Lees joins WSD board of directors

After several months with a vacant seat, the Washougal School Board welcomed its newest member Tuesday evening.

Teresa Lees, a mother of six Washougal students, will represent the patrons in district one, which was vacated by Jocelyn Lindsay last spring when she moved out of town.

“A friend suggested I check this opportunity out,” Lees, 35, said. “He said the board needs people to represent the community on school issues and felt that I could give good input. I went to a couple meetings and I liked what I saw.”

Lees noted she gets to see first-hand what teachers’ goals are and what they need.

“My kids come home and we talk about what they are doing in school,” she said. “I get that perspective on what is working and what is not working. As a parent I am also able to see directly the positive effects of decisions by the board on issues such as the iPads in the classroom and the new turf field.”

Four of her children are using the new iPads in the classroom.

“I love seeing the greater role of technology in the schools and how it is helping students to excel with using it, which they will need in life,” Lees said.

She is originally from Louisiana and has been married for 16 years to Randy Lees.

Her children are Abby, 15 and Tanner, 14, who both attend Washougal High School; Scott, 12, a Jemtegaard Middle School student and at Hathaway Elementary School are Fischer, 10, Kiersten, 8, and Garrett, 6.

“I love the Washougal community,” Lees said. “Where I am from, it is a party town. Here is it so family oriented with so many parks and activities and free programs for kids like the ones over the summer at the city library and Hathaway Elementary,”

The School Board is also seeking applicants to fill the board vacancy in director district three. A map of board director districts can be found at www.washougal.k12.wa.us/schoolboard/boardzones.htm. For more information, call Superintendent Dawn Tarzian at 954-3000.