A new member was sworn into the Elmore County Board of Education at a meeting Monday.
District 6 BOE member Brian Ward was sworn into his position by Elmore County Circuit Judge Bill Lewis. Ward was elected to the six-year position this summer in a runoff against the incumbent, Kitty Graham.
Lewis also conducted the swearing in of District 1 board member Dale Bain who was re-elected to his position without opposition. Other board members include District 2’s Wendell Saxon, District 3’s David Jones, District 4’s Michael Morgan, District 5’s Leisa Finley and District 7’s Joey Holley.
Although Ward is no stranger to the school board, he said it’s a different feeling being on the other side of the equation.
“I’ve been coming to meetings and volunteering on various committees for several years,” Ward said. “I’d been working trying to get Redland Middle School built for 11 years. I’m aware of how the board works and what’s going on in the county but this is my first time on this side of it. We live in a county with a very good system and the board’s been good stewards of the county’s money.”
He also commended the board for doing its best to keep up with students enrolled in virtual school in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They’ve been doing their best to prevent those students from falling behind and slipping through the cracks, which can be very difficult given the circumstances,” he said.
As a professional in the construction industry, Ward said an area of interest for him is upgrading school facilities. He said he also has an interest in improving access to technology for students.
Superintendent Richard Dennis said he’s happy to have Ward join the board.
“He’s been so active in the community over the years,” Dennis said. “He’s a leader in the community who has coordinated meeting and who’s been very involved in the process. He will be a great asset to the board.”
The board also re-elected Morgan to serve as its chairman and Bain to serve as vice chairman.
