LHS Board of Trustees appoints Franco to provisional position
The Lassen Union High School District Board of Trustees appointed Joseph Franco to fill the provisional trustee position Tuesday.
During the Oct. 27 special board meeting, the trustees interviewed eight applicants to fill the seat left vacant by Skip Jones in September, and unanimously appointed Franco, according to BJ Hubbard, human resources manager for the district.
“I’m honored and humbled to be selected,” Franco said. “I’ll do my best to serve the students at Lassen High, and I’ll try to do my best to be part of the team of the school board. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to serve our community.”
The appointee is slated to be sworn in and seated at the Dec. 8 board meeting and will hold office until the next regularly scheduled board member election, which will be in November 2022.
In his application for the seat Franco wrote, “I have a bachelor of arts degree from Cal State Long Beach. I have served as a soccer coach for a season on entry-level soccer. I worked with Kindergarten through first grade athletes. I have volunteered as a group leader for Vacation Bible School at Community Church for at least five years focusing on third and fourth graders.
“I have sat on site councils at Johnstonville School and at Meadow View School. I served on a school board for four years at Bangor Union School District and during that time served as the president. I also was elected to two terms on the Susanville City Council and served as the Mayor Pro Term for two years. I’m also retiring from the Forest Service this December after 44 years. My current position was a Timber Sale Contracting Officer covering the Lassen and Modoc NFJs since 2003.”
Franco also wrote about communicating and listening.
“The key to success in most cases is your ability to communicate, be a good listener and do your homework so one is familiar with the topic. One thing I learned is that whatever decision is made not everyone will agree. That is why it is so important to support what you feel is right based on all the facts and what is best for the district.
“In today’s learning environment one thing that guarantees success is to have parents engaged in their children’s learning experience. Based on the lack of parent turnout at site council meetings, that is difficult to make happen. It is one of the great challenges public education faces today,” continued his application.
Seven other candidates also submitted an application for the seat, including Glen Yonan, Tasia Harrison, Holly Egan, Carol Montgomery, Tara Bias, Jayson Vial and Anna Townsend.