Lingleville ISD Vice President Larry Griffin is running for re-election in place for School Board member place 3 against challenger Jerod James in the Nov. 5 general election.
“I had several people from the community ask me to run and I had been considering it myself so I decided to go for it,” said Griffin.
Griffin was first elected to the board in 2000 and served as president before stepping down to VP three years ago.
“If re-elected, I plan to step down as Vice President and help train another member in the role of president and Vice President,” he said.
“I have learned that it requires a lot more time than most people think [to learn about school board operations],” Griffin reported. “From keeping up with training to preparing for board meetings, serving on committees and taking phone calls from community members and parents. You have to truly enjoy it to invest so much time without pay.”
Griffin also added that he would like to see the district continue to strive for academic excellence and continue hiring highly qualified teachers while keeping taxes at a minimum.
When asked about what goals he was proud of during his time on the board, Griffin said there were many from bringing back the six-man football team to the construction of new buildings. “We were able to accomplish these goals while keeping taxes at minimum and maintaining a healthy fund balance for the district,” he said. “The new cafeteria had the biggest impact because all students from K-12 are enjoying it and it’s available for the community to use.”
This interdependence is key to the Lingleville community, according to Griffin. “The district and community are one,” he elaborated. “Decisions made by one will affect the other. It’s imperative to maintain good district-community relationships. Members of the community have always been willing help when called upon to do so.” Griffin and his wife graduated from Lingleville ISD in 1988 and raised two sons through the education system. “Our family has deep roots in Lingleville and we all still live in the district,” he said.