewer Ottumwans decide to throw their hat in the ring, whether it’s for school board member, city council member or supervisor.
For a city of 25,000 residents and a county of 35,000 residents, only a handful of people step up to the plate to do their civic duty.
We all at one time or another should consider serving our community, whether on boards, commissions or councils.
This area doesn’t seem to have a shortage of people with suggestions on how to run things. We hear many of those and other complaints about a variety of issues. Why did the council do that? Why doesn’t the board do this?
If you really believe in an issue, get involved. Join a committee or a board or run for election to help govern the city or county.
Two seats on the Ottumwa school district’s seven-person school board are up for election this year. The terms of Pat Curran and Ron Oswalt are expiring. At least one plans to run again for another three-year term.
Anyone of voting age who lives in the school district may be eligible to run for the board.
The deadline is 5 p.m. July 31 for submitting nomination papers. The election is Sept. 9 for all school boards in Iowa.
Nomination papers are available at the school district office, 422 McCarroll Drive, and also online at www.sos.state.ia.us/elections.
There are a myriad of issues that come before school board members and this year may be even tougher as the board and school district officials figure out how to deal with soaring gasoline prices, food prices and other monetary issues resulting from the downturn in our economy.
“What’s good for the kids” is a motto that has long been identified with school district decision makers.
Keep that in mind when you are considering whether or not to run for the board.
And if you do decide to run, we applaud you. Your decision is a good one for all of us.