I can barely write “school board” without writing “Luke Davis,” but I have to get over that, because after serving on the board for 12 years, Davis has retired.
So, who is Adam Meierhofer?
He is a physical therapist, a homeowner and a business owner (Amberly Place, an assisted living facility) in Lake Highlands. He and his wife, Brandy, moved here 10 years ago because they enjoyed the close proximity of White Rock Lake, and also because of Richardson ISD schools. Two of their three children will attend Moss Haven Elementary this fall.
Meierhofer’s involvement with the LH Exchange Club led him and co-chair Tate Gorman to organize our neighborhood’s first-ever, highly successful Oktoberfest in 2011. Will he do it again this year?
“I tried to get out of it,” he says, smiling — but his excitement at building on last year’s success is unmistakable.
So what led him to run for the school board?
“I didn’t run for this position because I felt like there were any broken parts,” he says.
In fact, his candidacy was the result of a “tap on the shoulder” from Exchange Club members, which surprised him at first.
Luke Davis says the experience was similar for him.
“People see someone who’s willing to step forward,” Davis says. “Adam has made his mark and been a positive force of community action.”
Davis also believes it’s good to have balance on the board. Parents of young children bring fresh ideas to the mix of seasoned board members’ wisdom and experience.
A strong pull toward the LH community also pushed Meierhofer to run.
“What impresses me about LH is that we grab on, and hold dear our own,” Meierhofer says. “Whether it’s the Burmese influx at Wallace Elementary, or apartment and neighborhood kids, or special needs children.”
He has even known families that have passed up job opportunities elsewhere because they did not want to leave our community.
Meierhofer was inducted into the RISD board of trustees in May.
He is especially impressed with RISD’s financial stewardship.
“One of the biggest responsibilities of a trustee is fiduciary responsibility, and using tax dollars wisely,” he says.
He admires Tony Harkleroad, RISD’s finance officer, for making conservative predictions when it comes to spending and budgeting. For example, RISD teachers have not received raises for the past two years, partly because the district polled teachers and community stakeholders, who expressed a preference for salary freezes over layoffs.
“We had a budget surplus this year,” Meierhofer says. “But we didn’t institute raises, knowing that right now there’s no foreseeable action by the Legislature to increase funding.”
Instead of raises, RISD teachers can look forward to a 2 percent bonus in the coming school year. Decisions like this are tough, he says, but they are one reason RISD’s bonds are among the highest- rated in the state.
Meierhofer is most enthusiastic when he talks about how RISD continues to embrace new technology. The district has invested significant time to research devices, and as a result, has an understanding of which type of device is best for students at different grade levels.
Most important, he says, RISD has looked at which applications are the most meaningful in classrooms. When a teacher requests a technology upgrade, the teacher is required to explain how they will specifically use the technology in the classroom.
Last year, for the first time, RISD high schools allowed students to use their cell phones to text each other between classes, which was a departure from the past policy of zero cell-phone tolerance.
“Starting next year, all students can bring their own device to school,” Meierhofer says, “I think this is pretty bold for a large district.”
RISD’s Strategic Technology Committee has already instituted an abbreviation: BYOD, Bring Your Own Device, which will allow students in grades six through 12 to use wi-fi provided by the district, subject to teacher approval.
Really? iPads? Laptops? Smart phones?
“Sure,” Meierhofer said. “It’s about engaging students. It’s what we feel best facilitates their success. Find something that’s interesting to them, and let them run with it.”
Bold indeed — the idea brings up a lot of questions, more than I have room for here. Is your mind racing yet?
Remember, Adam Meierhofer just joined the board in May, so this wasn’t his idea. But from what I can tell, he’s learning fast.
