The Centralia School District joins other Washington school districts in saluting our local school board directors during Washington’s annual School Board Appreciation Month in January. This month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the school board’s work on behalf of our students and our community.
Being a school board director is a critical role requiring significant time and energy. The school board bears the responsibility of setting the vision and direction we want for our district now and for the future. The school board is also a strong advocate for schools and is responsible for communicating the needs of the school district to the public and the public’s expectations to the district. Our school board directors are responsible for defining school district policy, approving the curriculum, approving the district’s budget and adhering to state and federal education laws, just to name a few tasks. In this work, they are accountable to the public. They serve countless hours preparing and making decisions; decisions that can be challenging and that require extensive learning and thought.
They are entrusted with the responsibility for an annual budget of approximately $64 million, more than 3350 students, approximately 450 staff and eight schools.
Our deepest appreciation is extended to our dedicated directors: Tim Browning, board chair; Mandi McDougall, vice chair; Maritza Bravo, director; Vickie Jackson, director; and Deb Parnham, director. We honor and appreciate their public service and commitment to our students, our district and our community.
We also share our appreciation for past school board members who dedicated their time and energy in support of our district. The past and current directors have made, and continue to make, a positive difference in our community and in the lives of students. We are thankful for their service.
I am honored to work with our School Board and to serve as your superintendent.
Lisa Grant
superintendent, Centralia School Distric
