Tyrone resident Luther Laird is one of six candidates who are running for five open seats on the Tyrone Area School District Board of Directors. Laird is seeking his second term on the board.
“I believe that I am qualified to serve on the board,” said Laird. “I have four years of experience, I have taken training classes to become a better board member and I am dependable. I decided just before I retired from Westvaco to run for the school board. I felt my kids got a good education at Tyrone and I want to see that continue. I am still interested in doing the best for the kids and taxpayers.”
According to Laird, meeting the president’s No Child Left Behind standards is the biggest issue facing the district today.
“The No Child Left Behind program pits a lot of demands on a lot of schools,” said Laird. “We have a lot of work to do and a short time to get it done. We are doing everything we can to make our yearly progress necessary according to the program. I believe that if any school district will meet these standards, Tyrone will.”
The district has taken a lead role in trying to fight the drug problem in the Tyrone school district.
“We put more teeth into the drug awareness policy this summer,” said Laird. “Our main interest in the drug awareness and drug testing policy is two fold. It is meant to be a deterrent and also we want to help kids who have a problem. There is a big problem in our town. The teeth that went into the drug awareness policy was a response to the senior interviews conducted last year. Many were upset that a drug user was able to walk the stage with them. We made the policy tougher and we also have the goal to get help to the kids who need it.”
Tyrone is looking at expanding the middle school at a possible cost of $8 million.
“This addition was planned with the new elementary school project, but we couldn’t do it then because of the Devon-Black issue,” said Laird.
“Now that the money has been recouped, we need to look hard at this project. We need a gym and other classrooms. It will create a separate middle school that will be beneficial to students. I feel that with I-99 being completed, more people will be locating to our area. We need to plan for the growth. People look for an excellent school system when they relocate and we have that to offer. We have the money to pay for the expansion and I believe that we should do it.”
Laird will keep his independence if he is re-elected to the board.
“I don’t jump on any bandwagon,” said Laird. “I listen to the concerns of the people and do what I feel is best for the students and taxpayers. I plan to continue going to classes to be a better school board member, stay informed with the issues and continue to do what is fair for everyone.”
Laird’s name will appear on both the Republican and Democratic ballot.
