Next Tuesday, April 5th, Southern Boone residents will have an opportunity to participate in one of the most important municipal elections in recent memory. In addition to deciding who will be Ashland’s next mayor, filling seats on the Board of Aldermen, approving a local use tax, and voting on a no-tax-increase bond issue to improve facilities at the high school including long-overdue upgrades to the football/soccer field and track, citizens will choose who among five candidates are best suited to fill two seats on the SoBoCo Board of Education.
Several people have asked for my opinion on the school board election, and I have told all of them without hesitation that I will be voting for Crystal Branch and Barrett Glascock.
Coach Branch, as she is known by many, is a personal friend of mine and my former coworker at Southern Boone Primary School. I think it is fair to say that no one in the history of our community has done more to support SoBoCo students than Crystal Branch. A graduate of Southern Boone High School, Crystal earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in athletic administration and spent all 24 years of her teaching career and 25 years of her coaching career here in the Southern Boone School District.
Ask any of her former students, athletes, and coworkers and they will tell you that Coach Branch is the best there is.
Even in her free time, Crystal has always been a huge supporter of the young people in our community, attending youth sporting events, school plays and concerts, and FFA functions. Recently, she travelled all the way to Arkansas to watch a former student compete in one track event. Her devotion to the kids in our district has no bounds.
Although she is known as Coach Branch, Crystal is also known for being one of the most highly respected educators in our school district. She was a mentor to many new teachers over the years (including myself) who benefitted from her wisdom and experience. Don’t ever make the mistake of dismissing her as simply a “gym teacher”. Crystal was a professional educator who made a tremendous difference in the lives of her students and coworkers.
For all of these reasons, Crystal is the most qualified school board candidate running in this election, rivalled only by Barrett Glascock.
Of all the current school board members, Barrett is by far the most experienced and best qualified for the job. He has served on the board for many years, including in the capacity of board president. In some shape or form, Barrett has had a hand in all of the facility improvements our district has made over the last several years. His vision, leadership, and dedication has made the Southern Boone School District the envy of every “small” district in the state.
But there’s much more to Barrett than being a school board member. He has been a pillar of the community as a member of the Optimist Club, an organization devoted to serving the youth. He is also a long-time member of the Southern Boone County Fire Protection District Board as well as a certified first responder. Last fall, when I interviewed him for a news story in the paper, Barrett mentioned that he had responded to an emergency call just a few days earlier. A Southern Boone resident had gone into cardiac arrest, and Barrett was the first to arrive on the scene. The patient was unresponsive and had no pulse at the time Barrett began CPR. Thanks to his quick-thinking and years of training, Barrett was able to re-establish a heartbeat and save the man’s life.
Barrett Glascock is a true hero, although he’s far too humble to admit it.
Crystal Branch and Barrett Glascock represent the very best of Southern Boone County. They are two of the finest people you will ever meet, people who have dedicated their lives to serving our community. It is not possible to find two candidates who are more qualified or better suited to serve on our school board. I will be proud to vote for them both on April 5th.
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