By Kyle Roberts
This is the first part of a brief series introducing the newest members of the Lincoln Parish School Board in the upcoming term. All three of the members highlighted qualified for the election and will run unopposed.
Each was given the following interview four questions to answer in their own words:
- Why did you choose to run for the school board?
- What does the Lincoln Parish School system do well?
- What are some areas where you would like to see improvement?
- Once you have concluded your time on the board, what do you hope to see accomplished?
By Kyle Roberts
Wynn Rogers will join the Lincoln Parish School Board representing District 6, taking the seat held by Joe Mitcham after qualifying without opposition.
Rogers said his decision to run grew out of his own history in the parish’s schools and the wave of turnover facing the board.
“I grew up in this town, was raised in the public school system here and really benefited from a lot of great teachers, a lot of great staff along the way,” he said. “I’ve been back in town for 20 years now and have raised my kids here, and they’ve all been involved in the public school system.”
The number of upcoming open seats, he said, made the timing matter.
“Seeing a lot of turnover that was taking place and a lot of new seats were going to be available, I wanted to make sure that we had a new board that was looking at the next 20 years and looking at things that need to be done to continue the progress that we made,” Rogers said. “And continuing to have a great system for the next generation.”
Asked what the school system does well, Rogers pointed to its standing statewide.
“The numbers show that our school system is one of the top school systems within the state,” Rogers said. “I think that we all need to recognize that while there’s a lot of things that different people might feel can be improved upon, we do have a strong school system.”
Where he would like to see improvement, Rogers said, is in the relationship between the district and the people who fund it.
“I feel like there’s been some challenges here recently with some trust, especially on the financial side, and I think it all just goes to making sure that people trust that their money is being spent wisely,” he said. “Continuing to build that trust with the community, make sure that they understand that their interests are being heard and that the money is being spent the way that it should be.”
Looking ahead to the end of his time on the board, Rogers named early literacy as the measure he would most want to see move.
“I’d love to see that we have progress and we’ve grown that percentage that read on grade level,” Rogers said. “It’s currently at 70 percent at the early grades, and to see that approaching 100% is a real goal and something that I think we would all like to see.”
He also said the district needs a long-range plan for its buildings.
“That along with a vision for the future for facilities as the community continues to grow, and we need to improve upon and potentially add to our school facilities,” Rogers said. “Having that vision and a plan for the future.”
Rogers is the first of three incoming board members being featured in this series. All three qualified without opposition.
