MONROE - A familiar face at Monroe High School will now be helping shape district policy.
Les Bieneman was sworn in Monday as the newest member of the Monroe School Board. He will fulfill the term of Heidi Zander, who resigned recently when she moved out of the district. The term will be up for election in the spring, and Bieneman said he anticipates running for a full term at that point.
Bieneman was elected by school board members after he and Gabriel Andriotis, the other candidate for the open seat, answered a series of questions posed by school board president Scott Schmidt.
Bieneman taught for more than 30 years at MHS. Since retiring in 2003, he has taught part-time for Monroe by substituting in area schools. He currently teaches part-time in Argyle.
Bieneman said he sought the position because he has a lifetime interest and commitment to education.
"This is what I do for an avocation, and for a vocation," he said.
When asked to pinpoint a weakness within the district, Bieneman said he thinks teachers don't know school board members well enough, and vice versa. He said he would hope to change that and bring more communication and interaction between board members and staff. On the plus side, he said, Monroe offers a wide variety of opportunities for its students.
He said the school board's role is to cultivate the right atmosphere for the district. The board "sets the tone for the entire district," he said, adding how important it is for the board to remain positive and outgoing.
Andriotis is a branch manager for a Freeport area bank and has 13 years experience in financial services. He said his interest in the school board stems from having young children recently enter the school system.
He identified economic challenges as the greatest obstacle facing the board in the near future and the quality of teaching staff as the district's greatest strength. He also noted school board members must "wear a lot of different hats" and their role is to "create the best environment possible."
Les Bieneman was sworn in Monday as the newest member of the Monroe School Board. He will fulfill the term of Heidi Zander, who resigned recently when she moved out of the district. The term will be up for election in the spring, and Bieneman said he anticipates running for a full term at that point.
Bieneman was elected by school board members after he and Gabriel Andriotis, the other candidate for the open seat, answered a series of questions posed by school board president Scott Schmidt.
Bieneman taught for more than 30 years at MHS. Since retiring in 2003, he has taught part-time for Monroe by substituting in area schools. He currently teaches part-time in Argyle.
Bieneman said he sought the position because he has a lifetime interest and commitment to education.
"This is what I do for an avocation, and for a vocation," he said.
When asked to pinpoint a weakness within the district, Bieneman said he thinks teachers don't know school board members well enough, and vice versa. He said he would hope to change that and bring more communication and interaction between board members and staff. On the plus side, he said, Monroe offers a wide variety of opportunities for its students.
He said the school board's role is to cultivate the right atmosphere for the district. The board "sets the tone for the entire district," he said, adding how important it is for the board to remain positive and outgoing.
Andriotis is a branch manager for a Freeport area bank and has 13 years experience in financial services. He said his interest in the school board stems from having young children recently enter the school system.
He identified economic challenges as the greatest obstacle facing the board in the near future and the quality of teaching staff as the district's greatest strength. He also noted school board members must "wear a lot of different hats" and their role is to "create the best environment possible."