Dr. Pace is reelected to Shawnee School Board

By Alyssa Sperrazza, News Editor

Students rarely consider their professors’ lives off campus, but OBU is not the only place professors are making a difference in the community.

Dr. Scott Pace can normally be found in Montgomery Hall or walking to and from the classes he teaches. You’ll even find him on the sidelines of football games playing ball with his kids, but what many do not know is that “professor” isn’t his only job title.

Pace is the President of the Grove Board of Education.

“I have been for the last two years,” Pace said.  “I have served a previous three year term and was up for re-election.”

The elections, which took place on February 14, showed Pace running unopposed.

“I had also run unopposed in my initial election to the board,” Pace said. “There is a three day sign up period for people to register for the election so people have enough time to consider who else might be running and determine whether they will run against them.”

Working for the Board of Education was not always a goal for Pace though.

“I never dreamed I would be an elected official,” Pace said.  “I was asked by another board member and others to consider running when a previous member decided not to run for re-election.  Their request was based on the possible contribution I could make from my experience as a professional educator.”

With multiple children in the public school system right now, the motivation to run was personal.

“We have four children attending there and board members with children who attend a district school can offer an informed perspective with personal consideration for board decisions,” Pace said. “For me personally, it also affords me the opportunity to be a voice and make a difference for the families who live in our district.”

“I desire to see children receive a holistic education that will not only prepare them academically, but personally, to succeed in life,” Pace said.

Being a parent, educator and board member, combined they offer a unique perspective on Oklahoma’s education system.

“We definitely need to evaluate our school funding and raise teacher salaries,” Pace said. “The quality of teachers in our district is phenomenal, but they are grossly underpaid for the level of significance of their work and the dedicated abilities it requires. This is true throughout the state.

Making sure children are well rounded in their education is also a priority for Pace.

“We need to make sure that our education system is holistic, providing character and value education as well as the traditional academic disciplines,” Pace said. “We also need to continue to maintain high levels of academic expectations and help students achieve them, rather than lowering our standards.”

“Students are the leaders of our future and the level of education they receive now will translate directly into the level of leadership they are able to provide later.

With those goals in mind, Pace continues to make a difference at Bison Hill and across the state.