New schools, superintendent keep Valley PTAs on the move

By PAT HOGAN WEAVER
Special to the Daily News

Parent Teacher Associations in the Matanuska-Susitna Valleys will be very busy this year doing more than fund-raising.

You can expect area chapters to work with parents, teachers and community members reviewing results from the Benchmark Exams and the High School Qualifying Exit Exam.

Members will participate in the Educational Summit in Girdwood this fall, attend a national conference called Re-engineering School Finance and serve on the School Designator Committee for the Department of Education and Early Development.

Our first new school in eight years will open, Meadow Lakes. This will reduce student population at Big Lake Elementary, Goose Bay and Snow Shoe. Goose Bay Elementary is only eight years old and had two portables for the last two years.

Work on Talkeetna Elementary should also be complete. The Larson Elementary School should relieve over-crowding at Tanaina and Finger Lake when it opens next fall. The Teeland Middle School is also on target as are additional repairs and remodeling efforts.

The new Houston High will allow a Middle School to replace Houston Junior/Senior High when it is built. When new schools are built, boundaries have to change.

We also have a new Superintendent, Pat Chesbro. She is well known throughout the school district for her innovative and challenging decisions as former principal at Palmer High. Mrs. Chesbro seems eager to open all doors in the Mat-Su School District to staff, parents and community members. Her office number is 746-9255. If you drop by her office, don’t be surprised if she isn’t in. She will most likely be visiting one of our 31 schools.

The 2000-2001 school year looks to be very exciting and challenging for all of us. Elections will be coming soon – the tax cap initiative, school board seats, assembly seats, mayor, state legislative seats, plus the federal elections. Voting is our right and responsibility.

Welcome back to school. Take an active role in your community PTA and give it your best effort.

Pat Hogan Weaver is president of the Matanuska-Susitna Council PTA.

©2000 Anchorage Daily News