RANCHO SANTA FE — The Rancho Santa Fe School District said goodbye to two of its school board members whose four-year terms ended at the Nov. 4 meeting.
Outgoing trustees Carlie Headapohl and Scot Cheatham were given carved glass trophies and hugs from superintendent Lindy Delaney.
The two came on the board at the time when the community was divided about building a new school and two bond issues had already failed, Delaney said.
“You signed up when it wasn’t easy,” she said.
Despite the differences, the board was able to unite the community and get them to pass a bond to build the new school.
Along with the awards, each was given fortunes from Delaney’s fortune cookies.
“While I don’t have Chinese food that often, I got these two,” she said. She gave the one that warned “be careful not to overspend,” to Headapohl and one that predicted Cheatham would “soon be surrounded by elegance.” The fortunes were fitting because Headaphol worried about the purse strings during the construction and Cheatham was quoted in a newspaper when after a tour, he called the new school, “a palace.”
“I’ve had an incredible experience and have grown as a person along the way,” Headapohl said. She said she is glad she is “leaving on a high note,” and that she had a part in passing a bond and seeing through the completion of the new school.
Cheatham said he learned a lot during the four years of his term, but mostly how to listen.
“I have learned how to listen to others’ opinions,” he said.
He said when he first came onto the board he thought the building of a new school seemed impossible. Cheatham said he too was grateful he had the opportunity of seeing the new school to fruition.
“We (the school board) came together as a group and brought the community together,” he said.
While saying goodbye to board members, the new members of the student council were introduced to the board along with their advisor Paul Coco. They include Kennedy Erdossy; Ciara Reiter, vice president; Kate Swanson, secretary; Connor Bailey, treasurer; Chase Rippy, environmental consultant; Kristin Butler, activities director; and Tess Cimino, philanthropy commissioner.
In other school board news, Marti Ritto and Carol Warren gave an update on the fundraising activities that will eventually finish the inside construction of the performing arts center at the new R. Roger Rowe school.
They reported its fundraiser featuring country singer Billy Dean on Oct. 20 had been successful.
“I thought it was a phenomenal evening,” said Warren, who added that Dean was not only a wonderful performer, but kept mentioning to the audience the importance of having and funding a performing arts center for the community.
Ritto told the board a fundraising gala for the center was been postponed until next fall, which will give the committee more time to bring it together.
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