School Board President Interview

I interviewed our current board president, Dr. Jeff Scherer. Dr. Scherer has been the president for the past four years, prior to that time he was a member at large. He estimates the time commitment as president is about three times as much, compared to when he was a member at large. He estimates the time commitment at approximately 15 hours per month, outside of regularly scheduled board meetings.

In my opinion, our board has a very professional approach and their interaction is exemplary. I asked Dr. Scherer how this was accomplished. Dr. Scherer stated the board does not operate using a specific model, but the example is established at the top with our superintendent, Dr. Crist. Dr. Scherer also credits his military background with no cutting of corners. During open discussion the board acts as a unified body, with each member respecting the other member's perspective.

When a new board member is elected there is a training process that takes place and it involves the superintendent, his administrative assistant, board president, and the new member. They also utilize the training that is offered through WASBA.

The greatest challenge of the board is understanding the school funding system. Dr. Scherer stated it is a very complicated formula and the final state budget is not released until a couple months into the new school year. He talked about the revenue caps that were established in 1993 and the financial challenges that were created with their adoption. The open enrollment net out of the district (about 450 students) is also a board concern.

When asked about the three greatest successes of the board he responded with: 1- The implementation of the district's strategic plan. 2- The implementation of the district's dual language immersion plan that began four years ago. 3- The district embracing the diversity of it's students (as we have about a 53% Latino population district wide).