December’s meeting was the last for board president JoAnne Harmon and board vice president Sandy Student.
Two members of the Evesham Township School District Board of Education said goodbye to their time on the board this week.
Board president JoAnne Harmon and vice president Sandy Student each decided against running for re-election this year, meaning the board’s December meeting was their final time sitting in front of the board’s audience, rather than among the board’s audience.
Harmon began her time on board in 2013 after being chosen by the board to fill a vacancy.
Later that year, Harmon went on to win the election to complete the unexpired one-year term of her seat, and the following year, Harmon won a full, three-year seat.
In her time on board, Harmon has served as president and vice president.
Student began his time on the board in 2004, back when New Jersey’s school board elections were still held in the spring.
Student served until 2007, but he later re-joined the board in 2008 and won multiple terms since that time until his decision not to run again earlier this year.
In his time on board, Student has also served as president and vice president.
Harmon said serving on the BOE had been an honor, but she described this week’s meeting as a bittersweet day.
Harmon touched on both the highs and lows of her time on board, such as lifelong friendships she had been able to form with fellow board members and the difficult decisions she’s had to make while serving.
“Being a school board member is a difficult job,” Harmon said. “Being a school board member in Evesham Township is a tremendously difficult job.”
However, Harmon said all board members, district staff and members of the community were part of the district because they care about the children of the township and want the best Evesham’s schools.
“We need to all remember that commonality when we have discussions, when we have disagreements, and when we share our thoughts on social media,” Harmon said. “We need to learn to better see things from each other’s perspectives, and we need to always choose kind.”
For his part, Student said he had many “tremendous” memories during his time on the board, including serving with three superintendents and many board members.
Student said that while he may not always agree with his fellow board members, he still wanted to thank them for the time and sacrifice it takes to serve as a member of the board of education, which he said could often be a thankless job.
“I don’t think that the residents realize the sacrifice, whether it’s financial or time away from your families, but it is significant,” Student said.
Student said he was proud to recall how the district helped those in need during Superstorm Sandy and how he watched the growth of technology in the district for students and staff since he first started on the board.
Looking toward the future, Student said the board still has multiple concerns to deal with, such as declining enrollments, rising health-care costs and the growth in the cost of services for special needs students.
Overall, Student said while he often found himself at odds with people on the board and in the audience during his many years serving, he described public education as critical for the United State’s success as a nation.
“We should tolerate diversity of thought … change is only the constant,” Student said.
Multiple board members also offered Harmon and Student well wishes, including board member Joe Fisicaro Jr., who spoke on behalf of the BOE at the end of the evening and thanked Harmon and Student for what he described as their “unbelievable” years of their service to the board.
