LUCKY 13: LORBERG RETIRES FROM JACKSON BOARD

JACKSON John Lorberg says sitting on the Jackson school board is like sitting on the board of directors of a large company, one with more than 300 employees and an $11 million budget.

"It's a big business and you have to be knowledgeable about education and business to be a good school board member," he said, who is the board vice president.

Lorberg, 55, senior member on the board, can speak with some authority on that. He retires from the board this month after serving 13 years.

Schools officials say the only other board member who's served longer than Lorberg in recent memory is Bertha Hoffmeister, who was elected in 1975 and left the board in 1990, after serving 15 years.

Until 1978, Lorberg's community service was limited to serving on the Cape Girardeau County Agriculture and Soil Conservation Service board of directors and membership on several committees at Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville, where he is a member.

In 1978, some close friends, Roy and Jane Boren and Harlan Hager persuaded Lorberg to run for a one-year, unexpired term on the school board. Lorberg ran and, to his surprise, was elected.

"The first year I was on the board, I didn't feel like I contributed very much," said Lorberg this week. "It was really a learning experience. By the end of the first year, you kind of get in the go of it, and by the third year, you feel like you can start to contribute a little bit."

Lorberg decided to run for a full, three-year term and was re-elected in 1980. During the next 13 years, he held every position on the board, including treasurer in 1982-83, president in 1983-84, vice president in 1987-88, president again in 1988-89. He'll retire as vice president.

Lorberg has some advice for anyone considering running for school board. "I feel someone who wants to serve should plan on serving at least two terms. Three terms is better," he said. "The first term gives you the basic training, knowledge and experience you need to be a good board member in the second and third terms in office."

During his 13 years on the board, Lorberg saw a tremendous growth in the district. As the number of students continued to climb, the number of capital building projects increased, including additions to the R.O. Hawkins Junior High School and West Lane Elementary School. More recent projects include construction of Orchard Elementary School, a multi-purpose gym at the high school campus, renovation of the former Central Elementary School Building to allow expansion of the high school campus, and a new bus transportation center east of Orchard School.

Lorberg says it is no accident the district has been able to accomplish a busy capital building program. When the number of students at West Lane Elementary School began to enlarge class size and pupil-teacher ratios, board members created a citizens' committee to discuss ways to resolve the problem. The committee, made up of board members, administration and staff, teachers, parents, and business and civic organizations recommended a new elementary school.

Lorberg said because citizens served on the committee and participated in the decision-making process, the capital improvement project quickly won community-wide support.

"I personally believe that's the reason why the Jackson School District has been so successful," said Lorberg. "It involves the entire community. The community is proud of its school system."

Lorberg says there are several things he is proud of. One is development of a mandatory "family living skills" course at the junior high school that covers a wide variety of topics ... from sex education and marital harmony to family legal affairs and balancing the family checkbook.

"I firmly believe we need to do a lot more in this area," said Lorberg. "When many of our students graduate from high school, that's the end of their formal education. They're out there in the real world. If they don't have the basic living skills, they're in serious trouble."

Lorberg's concern for students is also seen in other programs instituted with his strong support, such as an increased emphasis on teaching better writing skills in the lower grades.

At first, Lorberg was the only board member who favored the Parents as Teachers program for pre-school children. Today, he notes with pride that PATS is an important part of the district's pre-kindergarten education program and in many other school districts around the state.

Lorberg says the district has attracted attention throughout the state. "Everywhere I go, people talk about our school district and the excellent reputation it has around the state," he said. "I attribute that to three things: an excellent school superintendent and administrative staff, highly trained and motivated teachers, and most of all, parents who are concerned and involved in the education of their children.

"And I'm going to pat myself on the back, too, when it comes to our superintendent (Wayne Maupin)," Lorberg added. "I was the one who suggested we look inside the district for our new superintendent. I think we have one of the finest in the state, and that's one of the reasons it's been so pleasant to be a member of the Jackson School Board."

Lorberg said the district has been able to avoid making deep cuts in its operating budget because Maupin and his staff alerted the board to the possibility of state financial problems several years ago.

"With the information given to us by Wayne and his staff, the board has been able to plan ahead and make some intelligent decisions on ways to avoid a financial crisis. One of the decisions was the 35-cent increase in the tax levy we're asking for on April 7."

Lorberg said the school district has always been in good financial health and would be right now if the state had not continued to decrease its share of money to the teacher fund for the past several years.

"You have to give credit to Dr. (Frank) Wiley (the previous superintendent) and Mr. Maupin for that," said Lorberg. "I can remember 4-5 years I was on the board when we actually lowered the tax levy because we had a surplus. I felt then, and feel now, that if everything is running smoothly, and there is enough money to get the job done, you should lower the levy.

"That way, if you ever need more money, you can come back to the voters and say, we were able to lower the levy when we didn't need the money, but now we need money and we're asking you for help. If the voters approve the levy increase next month, and the state somehow comes up with extra money later on, I would hope the board would consider lowering the levy again."

Besides the twice-a-week board meetings and all the people he has met as a board member, Lorberg says he will miss most of all helping the board make important decisions.

"Of course, if the levy fails, some of those decisions could be ones I won't miss at all," he added.