The Centralia Elementary School District’s Board of Trustees have unanimously voted to appoint Ian J. Macdonald to serve as Trustee, to complete a term ending December 2020.
Macdonald, age 21, served as the Chair of Centralia’s Citizens’ Oversight Committee and has volunteered with Centralia’s Neighborhood Resource Center, which connects underprivileged families to a wide range of child care, food and medical resources.
Macdonald’s appointment was supported by former Centralia Teachers’ Association President Rhodia Shead, former Centralia School Board President Steve Harris, Buena Park City Councilman Connor Traut, and numerous PTA parents.
“Our children are the key to the future. I believe that our district has the potential for even greater heights, and I am ready to help build the new doors for our children to open,” said Macdonald. “I hope to implement a Dual-Language Immersion Program, establish Parent Academies on campuses, and collaborate with local governments and nonprofits to increase student safety.”
Macdonald, a son of refugees and educators, has worked as a behavioral interventionist for children with autism, a board director of an education nonprofit, and a volunteer with both Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
The Centralia School Board governs a $50 million budget for elementary schools in Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma and West Anaheim. Centralia serves approximately 4,400 students, who speak over 20 languages, including Spanish, Korean and Tagalog.
