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My name is Jared Kail. I have had the privilege of serving on the Fremont County School District #1 Board of Trustees for the past eight years, including as Board Chair. I have decided not to seek re-election. It is time to step aside and let another member of our community, dedicated to our children’s education, help shape the future of our district.
This is my way of saying thank you.
Thank you for the trust you placed in me, the support you have shown over the last eight years, and the invaluable feedback you have provided the Board. I believe our district has accomplished great things over my two terms, and I hope you do too.
As I wind down my tenure, I want to share a few things I’ve learned along the way.
First, and most importantly, kids are capable of great things when we set high expectations and hold them accountable—not just for their actions, but to their capabilities. Kids will meet the expectations we set for them, whether that bar is high or low. We owe it to them to set it high.
Second, FCSD #1 is a fantastic district in which to educate a child. Wyoming is one of only a handful of states where virtually every student takes the ACT—we don’t cherry-pick only college-bound students. Under that standard, Wyoming consistently ranks #1 or #2 nationally among states testing all of their students. Lander Valley High School has historically ranked among Wyoming’s top-performing public high schools on that same exam. Our students routinely out-compete kids from across this nation.
Our success goes far beyond test scores. We have strong graduation rates; outstanding Advanced Placement participation; a unique, valuable alternative setting for high school students; and top-notch educational and vocational programs. Our students graduate prepared to successfully navigate whatever comes next – college, military service, the trades, or the workforce – with the skills, knowledge, and work ethic necessary to succeed.
It is popular today to point at national trends and castigate all of public education. I get it. Public education isn’t for every family or every child. But I can confidently say that our district, under the creative and competent leadership of Superintendent Mike Harris, excels at preparing our students for the future. Our administrators constantly focus on improving teaching quality, our teachers are excellent, and throughout the district our staff focuses first and foremost on the needs of kids.
Of course, our district isn’t perfect. We face difficult funding decisions and uncertainty in the years ahead. I hope strong, traditional-valued, education-focused school board candidates will step forward this fall. If you are such a person and are invested in seeing our kids succeed, I urge you to consider running.
Our kids deserve your strong leadership.
Serving this community has been a great honor. Thank you for giving me that opportunity.
With deepest appreciation,
Jared
Editor’s Note: The filing deadline for nonpartisan races, such as those for school boards, is August 24. Click here for details.