Former Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102 board member Steve Lefar decided against seeking re-election after determining recently that other district residents were ready to perform the similar tasks that he had taken on during the past 10 years.
Believing he might be standing in the way of residents offering new ideas, he said he decided against another term on the board and signed off during a District 102 board meeting on April 24.
“It’s a bittersweet thing,” Lefar said. “We did great work, but it’s time for the next generation.”
The newest board member of that generation is Suzann Audi, who was elected earlier this month to the seat once held by Lefar.
Lefar, 50, started volunteering for District 102 in the early 2000s as a member of a committee that identified ways to incorporate emerging technology of that time into classrooms. He said he enjoyed the work and decided to run for the board in 2007.
Pritchett and Tripp Elementary schools in the district since have earned the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon award, while district officials have started planning recently for major renovations to all four buildings.
Born in New Jersey, Lefar said education has been a part of his family. His dad, who died seven years ago, worked as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University and his mom worked as a teacher and principal.
After graduating from the University of Michigan, Lefar worked in the field of medical-health technology, handling the commercial end for existing business and sometimes starting his own companies.
Q: Your father did his graduate work and eventually worked at Rutgers, which is now a Big Ten program. How would Lefar family relations have changed with Rutgers in the conference?
A: I know what he would have said. They’re the Scarlet Knights, so he would have said, “Go Scarlet!” Those would have been some great days.
Q: During your farewell to the school board, you said you hoped to see Aptakisic Junior High and Meridian Middle School earn Blue Ribbons. What will need to change to make that happen?
A: Some of it is making sure we go through the process to do it. It’s just continuing to raise the bar to make sure we’re the best in the nation — not just among the best. Continuing to invest in the breadth of programming that we have, not just STEM, but the arts.
Q: Ten years ago, few people could spell “entrepreneur” correctly. Now, it’s one of the business world’s hot terms. What does Aptakisic-Tripp need to do to produce more of these?
A: They’ve already embraced it, which is much more self-directed learning. When you give kids the tools to become self-reliant, that’s when they have the confidence and courage to go be entrepreneurs. It’s having the skills to teach oneself what one needs to know, to absorb a lot of information and know how to process it. Great entrepreneurs have the ability to see across disciplines.
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