“Would you be interested in running for school board?” was the question Peggy Udelhoven was asked in 1999 by a member of the school board. She was expecting her fifth child, so she said no. She was then asked the same question in December of 2000 by a board member who was not running again, and she said yes. She was elected to the Potosi School Board in April of 2001, and is still on the board today. The term for board members is three years.
Peggy said that she has an interest in the education of the children and tries to do what she feels is the best for them. As a board member she helps adopt policies, approve school curriculum, set vision and goals for the district, hire and evaluate the superintendent, adopt the annual budget, set the school calendar, and she is an advocate for the children and the community.
The year before she was elected to the board, a referendum was passed to remove the mobile homes that were used as classrooms on the south side of the elementary school. She was involved with the referendum for the addition of the Keith Carlton Livens Auditorium and classrooms, along with updates to the school. Once the mobile homes were removed, an addition was added to the school and other classrooms were updated.
Peggy said when she was first on the board they received all of the information for their board meetings on paper, sent via the mail. Now the information is entered in BoardBook where each member has their own login to get their information on their laptops.
She said that she has told new members to bring their own opinions to the board and to vote they way they feel; that they don’t have to agree with everyone else. Peggy feels that the board doesn’t always have to agree on everything, but when they don’t, it actually has led to some of their best discussions.
Peggy said that she believes that being on a school board is challenging and rewarding all at the same time. When making decisions you need to think about what is best for the students, parents, staff, and community members, and hopefully, your actions encompass this.