:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/MZDJJZOPV5BMJWCSRF3VVVANGE.jpg)
To call the Newton Community School District board of education an "eclectic" mix probably wouldn't be fair — partly because practically no one wants to be called eclectic.
However, the 2014-15 Newton school board does have a varied group when it comes to career fields, background, college educations and hometowns. Public education, financial sector and the medical field are just a few of the realms the board members know from everyday experience.
Members of the board of education are elected at large for four-year terms. The board is set up to have three positions up for election in one odd-numbered year, with the other four up for election in the following odd-numbered year. They receive no pay for their service. the school board has complete and final control over local school matters, within limits set by laws and regulations.
The board of education is a policy-making body, and its decisions are carried out by school administrators. The board functions as a whole, and its authority lies within the will of its majority.
No board member has power to act independently, and certain quorum rules prevent a majority of board members from convening to discuss school business. Board meetings are held every second and fourth Monday of each month. There are also special work sessions open to the public, while some meetings and sessions closed to comply with privacy laws.
There were no elections in 2014, but Sheri Benson took over for Andy Elbert as board president in the fall. Donna Cook, Nat Clark and Bill Perrenoud are up for re-election in September 2015, with the current terms of the other four members expiring in 2017.
Here is the 2014-15 board:
Sheri Benson, Board President
Contact Information:
Phone: 641-417-0226
1209 W 16th Street South, #205, Newton, Iowa, 50208
E-mail: slb04362@gmail.com
Term Expires: 2017
Benson calls herself a strong advocate for life-long learning, and believes learning is the key to a free and prosperous society. She moved to Newton as part of her insurance career in 1998.
In addition to serving with the NCSD board, she has served on the United Way Board, SCORE, ????
the Newton Transformation Council and the Jasper County Wellness Coalition.
Benson holds both a bachelor's degree and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma.
Her two adult children, Jordan and Trey, are former NCSD students.
Nat Clark, board member Contact Information:
Phone: 641-792-2234
726 North 2nd Avenue East Newton, Iowa 50208
E-mail: 1natclark@gmail.com
Term Expires: 2015
Clark relocated to Newton with his family in 2007 when he was hired as a Systems Administrator for Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance.
He and his wife, Marci, became and remain heavily involved in their children’s schools through PTA and volunteer work. He enjoys watching his daughters, Hanna and Maxine, participate in community theatre, chorus and band performances as well as working on his motorcycle and fixing/building computers.
Clark spent eight years in the U.S. Navy, including a four-year tour during Operation Desert Storm. He has served as Emerson Hough PTA vice president and is currently membership chair for the Aurora Heights PTA.
Donna Cook, board member
Contact Information:
Phone: 641-791-2665
518 North Second Avenue East, Newton, Iowa 50208
E-mail: dcook2014@gmail.com
Term Expires: 2015
Cook is a registered nurse and the Director of Nursing Services at the Newton Correctional Facility. She grew up in Newton and is a graduate of the Newton Community School District.
She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Iowa. She has been an active volunteer in the community.
Cook said she is passionate about family and community involvement in public education and has served on the local, state, and national Parent Teacher Association. Donna and her husband, Ernie, are most proud of their three children (Newton Alumni): Christopher, Katie, and Kevin.
The Cooks have three grandsons who attend Newton schools.
Andy Elbert, board member
Contact Information: Phone: 641-521-1641
710 W. 9th St. South
Newton, Iowa 50208
E-mail: andyelbert@gmail.com
Term Expires: 2017
Elbert is a Account Executive for KCOB and Energy 106.7 FM radio stations.
He grew up in Ames, and has been a resident of Newton since 1995. Elbert is past president of the Woodrow Wilson PTA and recently completed the Jasper County Community Leader Development program.
Elbert and his wife Jen, a second-grade teacher at Berg Elementary School, have two sons, Spencer and Austin, who attend Newton public schools.
Robyn Friedman, board member
Contact Information:
Phone: 641-787-0911
1500 South 12th Avenue West Newton, Iowa 50208
E-mail: robynpt5@gmail.com
Term Expires: 2017
Friedman is a physical therapist at Skiff Medical Center and has lived in Newton since 2000.
She is a past president of both Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Jefferson PTAs and is still highly active in the PTA. She is also on the YMCA board and the Jasper County Conservation Board and is part of the Newton Wellness Coalition.
She has been a volunteer coach with the Newton HS girls cross country team in the past and remains an avid and accomplished runner herself, specializing in the marathon distance. Her husband is Bryan Friedman.
Their sons, Isaac and Leo, attend Newton public schools, and their daughter, Talia, will start school in the years ahead.
Travis Padget, board member
Contact Information:
Phone: 319-621-4679
511 North 9th Avenue East
Newton, Iowa 50208
E-mail: travispadget@gmail.com
Term Expires: 2017
Padget was born and raised in Newton, and is a 1991 Newton High School graduate. He went to Germany as a foreign-exchange student, then returned to Iowa to attend Cornell College in Mt. Vernon.
While at Cornell College, Travis studied Art, Psychology, and Theatre. Travis moved to Boston in 1996 to work on a Master Degree in mental health counseling at Boston College. His work during and after his M.A. focused on chronic mental health and substance abuse recovery and community integration.
Padget returned to Newton in 2001, and earned a law degree from the University of Iowa Law School in 2006. He then returned to Newton as a full-time resident to continue his work in mental health. Padget has served as Executive Director of the United Way of Jasper County.
Most recently, Padget joined Edward Jones as a Financial Advisor.
Bill Perrenoud, board member
Contact Information
Phone: 641-792-7893
105 Oakwood Avenue
Lambs Grove, Iowa 50208
E-mail: perrenoudbill@gmail.com
Term Expires: 2015
Perrenoud grew up in Newton and taught in the Newton Community School District for 33 years, retiring in 2007.
After 13 years of teaching third grade at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and earning a master's degree, Perrenoud became Newton’s first elementary counselor, splitting his time between Emerson Hough and Woodrow Wilson. As more counselors were hired, he became a full-time counselor at Emerson Hough. Perrenoud was very active in PTA, serving as president of the City-Wide PTA.
After retiring, Perrenoud did extensive substitute teaching for several school districts. For the past four years, he has been employed by Casey's Convenience Store, serving the past 2 years as a manager at a Casey's convenience store in Newton.
Perrenoud has been involved in Lambs Grove for over 25 years, serving as mayor for nearly 10 years. Perrenoud and his wife, Linda, have a daughter, Traci, who lives in Hiawatha.