Mire named LPOSD trustee

PONDERAY — Sandpoint native Matt Mire was appointed as Lake Pend Oreille School District's newest trustee Tuesday.

School board members appointed Mire as trustee for Zone 2 following an interview process between Mire and one other applicant, Gary Suppiger of Cocollala, during the LPOSD board meeting, held at the Ponderay Event Center. Mire will fill the vacated position until the former trustee's four-year term is up in May 2017.

During the interview, Mire told the board his interest in the position stems from the fact that both he and his wife graduated from Sandpoint High School and now have three daughters in the school district as well.

"I am very vested in the goings-on of our school district, and beyond that I am extremely passionate about kids and their successes," Mire told the board.

Mire is vice president and commercial loan manager for Mountain West Bank in Sandpoint. He has experience serving on boards and volunteering with organizations focused on kids, such as the Panhandle Alliance for Education Board of Directors and Bulldog Bench, a Sandpoint High School athletic booster club.

"I think that all of those positions help me stay in tune with the things that kids are struggling with, the things that the district is succeeding or struggling with," Mire said.

When asked if there are any changes he would like to see in the district as a trustee, Mire said the district has had a "tremendous" amount of success preparing kids for secondary education and other programs. He said, for him, it would be a matter of "jumping on board" with those successes and understanding issues and challenges of the students, the board and the district.

Suppiger and Mire shared many of the same thoughts on the district, such as the need to understand the curriculum and whether it is working or not. They agreed the curriculum should not be changed regularly, but if there is a concern it should be reviewed and adjusted as needed. Suppiger also had three children go through school in the district, all graduating at the top of their class. He did add that, had he been appointed to the position, he would try to engage parents more in the student's academic lives.

The board commended both applicants on their thorough answers and qualifications for the position, yet they could only appoint one and Mire was nominated by board member Purley Decker. He will be sworn in to the position at the next board meeting on Aug. 23.

Following the meeting, Mire told the Daily Bee that he is excited to work with the other trustees and the administration because there is a lot of "exciting and positive things" happening in the school district.

"It's a huge responsibility," he said. "One that I am committed to fulfilling and one that I certainly don't take lightly."