Campbell logged 31 years on the School Board
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
As Bill Campbell closed the screen on his school district-issued laptop computer for the last time Monday night, he couldn’t help but marvel at how education has advanced in his lifetime.
At the age of 83 – and with 31 years of service as a School Board member in the Burlington Area School District – Campbell has been transported from the days of a one-room schoolhouse lacking indoor plumbing to a time when all students (and school board members) are issued laptop computers.
“I’d go home after some board meetings and just go, ‘wow,’” Campbell said. “It never ceases to amaze me the dedication and the passion on the staff.”
Campbell, who is likely the longest serving School Board member in BASD history, participated in his last official meeting as a member of the board Monday night.
Campbell chose not to seek another term in last week’s election. His seat will be filled by a new member during the board’s reorganizational meeting on April 24.
Incumbent Rosanne Hahn, former board member Susan Kessler and newcomer Peter Turke will begin their new terms on that date. Incumbent Todd Terry stepped down after one term.
“I told Peter Turke he could have my computer, he could have my chair, but he couldn’t have my memories,” Campbell said.
He was recognized at Monday’s meeting with a plaque of appreciation and was feted during a brief reception that followed.
Advocate for education
In his comments during the public portion of the meeting, Campbell made it clear he served as an advocate for children and education.
“It has really been a pleasure for me,” he said. I have enjoyed it so much.”
Campbell was appointed to the board in 1985 and then was elected 11 times. He estimates he has worked with 65 to 70 different School Board members during that time and has served with six different superintendents – all but one he had a role in hiring.
“Everybody asks me which one was the best,” he said. “Every one of them fit the needs of the district at that point. I don’t think there is one who is best.”
Retired Superintendent Jackson Parker, who worked with Campbell in the 1990s, said it takes a special person to compile a record like his.
“That kind of service is extraordinary,” Parker said.
Parker said he had the pleasure to know two other longtime school board members – James Gilmore, who served 34 years in the Racine Unified School District and has a school named after him, and Larry Anderson, who retired in 2015 after 36 combined years of service to the Burlington and Brighton school districts.
“The common thread among all three is that they were most thoughtful about the kids and well-respected in the community,” Parker said. “They always approached it from the standpoint of ‘What’s the best we can do for the kids in our community.’”
Elected again
Campbell said the most interesting election in the string of 11 he faced came in 1996 when he and three other candidates faced a slate of four candidates who ran on a single platform titled “Back to Basics.”
The Back to Basics slate claimed the top four spots in the February primary but, by the time the April election rolled around, Campbell and the other three had reversed the outcome.
Campbell said that among the many board members he’s served with, Anderson stands out for his longevity and his keen grasp of school financing issues.
While he has been inspired by the staff members and colleagues he’s worked during his 31 years, Campbell said it’s the service to children that will remain his fondest memory.
“I went to a one-room schoolhouse,” he said. “and now look at what we give students.”
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