Iceland named Oak Park board president

Jan Iceland Jan Iceland will serve as president of the Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education for 2009 after being named to the post by fellow board members at their annual reorganization meeting earlier this month.

Iceland takes over from Cindy Vinson. The board selected Mary Rees as the vice president.

Iceland, elected in November to her fifth board term by Oak Park residents, has served as president three times since first joining the board in 1991.

Iceland's goals for the coming year are focused on the school district's budget.

"I'm concerned about the governor's ability to put midyear cuts in after we've already passed a budget," Iceland said. "It's a frightening thing because if we've already spent money, what do we do?"

Iceland also wants to address cyber-bullying, a nationwide problem that she fears might affect Oak Park students.

Maintaining higher level high school classes despite declining enrollment, keeping special education a focus and continuing differentiated curriculum are also priorities for the new president.

"I'm very grateful to all the voters for showing faith in me and returning me to office," Iceland said.

"I particularly appreciate her institutional knowledge of Oak Park schools and her advocacy for public education," Superintendent Tony Knight said. "With all of the state budget cuts looming, I'm sure that Jan will lead us to stand up to Sacramento and demand our fair share of funding for our schools."

Vinson is in the middle of her third, four-year board term. Knight commended Vinson, describing her leadership as "visionary," in particular for her emphasis of handson science education.

This past year the district adopted a handson science curriculum for the elementary schools and employed a full-time science specialist and naturalist through funding from Friends of Oak Park Schools.

"As a scientist herself, Cindy recognizes the importance of inspiring our students to be more curious about the nature of things," Knight said.

For Vinson, the biggest highlights of the year were the passage of the Measure R school facilities bond in November and the renewal of the parcel tax by voters in June.

"I'm so grateful to the voters of Oak Park for recognizing our very real need and voting for Measure R during a time when the economy is bad and I realize people are having a difficult time," Vinson said. "This means that we will be able to repair our buildings and provide safe and modern classrooms for our children."

Future funding will remain a challenge, Vinson added, as the state continues providing only minimum education funding. The passage of the parcel tax, the facilities bond and the 2006 technology bond demonstrate Oak Park's commitment to education.

"I think residents realize that Sacramento will put more of a burden on taxpayers," Vinson said. "If communities want more they will be asked to foot the bill."

This was Vinson's second time serving as president. Although the role involves meeting with the superintendent and keeping the board informed, Vinson describes the Oak Park body as a collaborative one. The president is chosen through a rotating system that has been in place since the district's formation.

"The president in Oak Park does not determine the entire course of the year," Vinson said. "Everyone has an equal say and an equal role."