They have only been on the Clinton City Board of Education for less than a month, and so far, the three new members — Carol Worley, Georgina Zeng and Randy Barefoot — say they are enjoying their posts.

“Everything has been going very smoothly,” said Worley. “I feel like everything is off to a positive start and the communications have been going well for all of us.”

Zeng agrees.

“To me, this is already a fabulous school system,” she said. “There is always room for improvement and we are all working together and learning together for the betterment of our children’s education and I feel like we are a great team.”

“One of the key things that I have seen so far is the unity the board has already,” noted Barefoot. “I think we have a good new leader in Dr. (Michael) Basham. He has come in and put his protocol, so-to-speak, into place and that helps us see the things that he wants to do and I think, as a board, we have to support him and his employees.”

For the new superintendent, the enthusiasm the three bring to the mix is appreciated.

“All three of these board members have attended the state conference and I commend them for that,” said Basham, “because a lot of new board members won’t even go to those meetings. It is a lot of time, but it also gives you a great insight to the roles and the responsibilities of new board members. I think that it comes as a surprise to most people, the level of responsibility a board member has and it is great to see how excited they are to be involved with the process.”

That point didn’t fall short on the trio, who share the Clinton City Board of Education with Diane Viser, Kathleen Squibb, and E.R. Mason.

“I was very surprised at the amount of work there is,” admits Zeng. “But I have also learned so much more. Especially about leadership and training ... As a parent, I knew the system quite well, but as a board member, I am learning so much more about the system and everything that is involved with it.”

“Those orientation classes laid out a strong foundation for us,” said Worley. “They were able to expand on a lot of things and we could ask questions and have dialogue with them to learn so much more about what we would be in store for (as board members). We have been out there looking at things from a parent’s perspective and now, being able to get in on the other side, we are able to see why things are the way they are; it was a very good class for us.”

Barefoot agrees.

“It gave us the scope of what the administration and the school boards around the state have to go through ... I think it puts everything in more perspective.”

That perspective is crucial since all three board members have a lot invested in the system — all three have children attending Clinton City Schools.

“I think we all do because we have that vested interest,” said Barefoot. “To be honest, I don’t think it puts more pressure on us because I just didn’t do this for my kids ... I did it for the community and all the kids. For someone who actually grew up in this system, this community has given a lot back to me personally. I thought by doing this, it would be just a small token of giving back what was already given to me.”

“I agree with Randy,” said Worley. “I don’t have added pressure, it is just the added responsibility. Anything that I would have done for my child, will now be done for others — the decisions that we make will benefit all the children, not just ours. It is like he said, it is another way of giving back to our community and giving back to all the children.”

Worley, Zeng and Barefoot say their focus has not wavered since the election, and will not until they have exerted all efforts to help every child in the system.

“My focus has not changed,” said Zeng. “I am still concerned about the dropout rates and I am working with Dr. Basham on ways to help with that. And also getting more help with the More At Four programs. Dr. Basham is a great leader and I have bestowed all my trust in him.”

Barefoot said that he wants to make Clinton City Schools the best school system in the state.

“I think all of our focuses are the same coming in here,” said Barefoot. “It is new to all of us, so any of the reasoning behind certain ideas could take some time to get into place as well. There are six people on this board and we all have to come together on the decisions — there is no ‘I’ in team. We have got to work together ... It is a great system already. The key is working together and promoting all of the kids.”

“Working together, we are going to make a difference here,” added Zeng with confidence.

“We are out to do what is best for the children,” said Worley. “We all have the same goal, it is just getting together and finding the same ways of getting to those goals. We have been bonding and communicating with each other — this has been crucial and will be crucial to our success.”

Despite some past controversies, the new board members want to reach out to the public and help usher in those ideas as well.

“I think as a board, any organization or any individual has the right to speak,” said Barefoot. “We need to listen to anyone who has an opinion. But on the other side of that, as a board, we need to stick to our guns, if we do not agree with those opinions.”

“Being as many of us as there are,” said Worley, “we are all going to have different opinions. But I think that it has to be done in a professional manner.”

“We have to have an open mind,” said Zeng. “We have to be unbiased and allow everyone have a turn to be heard — it is why we are here.”

Coming in to a new system with three new board members, you would think it would be a daunting task, but Basham says that the fit is a comfortable one in Clinton City Schools.

“It makes me feel good to have them come in like this,” said Basham. “The administration and board always works together and if we need to do something, the board shouldn’t mind telling us what it is. Because the bottom line is — this board represents the citizens and if they want to give us good advice, we are smart enough to follow it.”

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@heartlandpublications.com.