Meet Your School Board Member: Ruby Foil

CentralSpeaks.com has sent letters to all of the School Board members asking them to participate in Meet You School Board Member.  One person each week will be highlighted until everyone on the School Board has been represented.  School Board members were asked to submit a three part article, including a short bio, their answer to the question, "What do you see as the most important issue(s) facing the Central Community School System over the next few years?," and anything else that they would like to say to the citizens of Central.  Responses will not be changed or edited without the consent of the School Board Member who submitted them.  This week's School Board Member is Mrs. Ruby Wallette Foil.

I am Ruby Wallette Foil and I am honored to represent District 6 on the Central Community School Board. Before serving on the School Board, I taught at all levels from pre-K to college graduate classes. I was also a school counselor and an elementary school principal. Twenty eight years of my service were spent at Bellingrath Hills Elementary School. I earned a B.A. and M.A. from Northwestern State University and I earned an additional 70 hours in counseling and administration from LSU, SLU, and the University of Auburn. I am married to Larry Foil, who is also a retired teacher and administrator. I have three children (all graduates of Central High School), one stepson and nine grandchildren. I am a member of Covenant Community Church.

Even though the Central Community School Board has made amazing achievements in the last three and a half years, there is still much that we want to accomplish. I believe some of the most important issues facing us in the next few years will be to continue to provide outstanding educational experiences for all students and to attract and keep highly skilled and experienced teachers in spite of a rapid increase in student enrollment and state budget cuts The state has some mandated programs that they are requiring the local school districts to fund; therefore our system must try to minimize the impact of cuts from the state and find ways to streamline our resources without compromising our effectiveness. The state of the economy requires vigilance over both educational excellence and conservative fiscal practice.

We are so grateful that the voters trusted our school board enough to pass three propositions to fund two new schools and to improve the other facilities. We are so excited about the prospect of providing our students with attractive, safe and comfortable school in which the entire community can take pride. Keeping your trust is very important to us, so we are carefully monitoring how your money is being spent. It is my desire that our school system offers the highest quality of education in a supportive, innovative learning environment that will foster success for each student. It is my goal for us to be the highest performing school district in the state.