Ray-Pec Community,
There are seven parents in this community who have been elected to serve our students, staff, and the entire school district through complex and demanding challenges. I am speaking of our Raymore-Peculiar Board of Education. The last two years have been some of the most challenging ever in public education, and our Board of Education has been there to help guide, direct, and support our students, staff, and community through it all.
March 6 - 12 is School Board Recognition Week in Missouri, by proclamation of Gov. Mike Parson. I want to publicly thank our members of the Board for their service to our great community. Board members are:
- President Ruth Johnson
- Vice-president Paul Coffman
- Aaron Howlett
- Bill Lowe
- Billy King
- Deanna Olson
- Kim York
All Board members come with different backgrounds and experiences. However, they come together on the school board with the common goal of helping students realize the mission of the Ray-Pec School District. The demand on their time is significant, and I know all of us sincerely appreciate everything the Board does to make the educational experience for students the best it can be.
Over the past couple of years, we have continued to move forward as a district despite the challenges that we have faced. Our Board has been instrumental in leading the way. While some of the decisions have been challenging, I know that all decisions are made with the best interests of students, staff, and community in mind.
The successes have been many, and I look forward to continued success in the future.
On a more somber note, I do want to mention what happened today in nearby Olathe. Our hearts break for all of those impacted by the tragedy at Olathe East High School. This is truly a sad day for that community. We reached out to Olathe school district officials earlier today and offered any assistance we can provide.
When situations like this occur, I know that feelings of vulnerability can surface. Those feelings are normal and expected. If your student wants to talk about those feelings, our school counselors and mental health specialists are available.
Thank you for entrusting your children to the Ray-Pec School District.
Mike Slagle
