Two long-standing members of Bartlett’s Board of Education will seek to continue their standing directing the suburban school districts, running for reelection in November.
Erin Berry in Position 2 and Bryan Woodruff, the Position 4 member, both have served on the board since its inception. They have seen the $60 million renovation of Bartlett High, the move of the central office from the high school campus to Stage Road and other steps in the nine years since the municipal district was formed.
Thus far, no opponents have announced to challenge either of the incumbents on the Nov. 8 municipal ballot.
In addition to the two school board seats, Bartlett voters will select a new mayor and aldermen in Positions 1, 2 and 3. All of the offices are for four-year terms.
The Bartlett City Schools board seats currently occupied by David Cook, Shirley Jackson and Brad Ratliff will be up for election in 2024.
“At this time, I do plan to run for at least one more term,” said Berry, who is motivated by her two children attending Bartlett High. “I want them to grow up and be proud of the city and schools they grew up in no matter what the future holds for them.”
Berry grew up in Bartlett, went to Bartlett schools and graduated from Bartlett High in 1998. For the past 20-plus years, she has worked at Camco Roofing Supplies in accounting.
“I love this city, growing up here and now we’re raising our children here,” she said.
Serving on the school board is a way she can give back to the community. Staying on top of important legislation is an ongoing challenge all districts face. She says such laws earmarked for education “can either help or hurt schools” whether in funding, testing, teachers’ salaries or new standards.
Gauging student achievement is the wake of the pandemic is also a critical area districts will face in the next few years.
“The last couple of years districts have been working on learning loss and getting help for the students who might have fallen behind,” she said.
Woodruff, like Berry plans to continue his tenure on the board as he has since its inception.
“We’ve made incredible progress in advancing education and aligning our programs to industry demand,” he said. “We have integrated technology into the daily learning process for all students, and we have high-tech high school programs as well as a growing portfolio of programs to give kids a head start into specialized industries.”
He is proud of the district and what has been accomplished so far but feels like there is a lot more to be done. There are many factors that motivate him.
“The primary reason I serve is because I believe the quality of education that we provide our kids is one of the strongest influences on the quality of our community in the years and generations ahead,” he said.
Woodruff and his family moved to Bartlett in the 1970s, and he grew up in the city. Now he and his wife raise their family there.
“My goal is that our community maintains the quality of life that we enjoy, and our kids choose to raise their families here as well,” he said. “Having a top school district is key to achieving that goal.“
Woodruff, who works as Manager of Solutions Architecture for Lumen Technologies, has four children currently attending BCS schools.
“Education is beginning to evolve in exciting new ways. We are seeing industry, technology, and education intersect unlike ever before,” said Woodruff. “We must continue to advance our understanding of what knowledge and skills our kids need in order to achieve their dreams and goals in this changing world. One of the greatest risks to education is that we get stuck in a mindset of doing what we know works and failing to advance out of fear and uncertainty.”
In Bartlett, he hopes to focus on advancing education through the integration of technology into the learning process from a young age, aligning with local industry, and growing and advancing the district’s STEAM programs.