Brentwood Board of Education member lists accomplishments, wants, as he steps down (in April)

Dan Williams didn’t file for a second term after serving on the Brentwood School District Board of Education. (Read 3 run for 3 Brentwood Board of Education seats, with juggling).

40 South News asked Williams if he had any comments as he steps down, and he responded by email with this:

I want to thank all of the voters and Brentwood families that put their trust in me to represent them on the Brentwood School Board. I gave 110 percent and enjoyed my time on the board. My time on the board represented lots of positive change for Brentwood.

• We hired the best assistant superintendent and superintendent in the state of Missouri.
• We passed Prop K to ensure the financial well-being of our district.
• We are beginning to upgrade all of our technology in the district.
• We put an anti-drug policy into the athletic handbook and will hopefully soon formalize a drug testing program to give our kids a reason to say no to drugs and alcohol.
• We started our first solar schools initiative to go green at the administrative building and harness some of the sun’s power for use at our early childhood center. If we find this to be cost effective we will expand it in our other buildings.
• Our middle school is a School of Character.
• We have a national Blue Ribbon High School.
• Our district was the only one in St. Louis to score a perfect 100 percent on the new Missouri performance testing.

Before I leave office I still want and need the community’s help to:

• Get the speakers on the football field turned toward the field and adjusted for the few neighbors it affects.  It’s a little simple thing but I want the effort made so we can move on and enjoy our BSD athletic events throughout the year.
• I am still determined to get the word out to the community and ask for a full time, 180-day-per-year resource officer and Brentwood PD liaison designated to providing safety for our schools. I believe we were quoted a cost between $70,000 to $80,000 a year for an in-school full time officer. Instead, I suggested in August 2013 that we set up a secondary work program for our Brentwood officers at about half of the rate that was suggested by the city of Brentwood. In other words, have the resource officer schedule and we pay off-duty officers their basic hourly rate of $30 x 8 hours = $240 per 1-2 shifts a day then multiply that by 170 days. Assuming we don’t need them all 179 days the cost per year to put an officer in our buildings would be approximately $40,800. This would also give all the Brentwood officers an opportunity to meet and make relationships that will help in a crisis and to help our kids become better citizens. I know we have a plan in place for safety at Brentwood schools, but there is no better safety than knowing that our Brentwood officers are roaming the halls of our schools keeping our kids safe.
• Folks don’t want to think about it, but our buildings are aging. We are going to have to look at facility needs soon. The outside appearance doesn’t truly represent the true conditions of the buildings’ insides. We will need to pass a bond eventually to solve this and guarantee the future of our kids and grand kids. Be aware of this and tour the buildings if you don’t believe me. It will be needed!
• I also want to start a mentorship program for our high school athletes to pay it forward and help out other kids in our schools that teachers and counselors can’t reach!

In closing, I feel like our school district is in a better place now since I was elected. We have changed lots of policies, are much more transparent, fiscally responsible and have much better communication with everyone including the press.

Our leadership is impeccable and our education is A+++! Why go to a private school if you live in the Brentwood School District? I am born and raised in Brentwood. I love Brentwood! It’s the best place in the world to raise a kid. We are a tight-knit community for better or worse. Your children are safe here and if they get into trouble generally someone picks up the phone to tell you, if you haven’t already heard.

My father was an alderman here for 20 years. I am a disabled combat U.S. Marine and a coach. I am not a politician and never thought I would run for any political office. But if you aren’t part of the solution are you part of the problem? So I became frustrated with the way things were being run, stepped up and ran for office.

I feel like we are in a great place now. We have seven great people on the board and it’s time for me to get back to doing what I do best. That is helping others, working with kids, coaching and building championship teams. I will still be around if I am needed again, but for now I want to thank everybody for the experience of being a BSD board member. It was an honor and a great experience!

Save our Brentwood City police/fire dispatchers jobs, and Go Brentwood Eagles!

Dan Williams