A Legacy of Service and Succession

Retiring board: Amy Thole, Brenda Klenk,
Vice President Matt Sallee, Shannon Ingamells,
President David Ball 

Running for elected office can be a humbling experience. For starters, you have to convince members of the community that you are up for the job. Even running in an uncontested election you have to put yourself out there for public scrutiny and potential criticism. Further, being a school board members in a public school in Iowa is a unique position. Not only is it a profound act of civic engagement and a clear demonstration of community dedication, it is entirely volunteer in the State of Iowa. That's right. School board members do not earn a salary. Their service is driven purely by a desire to ensure the best possible education for every child in the school district. They volunteer countless hours attending meetings after hours, reviewing complex budgets, studying policy, and listening to the concerns of parents and staff. It is a lot to ask!

Yet, I would contend there is no better way to see democracy in action than service on the school board. In fact, local governance such as school board service is uniquely significant, and perhaps much more impactful on your daily lives than state or federal governance. This is because the decisions made locally really do affect you daily. These decisions provide tangible benefits and consequences that can impact quality of life for our citizens in a much more profound way. 

So today, we honor the legacy of our school board members who have completed their terms of service and retire, effective this evening (November 19, 2025) after they sit for their final meeting. As new members take the Oath of Office and assume their seats, they are invariably standing on the shoulders of those who came before them, inheriting a wealth of institutional knowledge, established policies, and completed projects-from new school buildings to instructional frameworks. 

The sign in the front of the elementary proclaims this district was established in 1855. That appears to be the year when many of the one room country schools that dotted the county began to consolidate in this very town. While I have no reason to question that milestone, records from that first decade of consolidation appear to be lost as I can't find anything in our vault. Interestingly enough, however, is the fact that we can trace our history back more than 161 years, which if you do the math puts this Republic in the waning years of the American Civil War. In fact, the earliest board meeting minutes in our archive date back to 1864, when at the March 7th meeting, the following action was taken: 

New board: Scott Beenken,
Vice President Amy Thole, Shannon Ingamells,
President David Ball, Jared Seliger

Mr. Wilson offered the following resolution: 'That the district township be requested to levy a tax on the taxable property of the District Township sufficient to raise $300 in addition to what has been raised for the erection of a schoolhouse'. After a brief discussion the resolution was adopted.

Of course that building no longer exists, but the legacy of Director Wilson's service to the school district in the 1860s carries on to this very day. This continuous succession ensures the community's educational vision is not reset but built upon, allowing each generation of these volunteer board members to add to an ongoing, long-term legacy of educational excellence. The service of all our emeritus board members serves as the foundation for the next generation of members. I am excited to be part of this rich history, and the next chapter our new school board writes!