No one would accuse the Community High School District 94 school board of being lazy in recent years.

They’ve vowed to balance the budget, built a new athletic field, changed the school schedule, banned personal electronics and shook up district employees by putting more administrators into classrooms. 

But there are plenty who would accuse the board of needing a Communications 101 class. Each of the board’s toughest decisions came with backlash from those who claimed the board pushed through decisions without proper input or feedback from those affected or from other board members.

“In the past there’s been kind of a brick wall,” board newcomer Tammie Murphy said. “With a new board coming in, hopefully everybody’s a little more willing to listen to each other.”

Now the board is looking forward to next year, with a mind toward communication.

They are considering having student representatives on the board, meeting with students and getting administrators more involved in classrooms.

Board members hope opening the lines of communication will help them continue the steady flow of changes.

“Communication in general is key to the whole school,” Murphy said, adding that she will focus on using her experience as a school nurse in the district to be a bridge between the board and teachers.

Although it’s likely to be unpopular among students, Reyes said the board hopes to step up enforcement of school policies, like attendance and the new electronics ban.

“It’s been kind of loose for a couple of decades,” Reyes said. “Under my tenure, I’d like to see it tightened up.”

Murphy said the board’s biggest challenge will be deciding where to put the district’s limited funds, saying the budget should be balanced, but extracurricular programs also are vital to the school.

“It’s important to maintain those programs,” Murphy said. “The arts, the photography, the sports, the stuff that’s keeping kids out of trouble and off the streets at night.”

Even with more difficult decisions ahead, Murphy said she already noticed more of that openness during the board’s May 8 meeting where members engaged in a heated debate over whether to re-elect Tony Reyes as board president. Some board members called Reyes’ leadership style abrasive and asked for a change in direction.  

“Everybody was very honest and forthcoming with what they felt in their hearts,” Murphy said. “That makes a big difference. Once you get all that out on the table you can deal with it.”

Reyes was re-elected and made no apologies for the accomplishments the board has made under his leadership.

“Leadership is a difficult process when you’re introducing the kind of changes that I feel are necessary,” Reyes said. “There’s always conflict.”