January is School Board Recognition Month and an opportunity for local schools and communities to honor Oklahoma’s more than 2,700 elected school board members for their dedication to children and schools.

“Providing our community’s children with a solid education is the most important investment we can make,” said Tim Argo, superintendent. “We’re proud of our district, and School Board Recognition Month is the time to say thank you and celebrate the accomplishments of our elected board members.”

In Alva Public Schools, school board members must develop policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues impacting the entire community. They bear responsibility for an annual budget of approximately $17 million, 1,042 students, 184 employees and five school site.

“School board members make critical decisions that affect Oklahoma children and oversee billions in educational expenditures,” notes Argo. “They preserve the core of our democracy – public education.”

The men and women serving Alva Public Schools are Jane McDermott, Tiffany Slater, Karen Koehn, Larry Parker and Shane Hansen.