By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Buhler USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman noted that they do have one new board member after Tuesday's elections, as Robin Swanson was elected.
"The Kansas Association of School Boards offers a conference just for that," Couchman said. "We encourage the new board members to attend that and I go with them. We also ask them to come and kind of observe a board meeting, so they understand how process works. It's really important that they fit into the culture. It's just like anything. You bring somebody on to your team, right? They need to understand the culture and be a positive contributing member of that."
Any member who chooses to serve has a lot of work ahead of them, and they need to focus at the appropriate level.
"You have to trust your administration to sort of weed through it all for you," Couchman said. "These people have full time jobs. This is not their full time job. It's a volunteer position. It's not paid. You have to trust your administration to get you the material and the information that you need to make decisions. That is important. KASB always says, they love this thing that the board needs to stay in, like, the watchtower of a fire. They need to get up in the watchtower and not get down into the weeds. They do a great training on that about, that you need to stay at the 20,000 foot level. We have a great board that has been able to do that."
Couchman also thanked Monte Cross for his service to USD 313 as he will be leaving the board after being defeated by Swanson on Tuesday.