Service has always been important to Sofie Alexander.
She credits her parents for setting a good example growing up in Kansas City. Later, when she attended DePaul University in Chicago, service learning was emphasized.
She served on a leadership board at her church in Kansas City and worked for a number of non-profit organizations before moving to Iola five years ago with her husband, Ben Alexander, who owns Southwind Cycle and Outdoor.
Since coming to Iola, she has worked for the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, first as practice manager and now as part of the electronic records team.
“We have put down roots with owning the bike shop and just kind of building a community of friends,” she said.
She sees the seat on the school board as another opportunity to serve.
Alexander has attended a handful of school board meetings in recent months. At times, she’s spoken about the board’s response to COVID-19. Her position is to follow the recommendations of local, state and federal health officials, which includes students and staff wearing face masks.
Ultimately, though, she decided to run for a seat on the school board because of another issue: bullying.
“I was hearing from community members that the schools have a pattern of not addressing bullying, so that was a motivating factor,” she said.
What do you think the school board can do to address bullying?
“At the meetings I’ve attended, I’ve heard them talk about board retreats and things they’ve done like a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis,” she said.
“Those sorts of activities are really helpful for building trust within the board, setting goals and having some sort of framework to go back and check.”
She would continue those practices, and encourage the board to explore creative solutions for bullying and related issues.
She cited a program at the Humboldt school district, which works with the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center and invites community members to participate in various breakout sessions.
“I see that as a way to build a different culture. It’s been very positive for them.”
Ultimately, though, it’s important to make sure all the needs of children can be met. That means everything from their social-emotional needs to food and transportation.
“I’m really happy school lunches are free this year. I think it’s a great way to make it an equal playing field,” she said.
“Another of those basic needs is just making sure kids can get to school safely and on time.”
She pointed to efforts to build a walking trail to the new elementary school. She also would encourage the board to expand its transportation offerings to make sure all children have access.
This board will oversee the completion of the new elementary school and decide what to do about existing school buildings. What would you like to see happen?
The district’s facilities are a “really cool bright spot in our community,” she said. Alexander included the LaHarpe Regional Rural Technical Center as well as the new science center at the high school and the elementary school.
“I got to see the new science building when they did their open house. It is gorgeous. It looks like we have some room to grow there, as well as find the right staff to fill open positions,” she said. “I think our students are going to have a great opportunity there.”
She hopes to see the school board build on those strengths.
She also believes the current elementary buildings will be a valuable resource for the community and hopes they will be put to good use.
The current board already has started the process to request proposals for those buildings, and Alexander attended the meeting where they discussed the issue.
“The board does have the final responsibility to accept any proposal,” she said.
“They are buildings the community has paid for and invested in. If I were on the board, I would advocate for some sort of community-minded use.”
One suggestion is to convert one or more of the buildings to housing, such as for senior apartments.
“Housing is a hot button issue at the city level and the county commission. I would love to see if there is a group that has some sort of proposal for that.”
Since the pandemic, the board has heard very passionate pleas from parents regarding COVID-19 policies. How would you address those issues?
The board’s policies have an impact on families, not just students but their parents and grandparents, she said. When students are exposed and have to stay home, parents and caregivers have to take off work or rearrange their schedules.
The board has a “Test to Stay and Learn” policy that allows students to remain in school, but there are still times when a student must be quarantined.
“They’re also having to make decisions about whether they feel safe interacting with people who might have different health needs,” she said. “They are having to make those difficult decisions and I think that is placing an undue stress and burden on our families.”
The solution is follow the advice of local, state and federal health officials, she said.
“It’s important we support policies that keep kids, staff and families healthy. The places I go to for guidance are our public health organizations like the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and our local health department. We don’t need to be creating our own policies and procedures when we have public health experts giving us that good advice.”
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