By Jolene Farley
After 27 years of service, Hills-Beaver Creek School Board Chairman Roland Crawford plans to retire when his term ends in January.
Thinking back, Crawford clearly remembers when he made the decision to run for the board.
The then 28-year-old Crawford pulled his car over to the side of the road and asked his wife, Lynn, "Well, should I do it or not?"
Lynn told him it was up to him, but she reminded him what his dad, Howard, went through during his time on the Beaver Creek school board and after the consolidation, the Hills-Beaver Creek board. Howard served on the boards for a total of 22 years.
Crawford sat and thought a minute before driving into town to sign up for the race. He won a seat in the election and held that seat for 27 years, carrying on the Crawford legacy in local leadership.
Crawford was the "young kid on the block" when he was first elected. The day after board meetings he would discuss the issues with his father.
"He gave me a lot of advice on different issues, but there were times we disagreed too. 'Rollie, he said. 'Listen. Think before you vote and try to think everything out,'" said Crawford.
"I always tried to pride myself on putting education first. It was always hard when there would have to be a cut made."
Crawford thinks times have changed for new board members. "The first year (back then) you could hardly get a peep out of them," said Crawford. "They would sit and listen to the older ones."
Crawford remembers when consolidation between the Hills district and the Beaver Creek was first contemplated.
"Dad and I were working on the well, when four Hills board members came on the yard," said Crawford.
Howard Crawford, who was chairman of the Beaver Creek board, brought the idea to the other Beaver Creek board members.
The consolidation was controversial at first, but in the end it was a good decision, according to Crawford. "It kept both schools going," he said.
Rollie and Lynn Crawford were members of the last graduating Beaver Creek class.
He finds it difficult to watch class sizes become smaller and smaller in the district, but he thinks it is a symptom of the changing rural landscape. Fewer people are farming and fewer younger families are moving to town.
"I think small schools have a lot to offer," said Crawford. He thinks some kids fall through the cracks in larger districts.
Crawford said school finance, with all its rules and laws, may be one of the most difficult areas to understand for board members. "About the time I would learn it, something else would change," he said.
Crawford remembers two issues standing out during his time on the board.
The board adopted a "whole reading program" about nine years ago and did away with phonics. The decision was controversial and board meetings were well-attended, according to Crawford. "Now I look back and I think we made a mistake," said Crawford.
Building a new elementary school became the second major issue for Crawford around 1993. "I had friends on both side," he said.
It was difficult watching people fight when everyone has a right to an opinion, Crawford said.
He said he thinks the Hills-Beaver Creek school has a bright future. "It all comes down to the board and the community," he said. "As long as they want a school it will be there."
In CrawfordÕs opinion, Hills-Beaver Creek has an excellent staff. He likes watching the "old guard help the young ones" among the staff.
Crawford said he is very optimistic about the board decision to hire Hills-Beaver Creek graduate Dave Deragisch as superintendent. "When he walked in (to the interview), he brought so much excitement into the room."
Crawford said he has never seen the staff and people in the district so excited. Hiring Deragisch has pulled everyone together, according to Crawford.
Crawford said he'll miss being a member of the board but he knows it is time to retire. "After my kids graduated, I've lost contact with the school. Your ideas shift, I find myself worrying more about money. I have lost daily contact with the teachers."
Crawford and his wife have four children, Tammy, Anne, Seth, and Grant. Grant, the youngest, graduated from Hills-Beaver Creek in 1995.
Crawford said the only reason he ran last time was because the board was in the middle of the building issue. "You work so hard to get it," he said. "I didn't want to leave midway."
Crawford said he thinks the Tuesday, Nov. 6, election will be a close race but he won't speculate who will win the four seats.
He thanks everyone for their support during his time on the board ... the staff, people in the district and his family. He wishes the best of luck to board members, past and present.
"The closer it (retirement) gets, you know it's about over," he said. "Some of the decisions you make you won't be around to see them carried out."