School Board's Skinner named to state Board

Renee Skinner
Renee Skinner

El Dorado School Board member Renee Skinner was recently named to the Arkansas School Board Association's Board as Region 13 Director.

Superintendent Jim Tucker announced her appointment during a regular meeting of the Board earlier this month.

"We're excited to have representation again on the ASBA Board," he said, noting that Wayne Gibson, also a member of the El Dorado School Board, previously served on the ASBA Board.

Skinner said Wednesday she was appointed to the Region 13 Director position about three weeks ago.

"There was a person who was already representing district 13 who moved up to the executive board of the ASBA, so she actually took a higher role and that left district 13 unrepresented on the Board that I'm on now," she said. "They appointed me, just asked if I would be interested in doing it."

Founded in 1955, the ASBA is a nonprofit "membership organization that provides leadership, training, advocacy and specialized services to school boards throughout Arkansas," according to its website. The El Dorado School Board is a member of the ASBA.

"I've only attended one meeting so far, so you're kind of catching me before I'm really immersed in it," Skinner said. "At this point, I'm really just learning about what I can do in this role."

Skinner's appointment will continue through December, at which point she will have to run for the office at the annual ASBA Conference. She said she plans to run for the position.

"It's a three-year term if I'm elected in December, so honestly, I'm just looking forward to learning more about the workings of ASBA and making contacts across the state with other school board members," she said.

Skinner was first elected to serve on the El Dorado School Board in 2007. She served as the school board president in 2013-2015 and 2019-2021, as well as vice president, "because the vice president moves to president."

The ASBA provides support to school districts through offering continuing education, which is required by state law for elected school board members; keeping school board informed of education-related legislation; and providing model policies to help districts stay in line with state code.

"They look at the laws and see what our policies have to be to meet the law. They give us that to start from and we can make whatever changes are needed," Skinner explained.

When her appointment was announced at the school board meeting, she said she was excited to follow in Gibson's footsteps as a member of the ASBA Board.

"Baby footsteps," she noted.

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