Ronald Dahl, a popular British author once stated, “Somewhere inside of all of us is the power to change the world.” Cheryle L. Thomas, a lifelong citizen of Perry County and experienced educator shares the same sentiments. Her mission is to ensure that every child leaves equipped with the necessary skills and abilities in order to thrive in this globally diverse society.
For the past five years Thomas has served as the voice for District 2 as a school board member for Perry County Schools. In collaboration with the Dr. Smiley, Superintendent and fellow boardsman, they have worked to ensure that they engage in sound decision making and practices that will allow for equitable distribution of resources for the entire district. Through thoughtful planning, information obtained from needs assessments, and grants secured, they have added programs such as cosmetology and Star Academy, a state of the art project based learning program to our curriculum. Perry County schools are equipped with 21st Century tools with training opportunities for students and staff that will facilitate the effective and efficient use of technology. Creating spaces conducive to learning is a high priority, which prompted a huge financial investment in upgrades to these facilities to include lighting, athletic venues, and rest rooms where needed. While projects and programs are essential to functioning schools, they become obsolete if we cannot get students attending regularly. A grant funded truancy program has been added to their system of support. In conjunction with the Helping Families Initiative, the truancy program seeks to find the reason students are absent and offer support for the entire family. Because of their diligence and foresight, they received a higher score on the State report card for 2023.
Cheryle L. Thomas said, “Being a school board member has allowed me to serve this community’s greatest resource, our children. I am child centered and child focused and at the heart of all decisions, collaborations and initiatives will be “Children First.”
