These last two years have been, overall, very good ones for Whitewater’s public schools: a renewed interest in the curriculum, including the creative option of a charter school, the preservation via agreement of workers’ bargaining rights for another two years, the cancellation of an expensive plan to go to referendum, and significant budget cuts that saved hundreds of thousands while still preserving key services.
That’s a fine record of accomplishment. There’s more to do, but no two year period during the last decade has produced better fruit. So very well done.
Whitewater’s school board took a chance on an internal process, one that I described as risky, and yet for it all, the board has chosen very well in selecting Eric Runez as our next district administrator. He has a fine record of accomplishment in our district, and elsewhere before his arrival here. In any pool of candidates, internal or external, Runez would have been a competitive, first-tier candidate.
Our community has its share of difficulties, of a portion greater than anyone would like, but we should have no doubt that we can overcome them. This sound selection makes overcoming difficulties, and achieving enduring successes, more likely.
Today was a good day for Whitewater. We have never needed competitive schools more, and this choice gives us a solid administrator, to build on two years of good policies, to lead this district. Despite this difficult economy, one has reason to be optimistic. Whitewater’s schools have a chance to continue on a path to offer more, and to do more, thereby assuring Whitewater a bright future.