The ABCs of School Boards.

There are many reasons to consider becoming a school board member, but the driving motivation for candidacy should be for the right reasons: the students. The Governing Board desires the best educational experience for every student in its community and realizes that this position is in service to the local community, not a greater or personal agenda, nor a stepping stone to a political career.

Because of the weight of this significant role, the board has governing statutes and a Code of Ethics. School board governance is best served by those with an intricate knowledge of the local public education system, legal parameters of the state, and the many details that affect the daily operation of the schools.

Amy Krauss and Amy Bhola are experienced as prior Board members and well-versed in these directive requirements and ethical considerations. Gina also has familiarity with these guiding principles from her professional experience with industry-side Advisory Boards and Boards of Directors. They take seriously the duties of the Board outlined by the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) as well as the expectations detailed in the ASBA handbook.

“Amy Krauss gave me and my husband our first campus tour of Manzanita over fourteen years ago. I believe she was the FFO President at the time. The warm welcome meant everything and we were immediately hooked with our new first grader. Five years later I went on to work closely with Amy Bhola as part of our District FFO. I recall how proud I was to meet Amy Bhola for the first time. Her background in the classroom and professionalism set a strong, intelligent tone for our monthly districtwide meetings. Gina soon joined us in her role as the FFO President from OGMS. Gina and I have younger sons who have been together since Kinder and we were quick to connect and become friends. I was always eager to 'recruit' the wonderful Mehmert Family, and they always showed up and strongly supported Manzanita from day one. It was a natural fit when Gina took the reins of the middle school FFO, and it was a true joy to actively partner with Gina's humor, professionalism, and heart-led leadership for those four years.

The truth is, all three of these hard-working women have been actively leading our schools in one capacity or another since our young family moved here 14 years ago. I can't think of a more qualified group to carry on CFSD's awesome legacy than Amy Krauss, Amy Bhola, and Gina Mehmert. As a very active district parent and volunteer, I am deeply grateful to have such continued excellence at the helm. The Kruk Family proudly votes for Krauss, Bhola & Mehmert.”

- Ashleigh K, active CFSD parent, volunteer, & resident