January is School Board Recognition Month
January is , and we want to spotlight our聽Board of Trustees聽and all the great work they do. This year the theme for the month is 鈥淟eadership for Tomorrow鈥檚 Texas.鈥
Today we’re spotlighting board trustee Leanne Haynes. 91制片厂 parent has been on the board since 2023.
What are you most excited about for the district in 2025?
Over the last year, Dr. Smith has made some incredible strides here in the district. He has built trust and started to chip away at the culture concerns that have been expressed throughout the district. I am excited to be a part of that change. Our board is committed to having hard discussions and doing the work to ensure that Dr. Smith and his staff have the resources they need to continue moving our district forward. I am also really excited about some of the big 2019 Bond work that is set to wrap up this year. Specifically, the completion of our new school, Joey Rodriguez Junior High. This school is going to be a game changer for those students, and I cannot wait to welcome them in on their first day. We have so much to be excited about here in AISD 鈥 2025 is going to be a great year!
What do you think聽sets the Arlington聽ISD apart from other school districts?
Hands down, our community! We are blessed to have an engaged and supportive community. Everyone from parents and teachers, to business owners and civic leaders 鈥 they all show up in BIG ways for our students. Thanks to the support of these stakeholders, we are able to provide some incredible experiences and resources to our students and their families. I never cease to be amazed at how time and time again our Arlington community rallies together to provide incredible opportunities and experiences for our students.
What do you think of the upcoming legislative session?
One of the most important ways that we as board members can serve our community well is by advocating for the best interests of our students and teachers.聽What is currently taking place in Austin is NOT in the best interest of our students and teachers. We have a lot of work to do throughout this legislative session and I am thankful that our board is unified and committed in our efforts to elevate public education.聽We can鈥檛 do this work alone, though 鈥 we need our community to stay informed, ask questions and speak out in support of public education.
The theme for this Board Appreciation Month is 鈥淟eadership for Tomorrow鈥檚 Texas.鈥 How vital a role does a board play in the success of a school district?
The success of a school district is directly tied to the work that school board members do.聽Our governance role is not a glamorous one, but it is essential to ensuring that a district is functioning at its highest level.聽Through the adoption of a strategic plan and various district priorities, our board has the ability to set the district up for tremendous success in the future. 鈥淟eadership for Tomorrow鈥檚 Texas鈥 is a fitting theme because the work that we are doing today as school board members is laying the foundation for future students and staff to have an exceptional experience in our district.
Do you have a favorite place to get pizza in Arlington?
Cici鈥檚 Pizza on Little Road is our go-to pizza place.聽They are fantastic about accommodating my son鈥檚 food allergies.聽More times than I can count, Cici鈥檚 has come in clutch with an allergy-friendly pizza for my son to have for a school party or family gathering.聽The owner, Mark Shelton, is an AISD parent and a huge supporter of our district, so I try to make sure that my family and everyone we know give all of their pizza business to them.聽